“A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.” – Vince Lombardi.
Recently, my good friend Paul Combs had asked me to write an article for Fire Engineering that he would do an accompanying cartoon for. I originally wrote part of this piece for a local paper over 20 years ago. I meditated long and hard, toying with many different ideas, but I kept going back to the article I had written long ago and how it still applies to the fire service and how I think it might make for a great cartoon. These philosophies have served me well for a very long time. I hope the reader can identify with them.
As I approach my 40th year in the fire service, I am reminded of my roots before I got on “DA JOB.” I have had the privilege of having many mentors during my service, but fortunately for me I had just as many mentors before I got on “DA JOB.” Most of these mentors were the coaches that I had during my time playing football, both before, during, and after high school. I didn’t realize it then, but they molded me and many of my friends (including many firefighters) into what we are today. I had the great privilege of growing up in the 1970s in North Bergen, New Jersey where football was like a religion. I didn’t realize at the time that my experiences of playing football for the Brauer brothers in Pee Wees, up through Pop Warner, high school, and into college would mold the way I think and have carried myself for the last 50 years.
The Commonalities
Firefighting is a lot like football. Both have a table of organization and use a similar incident command system where span of control, coordination, and communication is critical. Fire officers are akin to coaches and are essential in both game-day preparation and executing the action plan (game plan on the football field), as well as evaluating and suggesting modification to the head coach (the incident commander (IC)). In both, it can be said that the best defense is a good offense. The IC must be an offensive coordinator and a defense coordinator, sometimes at the same time. Fire departments preplan, football teams scout. Fire departments use standard operating procedures, football teams use playbooks. Sudden death is applicable to both games; in both, we are trying to avoid it by winning outright. Both are also team oriented and require an unwavering and unquestioned sense of dependency and trust. You must be on your “A” game at all times, because your fellow firefighters, like your teammates, are depending on you—and you are depending on them. Both activities require extreme dedication and training. Both are driven by controlled adrenaline. Both are stoked with a pride and tradition that only those who participate can understand.
The Differences
There are also some differences. Audibles in football are often used. These are communicated at the line of scrimmage. Audibles in firefighting are not always good unless they are communicated to all the players in order for the game plan to be modified without a loss of coordination and same-page thinking. Unlike football, time-outs do not exist on the fireground. We are always out of time-outs. It is often fourth down and long and we do not have the luxury of punting, but the major difference in firefighting is that the preparation, training, and decisions made often come with a life-and-death price tag attached (although it seemed that way when we were playing football at North Bergen High School…losses were worse than death!) The pressure of competition on the football field helped prepare me for the pressure of the fireground.
Forming Firefighters
Apart from the small section above on some similarities and differences, I want to approach football, not as a comparison to the actual fireground, but from a standpoint of how the philosophies and discipline and attitude prepared us for the service. That is the real comparison. It’s part of my story and if you know, you know. Your story may have been any sport or any nurturing influences, but the path, dedication, and ultimate takeaway is often the same.
If you played high school football for THE North Bergen Bruins, every year, in the late summer and fall, your senses and instincts start to notice it: the smell of cut grass. It’s kind of strange as we had no grass, only rocks and dirt, but it still brings back the memories: 50-year friendships built and maintained with the sweat and blood we left on the practice and playing fields, double sessions, running the treacherous hills behind the high school, and the exhilaration of expectation of the new season. (Side note: North Bergen is the second hilliest municipality in America, next to San Francisco—and ours get icy in the winter!) These are memories burned into our collective psyches that time has not faded. It’s that time of year again.
When I was still on DA JOB, every morning, as I’d prepare to transfer platoon command at North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue (NHRFR) to Deputy Chief Nick Gazzillo—who played for the teams of 1975 and 1976—the conversation inevitably turned to North Bergen football, the stories about the various players, and the lessons we learned from Head Coach Vincent Ascolese. It’s remarkable how the lessons you learned on the gridiron so many decades ago still apply today to our fire service world.
