Rick Zappala- 20 years of service
It’s easy to recognize someone who has been associated with sports for 44 years, but to actually distinguish a man who has dedicated his life to taking care of those athletes throughout all parts of the seasons is an honor.
Rick Zappala, athletic trainer for the Schreiber High School has devoted his whole career to providing injury and preventative care, specifically in Port Washington, to some 700 athletes who competed on 44 teams per year for 20 years.
Rick was able to accept a well-deserved retirement in 2023.
Rick joined the staff of Schreiber in 2003 after serving as the Head Athletic Trainer at Hofstra University from 1981 to 2003. He had also been the Athletic Trainer at American University (1979-81).
Mr. ‘Z’, as he was affectionately known as, received his first taste of his future career while in high school in Winchester, Massachusetts, which had an athletic trainer, ‘Mr. P’.
He was interested in what he did, and the summer before his senior year, took an Athletic Trainer course, which was a self-taught course on the body, common injuries, taping, first aid, first responder skills and included 1,800 hours of clinical experience.
After graduating high school, he attended Boston University, majoring in Secondary Education and History, where he had the opportunity to work as an athletic training student, primarily with the football, basketball and baseball teams. He was asked about pursuing a career in athletic training.
Rick received a graduate assistantship in athletic training from Central Connecticut State College, and went on to receive his master’s degree in Physical Education in 1980.
While at Schreiber, Mr. ‘Z’ made lifelong associations with staff and student-athletes who recognized his contribution to their successes.
“At the high school, I cared for athletes; I did like the administrative role, but the real joy is taking care of people; being at Schreiber allowed me to return to that passion,” Rick said.
Rick especially enjoyed walking the sidelines of so many athletic events or being in his golf cart – which became his well-known mode of transportation.
His favorite memory may be the involvement of teams that competed in County or Long Island championships, but he always enjoyed seeing students who competed on various teams grow up and become young adults.
Rick was involved in the U.S. Olympic program including being on the medical staff of the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics. He was assigned to the boxing team, where he tended to gold medalist Oscar De La Hoya. He also served at the US Olympic Festivals in Los Angeles, CA (1991) and Minneapolis, MN (1990), as well as the Olympic Trainer Center in Colorado Springs, CO (1989). He was also the head trainer for the World Games for the Deaf in 1985, also in Los Angeles.
Rick’s induction into the Paul D. Schreiber Athletic Hall of Fame will stand among the many accolades he has received, including his induction into the NYSATA Hall of Fame in 2005 and recognition as a ‘Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer’ award recipient.
Mr. ‘Z’ brought the student Athletic Training program to Schreiber where he mentored students interested in helping fellow athletes as well as assisting him in the training room. His compassion and pride for watching athletes rise from being injured and downhearted to returning to competition has always been at the pinnacle of what he loved to do daily, and committed his life to.
For those who have been ‘touched’ literally and figuratively by Mr. Z, know the compassion, care and commitment he portrayed each and every day to Port’s athletes. It is that remarkable involvement that Rick Zappala is recognized for his contribution to Schreiber Athletics.
