By Scott Brinton
This fall, Cantley said, "We just had really good practices every day. That built the chemistry, and we got off to a fast start."
Fast start indeed. Before long, the squad was 7-0 in the tough Conference II. The team ended the season 10-1-3, with all three ties coming after two key players, senior Matt Ostreich and junior Corey Werbelow, were sidelined with injuries. In the end, the Colts were crowned Conference II champions.
Cantley's fellow soccer coaches noticed his squad's remarkable turnaround, and the Nassau County Soccer Coaches Association recently named him Soccer Coach of the Year. With 54 coaches competing for the honor, it is a huge accomplishment, said Saul Lerner, the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District athletic director. It is the second time that Cantley has received the accolade, the first coming in 2001.
Lerner said that Cantley emphasizes fair play and academics above winning, and that, in large part, is why he is consistently recognized as one of the county's best soccer coaches. "It's not always about winning," Lerner said. "It's about class and dignity. He and his kids act with class and dignity."
Cantley, a Calhoun special education teacher, learned soccer's fundamentals while playing for the Mepham High School varsity team in the 1980s. He earned a bachelor's from SUNY Geneseo and a master's in education from Hofstra. He began his career in education as an assistant soccer coach at Mepham High in 1993 under Mike Muscara, who is now Mepham's athletic director. Cantley became Calhoun's head soccer coach in 1996.
"Sportsmanship is big with me," he said. "The kids keep it in perspective. You win as a team, you lose as a team. I tell them to have their emotions under control."
Cantley, who is also the Calhoun boys' golf coach, said, "This honor, for me, is a tribute to my team. I share this with my team and my assistant coach, Sal Montoya."
David Seinfeld, Calhoun's principal, heaped praise on Cantley. "Jim is just the coach that every parent wants for their child," Seinfeld said. "He picks you up when you're down, and he makes the players better ... He's just liked by everyone in the building. He's a wonderful role model for all of our coaches."
Calhoun's big season
Sept. 11: Beat Herricks, 5-0
Sept. 15: Beat Freeport, 2-0
Sept. 17: Beat Mepham, 6-0
Sept. 19: Beat Baldwin, 3-2
Sept. 23: Beat Bellmore-Kennedy, 1-0
Sept. 25: Beat Carey, 1-0
Sept. 27: Beat MacArthur, 2-1
Oct. 2: Lost to MacArthur, 3-1
Oct. 3: Beat Herricks, 5-0
Oct. 6: Tied Freeport, 1-1
Oct. 10: Beat Mepham, 2-1
Oct. 14: Beat Baldwin, 2-1
Oct. 16: Tied Bellmore-Kennedy, 0-0
Oct. 20: Tied Carey, 0-0
Comments about this story? SBrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
