Reading Memorial High School assistant varsity girl's basketball coach Jim DeBenedictis started playing basketball his freshman year of high school and the rest is history – just like the subject he teaches.
DeBenedictis is entering his fourteenth year teaching, and thirteenth year coaching basketball at RMHS. After six years as the Junior Varsity coach, he made the switch to Assistant Varsity coach.
"When my oldest son was born, I made the switch because being involved with both JV and Varsity was a huge time commitment. I also felt like I did all I could do at JV. I wanted to work with just Varsity because it presented a new challenge," DeBenedictis said.
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DeBenedictis's coaching career began when he coached middle school aged boys in the Catholic Youth Organization at St. Pius Parish in his hometown of Lynn.
"My close friend Kevin Bloom, who recently retired as head baseball coach at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School, asked me if I wanted to coach at St. Pius and it sounded like fun, so I said yes. Once I started coaching, I was hooked," DeBenedictis said.
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Some highlights of Debenedictis's coaching career include a four-year stint coaching freshman boys at Bishop Fenwick, where he learned from then head coach Mike O'Brien. He has also developed a close coaching relationship with Reading Varsity coach, Kim Penney.
DeBenedictis is the proud father of three young sons, Joseph, Tony, and Dom. All of his boys are into sports, and he encourages them in any way he can.
"If any of my sons develop a real interest in sports, I will do everything to support them, but what is most important is that they are active, challenging themselves, and having fun," DeBenedictis said.
