This story is sponsored content, written by the Seamans Media Custom Content Studio
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If a basketball recruit is considering going to Lasell University, they only need to attend one game to be convinced of how special the program is.
“We pack them in,” Lasell men’s basketball head coach Aaron Galletta said. “It’s loud, and it’s a real college environment.”
The student body at Lasell has a lot to cheer about.
The past season was Galletta’s 19th at Lasell, and a lot of winning has occurred during his tenure. The Lasers just made their third trip to the GNAC championship game under Galletta.
They also added two more players to their lengthy list of all-conference selections as senior Marcus Lewis – who reached the 1,000-point mark for his career – and freshman Esmer Madesko were named Second Team All-GNAC. The team has had at least one All-Conference selection every year of Galletta’s tenure.
While Galletta said he preaches to the players that they are trying to go 1-0 every day – “there’s no winning or losing streaks in our program,” he said – they are looking to win consistently.
“The number one thing we look for as a coaching staff is competitors,” he said. “We want those guys coming in that want to compete, whether that’s basketball or a game of Monopoly. We want them to want to win. When they get here, they’re going to learn to be prepared for games or their exam, paying attention to detail, and being accountable. They will learn what ownership is all about.”
Galletta said the coaching staff looks for well-rounded, well-respected players who are committed to Lasell and its basketball program, guys who want to be there for four years.
He pointed to Lewis as an example of why that demeanor is so important and how the coaching staff focuses on player development. Lewis worked his way up from a role player as a freshman to a team leader who started every game the past two seasons while earning consecutive All-Conference honors.
“He’s learned how to be able to win, how to be able to prepare, how to do those things necessary for success,” he said. “We’re just trying to prepare these young men for life after college.”
Life after Lasell is an important topic for Galletta. Alumni Day, he said, is even his favorite day of the year. He said the relationships he develops with his players beyond their four years with the basketball program help make the program special.
He’s also established a coaching tree, with players who have moved on to coaching positions at other schools.
“For them to still call and check in, pick my brain … it’s a really cool experience to be able to help,” he said. “I’m humbled to be a part of their journey.”
Galletta treasures the relationships he’s developed with his players. Running a basketball offense is not as complicated as building those relationships, he said. Those are the most important factors in his success coaching at Lasell.
For Galletta, as players graduate from the program each year, saying goodbye is easier for him because he knows he built bonds for the long run. He’s been invited to weddings of his former players and even officiated one several years ago.
“I’ve been very, very fortunate to recruit a lot of good players, but also really great human beings,” he said. “You can talk about having an all-conference every season, All-Americans, all that stuff, but when a player calls you or texts you with a picture of their family or their first-born while they’re still in the delivery room … that stuff gets you emotional because you saw them as 18-year-olds. You started talking to them as 16, 17-year-old kids, and now they have a family.”
This story is sponsored content, written by the Seamans Media Custom Content Studio
