By John Burton
RED BANK – Jim Portela, Red Bank Catholic’s head football coach, is happy with the team’s victory in the state championship earlier this month.
But he hopes the bigger picture is what his team and all the school’s students remember for the long haul.
“I always say 30 years from now nobody is going to remember who scored what touchdown. You’ll remember who were the good kids,” in all areas, not just in sports.
As wonderful as the performance of RBC’s Caseys were at the Dec. 6 NJSIAA Non-Public Group III championship game at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, for the 59 members – 29 who are seniors – winning their first championship since 1976, there are bigger issues than sports in the school community that will benefit these athletes; actually he says, all athletes, as they continue beyond high school and the local playing field.
Along with taking home the football championship, RBC has also garnered titles in girls’ cross-country, girls’ gymnastics and tennis; a strong showing, indeed, which, Portela said speaks to the school and its community.
“Sports in general – and football in particular – first off, teaches you a great work ethic. It teaches you to overcome adversity,” Portela offered. “And more importantly it teaches you to put others ahead of yourself.
“And that’s sorely lacking today,” in our culture, he added.
The goal is for these kids to take something with them, to be the kind of person who would go up to another youth sitting alone in the cafeteria and “You go over and keep him company,” he said.
“You try to teach them to be good people,” on the playing field, in the classroom and in life, he explained and “to live up to their potential.”
“You try to create a good environment for the kids,” he said, explaining that is the case in his business classes as well as on the playing field and court.
Portela, a Monmouth Beach resident, has been coaching in some capacity since graduating college in 1987.
“I always had the coaching bug,” he acknowledged. “I always wanted to coach high school football.”
Thankfully, in his previous job working on Wall Street, “I had a global role,” working for a bank, “which gave me a little flexibility,” to pursue his passion.
He has been head football coach since 2009. He started coaching in 2002 as assistant coach. He came on fulltime teaching as well as coaching in 2011 when he left his last job as managing director of commercial lending for Deutsche Bank on Wall Street.
And to hear Portela tell it, he never looked back.
“I got no complaints,” he maintained. “I have no difficulty getting up in the mornings and going to work…I’m happy here.”
Like his role with the team, standing in front of a class offers him a chance to not only teach about accounting principles and other aspects of the business world but to shape their perspectives and instill in them not only passion, but curiosity and an appreciation for what others do – and what life can offer, he hoped.
“You don’t want to be good at just one thing,” he stresses to the kids.
Adding to sense of fulfillment is belonging to the RBC community, he stressed.
“That may be the best part of winning the championship,” he said. “The joy it brought to so many,” from past and current students and staff, parents and those who simply count themselves part of the Roman Catholic parish and the opportunity for many of them to reconnect.
“Red Bank Catholic is a special place,” he observed. “Not just the athletics; the spiritual side, the academic side, the life side.”
That connection will certainly continue as Portela works with the students and athletes and his own children continue as part of the community, with son John currently a student, as was his oldest, James Jr., a graduate, and youngest Jennifer who will attend RBC in a few years.
“You’re building lasting relationships,” he noted.
Contact John Burton at Jburton@tworivertimes.com
