By ARIELLA MONTI
Under Abrams's leadership, St. Agnes won the CYO Senior Boys division championship on March 15, but even before the title game, decided to make that his last. Abrams has taken a number of teams as far as the championship game, but this was his first title.
As the clock ticked away the final minutes last month, St. Agnes was down by one point. With only seconds remaining, Abrams watched his 17-year-old son, Joe, nail the three-point basket that made the final score 60-59.
"He just ended up with the ball somehow," Abrams laughed. "He didn't have a choice."
Some of the St. Agnes players have been coached by Abrams for the past 10 years. They are high school seniors, and the championship game was the last of their CYO careers. "This whole year was so much more exciting because it was our last year," said South Side High's Mark Caso.
Abrams began coaching basketball in 1972, organizing a CYO team at the Catholic Home Bureau for Dependent Children in Brooklyn, where he was a social worker. His team was made up of foster children, and played teams from the area's high schools. The final score of one memorable loss was 55-1.
After marrying his wife, Theresa, and moving to Rockville Centre, Abrams began coaching for the local CYO in 1978. One of his best players that year was Sean O'Brien. Thirty years later, O'Brian's nephew, Pat Tighe, helped St. Agnes win the league championship.
Abrams has coached all three of his children, Patty, Christine and Joe. Patty's team made it to the championship game twice. Christine also played soccer for South Side High School.
He has never coached any future NBA stars, but a number of Abrams's players have gone on to play for their high school and college teams. Assistant Coach Felim McTague said that Abrams was not only a coach, but a father figure to his players, who taught them to play hard but fair. And the proof of their respect for him, McTague noted with a laugh, was the rapt attention they gave him. On nights when he had to fill in for Abrams, McTague recalled, the boys never listened quite as well.
Caso, who played for Abrams for six years, said that everyone loved him because he was fair and always made sure they were having fun. "Everyone got their chance on the court," said Karen Caso, Mark's mother. Each player had a chance to contribute -- even in this year's championship game.
While most coaches leave their six best players on the court and the rest warm the bench, all of Abrams's players were given a chance to shine. He never appointed captains, and players and parents alike agree that his coaching philosophy helped every athlete realize his potential.
Karen Caso believes Abrams's coaching style is the reason for the team's success. She said that the most important thing was the boys always had fun. She remembers sitting with another parent at the first game of the season, and both were delighted to see that every boy had a smile on his face.
Abrams's reputation grew to the point where parents often called him to ask if their children could play for him. He remembers one boy who rode the bench on other teams before being given real playing time by Abrams -- and later playing for his high school team. His father gave Abrams the credit for the boy's development.
The coach is a modest man, refusing to take all the credit for his team's success, and complimenting everyone from the St. Agnes gymnasium manager to the office staff. "I'm just a guy in the background," he said, adding that his players have done all the hard work.
He has been working with McTague for the past 10 years and laughs about the argument they had during the championship game -- during which St. Agnes fell behind, but Abrams would not deviate from his everyone-plays strategy. McTague worried that it would cost them the game.
But Abrams held tight to his philosophy. "He stayed true to himself," McTague said, explaining that Abrams stressed love and respect for the game, which is often lost on high school coaches who seek the recognition that comes with winning seasons. Abrams hasn't lost sight of the fun.
Mark Caso will go on to Quinnipiac University in the fall where he may play club basketball. No coach will ever match up to Abrams, he said.
Comments about this story? AMonti@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