I was privileged to experience the leadership of Coach Vincent Ascolese both as a player in the late ‘70s where we won back-to-back state championships in 1977 and 1978 (and a county championship in 1978) and as a coach in the ‘90s where we won another two state championships in 1990 and 1997, as well as six county championships. We built those successes on a punishing ground game, and being a running back, I was proud to be part of that grueling attack. I remember Coach saying: “When you pass the ball, four things can happen and three of them are bad.” This quote was often attributed to Ohio State Coach Woody Hayes, but it is actually an original quote from Brigadier General Robert Neyland (1892-1962), who coached for the University of Tennessee. Coach Ascolese believed in that philosophy, so we ran the ball…and ran the ball…and ran the ball some more. An opposing coach once said: “Playing North Bergen is like anticipating a hangover. You know what to expect and you are powerless to stop it.” I also remember the phrase Coach Ascolese often used: “In this life, you can do anything you want to do…if you want it bad enough and if you are willing to do the work.” I heard those words as a player and as a coach.
The traits that make a champion in football such as self-discipline, dedication, and reliability also apply to the way we carry ourselves as firefighters. These traits, learned early on the gridiron courtesy of Coach Ascolese and his coaching staff, have stayed with me and helped me a be a better person, fire officer, and leader.
Family First
Like the fire service, Coach Ascolese also emphasized family first—and the team was your family. You lived, woke, slept, ate, and trusted in the team like it was your family. It was easy, then, when I got to the fire department, to realize that I was in another family, equally as strong and like the Bruins I grew up with, and equally as loyal when it was time to go into battle. The preparation for the fireground was in many ways like the preparation on the football field: intense training, repetition, continuous self- and team assessment, and knowing your job as well as the job that your colleagues were expected to do. All these remain the foundations of success, and sometimes survival, in the fire service.
I reached out to other North Bergen football alumni who have achieved the rank of fire officer in the NHRFR to tap their memories and share some of the positive traits instilled by Coach Ascolese that have made them the professionals and leaders that they are today. This was our tribute to a man, then in his fourth decade as head football coach of THE North Bergen Bruins, who stood alone as a shining example for all coaches, officers, and leaders.
Nick Gazzillo, deputy chief, Class of ’77. wingback, defensive back, member of county champs and state finalist team: “The lessons Coach Ascolese taught me became more evident as I grew older. The leadership and discipline that was taught developed a strong foundation for competing and striving for a productive place in society. I truly realized what Coach Ascolese and Bruin football did for me when I started coaching football myself. Teamwork, dedication, working hard to be the best and believing that you were, was the message he instilled in his players. I’ll never forget the inspirational tapes played in the locker room with Coach Ascolese speaking while “The Impossible Dream” played in the background. I remember the Rock, and bee eating during the week of the Bayonne game. His confident attitude was “Here we come, “STOP US!” The Bruin Red and Gold bleeds all over the state of New Jersey and beyond. I try to teach the Bruin mentality to my two sons and the team that I coach. The boys on my team may not play in North Bergen, but they are coached like Bruins. The connection of Coach Ascolese and North Bergen Bruin football will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Mike Falco, deputy chief, Class of ’76 center, member of county champion and state finalist teams: “Having the opportunity to play under Coach Ascolese was by far the most influential occurrence in my life. Coach gave me the gift of believing in myself and gave me the confidence that you can do whatever you want if you believe. Although I may have been one of the smaller starters on the offensive line for him at 170 lbs., he had me playing like I was 225. He had a way of reaching inside your body and soul and making you become the best you could be. When I see him around town, 35 years later, he still treats me like “one of his boys,” for he has marked me for life. The one thing I regret today is that my two sons never had the opportunity to play for him. You can’t teach what he has. He has a gift. He is a great man and a maker of men.”
Marc Johnson, battalion chief, Class of ‘77 wingback, defensive back, member of county champion and state finalist teams: “The traits I learned playing football for Coach Ascolese were mental and physical toughness along with the perseverance required to become a success. At North Bergen, it helped us overcome teams that had more talent on paper but were defeated on the field because we believed we would win. Those teachings helped me overcome extraordinary fire conditions at incidents. He taught us to expect to win; that it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
Ed Connors, captain, Class of ’78 running back/punter, member of State Champion team: “Coach Ascolese instilled in us such traits as hard work, dedication, and teamwork. He treated us like adults and held us accountable for our actions. He stressed that team players, not individuals, make a team successful. He taught us always to give all you have. These lessons and guides carry over to the fire department. If you don’t work as a team and give your best effort all the time to the job, the consequences can be much worse than losing a game, but the concept and belief I learned back then is still the same now: always give your all. I didn’t have to play football my last year as I had a baseball career ahead of me. I played because I wanted to be a part of that team. It was an experience I’ll never forget.”
