-
- Year:
- 1998
Bio
Joe
Zavattaro has become synonymous with the North
Adams State Athletics. A pioneer of the College Athletics program,
Joe player the first sports offered here at the College and then
went on to coach and finally lead the department at Athletic
Director.
A lifelong baseball enthusiast, Joe was drafted by the Pittsburgh
Pirates shortly after graduating from Pittsfield High School. His
professional career propelled him to the Triple A level. From there
he enrolled as a student at the College, starring in both
Men’s Basketball and Baseball. During the school years,
1957-58 and 1958-59, Joe was the recipient of the Louis Parisien
Memorial Award. This award is presented to a student athlete that
excels on the playing field and in the classroom. As a student, Joe
was president of the Men’s Athletic Association, the Science
Club, and served on the Student Council.
After graduation, he returned to Pittsfield to coach Pittsfield
High School to the Western Massachusetts Baseball Finals in 1963. A
year later, he took over the helm at his alma mater. There he would
stay for thirty-three years. Coupled with his duties as Athletic
Director, Joe also coached Soccer, Basketball, and of course,
Baseball.
Coaching baseball has allowed Joe to travel all over the world. He
has taught and coached the sport in countries such as Zimbabwe,
Italy, Canada and Japan. He has published his ideas on Baseball in
numerous publications; “New England Baseball Monthly”,
“Hit-Hit-Hit”, and “The Tools of
Intelligence”. His service on committees is unparalleled in
New England. He has served on the NCAA Rules Committee, Chair of
the NCAA Baseball Committee, ECAC Softball and Baseball Committee,
U.S. Baseball Federation’s International Relations Committee,
and as President of the Massachusetts State College Athletic
Conference.
As the Baseball Coach, Joe has coached countless numbers of
All-MASCAC, All-New England, and All-American players. His teams
have won 11 Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference titles
and have been invited to the ECAC and NCAA tournament numerous
times. Joe’s final season at NASC was capped with the MASCAC
title and an invitation to the NCAA tournament. A fitting end to a
career at his alma mater that ended with 493 wins.