John O’Sullivan, captain, Class of ’82 defensive end/tight end, team captain, Jersey City State College football: “Coach Ascolese was and is much more than an excellent football coach. He was very important in helping me and my family. He develops young men, athletes, and students. The things he taught me off the football field were very important in helping to develop my character. Practicing and preparing are very important in football, the fire service, and in life if you expect to perform well and be successful. He taught me to be confident and to be a leader. Coach Ascolese chose excellent coaches that led to developing better players and better teams. Thank you, Coach Ascolese, for your kindness, your fairness, your stern approach, the lessons taught, and your dedication.”
Mike Martin, captain. Class of ’84 Center, member of co-county championship team: “Coach Ascolese taught us teamwork and that each of us must strive to be the best we can be. We were taught to overcome adversity, which has helped me both in being a firefighter and fire officer. One great character trait that Coach stressed was pride in yourself and in your team. I am both grateful and honored to have had the privilege of playing for Coach Ascolese.”
Anthony Cospito, captain, Class of ’87 defensive tackle, member of state and county champion and state finalist teams: “The thing I remember most about playing for Mr. A. is that when you put on the red and gold, you had better prepare to be the best—Bruins football—don’t mess with the best. When you played football for Coach Ascolese, you and your teammates were like one big family. I guess that’s why I love being a firefighter. We are also one big family. Coach used to play “Here’s to the Winners” by Frank Sinatra after every win. His pregame speeches were incredible! I could listen to that man talk forever. While playing football for Coach Ascolese, he was like a second father to us all, even years after we played. He would always be there to help. In 1987, my best friend and a former Bruin lost his life in a construction accident. My friends and I were devastated. I remember Mr. A. being there for us in that horrific time in our lives. We had all graduated the year before and he made it his priority to be there for us. I’ll never forget that. Thanks for everything, Mr. A.”
Nick Prato, captain, now deputy chief, Class of ’91 quarterback/defensive back, member of state and county champion and state finalist teams: “Coach Ascolese taught the concept of “Team First,” that working together, you can accomplish anything. Coach Ascolese taught us faith, family, and football. Like the fire service, we trained at a high level. I was taught to continuously challenge myself and never to be satisfied because complacency only makes you weak and at a fire, it can kill you and your crew. Growing up in North Bergen, there were two things you wanted: to be a Bruin and to play for Coach Ascolese.”
James Corso, captain, now deputy chief. Class of ’97 defensive back, member of county champs and state finalist team: “Coach Ascolese helped me in learning my own personal strengths and weaknesses and how to work with people of different backgrounds to accomplish the same goal. The traits of teamwork and leadership learned on the gridiron also apply to the fire service. Training in the fire service is similar to football practice. There is a lot of hard work involved in reaching your goals and those of the team. After a loss in the State Championship in 1996, Coach told us to be proud of our actions and what got us to that game—that was what was most important.”
Patrick Cospito, captain, Class of ’97 fullback/linebacker/nose guard, member of county champions and state finalist teams: “Coach Ascolese expected that when you got on the field, it wasn’t about you anymore. He expected 110% and the team expected it too. He relied on you to do your job and do it well. As a firefighter and officer, people depend on us to do the job to the best of our ability. Because of my four years playing under Coach Ascolese, I never had a problem putting everything aside and giving 110% to doing my job. Becoming a firefighter and then a captain were probably the greatest accomplishments of my life. Coach Ascolese always let us know that if you wanted a position on the team, you had to work to be better than your competition because if you weren’t, if that person worked harder, you would never get the position. I remembered those feelings when I was studying to be a firefighter and then when I prepared for the Captain’s exam. My goal was to follow that philosophy again….I did. Thanks Mr. A!”
Leaders who develop others add. Leaders who develop leaders multiply. One can only surmise that some of the kids sweating on that dusty field behind the high school, bleeding red and gold as this was written may also be the future leaders of NHRFR.
Coach Ascolese passed away in 2014 at the age of 77. Cancer sucks. The football field in North Hudson Park is now named after him.
