Sunday Morning Chat: West Boca Manager Nick Siano

Today, HSBN Senior Writer Rick Duteau sits down with West Boca Manager Nick Siano, who shares his thoughts on baseball in the Glades, being a father and the things he is the most proud of.

Rick: Let’s start by giving our readers a little background into your career…

Siano: You know, I’ve been at West Boca teaching for six years, I was an assistant for a year, and now I’m walking into my fourth year as the head job here.

Rick: You’ve had some great teams to start your managing career. Now that Summit Christian is no longer around, West Boca has the last state title in Palm Beach, yet, when people speak of the top programs in the county, you are rarely mentioned. Why do you think you guys fly so far under the radar?

Siano: I was fortunate enough in the situation I walked into. Our program had all the bolts to it, and it just needed a little bit of changing in some of the philosophies that had to be done. But I don’t know the reason why West Boca is not talked about as much. I think we’ve had a very successful program, but I think we’re so far west that sometimes they may think we’re down in Broward County, to be honest. We talk about it as a team, it doesn’t matter what other people think of us, whether it’s good or bad. We have to play to our abilities and what we know we are capable of. If we do that, we know we’ll be fine.

Rick: It seems in your case that you guys use that to an advantage in a way.

Siano: Yeah, we do. Like I say I think our guys live off of that and feed off of it. We just play our baseball ; we know what we do well. We know our strengths and we play to our strengths.

Rick: Tell me a specific story of your most embarrassing moment coaching.

Siano: Going into the state championship game, I had some very superstitious things that we had been doing. We had won 18 games in a row, so I kept the same streak going. The 19th game wearing the same underwear and washing it day in and day out, and I washed the same pair of underwear twice thinking I was drying it. The nerves were getting to me, we were in the hotel and we had to kind of wait a little bit to get going. So I had one of my assistant coaches go and help me with that situation. So, it was a funny moment.

Rick: If you could change one thing about the state of high school baseball today, what would it be?

Siano: I think the summer, fall and spring baseball. It’s year round and it’s tough. I think it will wear on the body. I thin that the players, they play a lot, and they’re humans. You definitely need a break, and it’s just the way the beast of the game is that you have to play every day. That wasn’t the case 10 years ago. You know, high school baseball has changed in the last 10 years for sure.

Rick: Do you guys change anything up in regards to that? I think you guys go with a shorter fall, if I’ not mistaken.

Siano: Our fall, we do try to go a little lighter with the guys. We know they’ve gone through a grueling spring, with a very long summer, so in the fall we get started a little later and traditionally give them a little time off. We shorten up the fall and end earlier. We give them a little time off because their bodies need it.

Rick: It seems like they have really responded well to that abbreviated fall season.

Siano: Yeah, I think they do. It’s a two-way street and we talk to our guys and ask them what do you like and what don’t you like? Let’s adjust to it, you know what I mean? They have definitely communicated that, that they like the abbreviated, shortened fall for us.

Rick: Managers get a lot of scrutiny and criticism, but many on the outside don’t know just how much you guys sacrifice to run these programs. Tell me a little bit about the things you personally have to sacrifice to run the West Boca program.

Siano: Ultimately, right now is the biggest sacrifice I have. I have a newborn, he’s six weeks home with my wife, so I miss that time that I am out here until five-thirty, six o’clock every time. Then obviously game days, and I teach here so I put 12 or 13 hour days in and I’m not home with my baby. So that is definitely the ultimate sacrifice for me right now. I mean, there are other things, but definitely that is the most recent and something that I cherish to have that time.

Rick: First born?

Siano: First born, six weeks old, a boy named Nathan Michael. It’s definitely a game-changer, and it definitely puts your life into perspective. You realize things were not as important as before. It’s definitely a rewarding thing.

Rick: Having talked to coaches about these sacrifices, most would say they wouldn’t trade it for the world. What is the draw to want to continue to do this, despite the sacrifices?

Siano: It’s the kids. Ultimately, the kids. You do it for the kids. You see guys come back to practice and they work withour guys and they communicate with them. We’ve been fortunate to have guys play D-1 and a couple guys playing pro ball, and they come back and communicate with our guys what it takes to get to that next level. What they’re saying is right and things like that. That is the ultimate sacrifice, you see those guys come back and they thank you for teaching them not just about baseball, but about life. Because that’s what baseball is, is life lessons that it teaches you. So that is what I think is the most rewarding without a doubt. You’re a father to all these kids, you know. You spend a lot of time with these kids out here, and whether they do great things and you’re proud of them or they do bad and you’ve still got to talk to them and work through it. So you’re like a second father to them.

Rick: When you’re not on a baseball field, what are some of the hobbies or things that you like to do?

Siano: Trying to get a way from it a little bit. Obviously now with the newborn, that’s my life. I go home and I eat, drink and sleep the baby. I just try to relax, play some golf or hang out with family and friends and just enjoy life.

Rick: In regards to being a new daddy, I’m sure a few moments after you get home you’re pretty far from baseball pretty quickly.

Siano: Oh yeah, like I said earlier, you get home and you turn the switch off. It’s family time. The weekend and different things like that. When I’m not on the baseball field, I devote my whole time to the family.

Rick: Let’s talk a little bit about this year’s team. You guys were one game away from states last season with a new cast of characters from the previous run. What has changed this season to get you over that final hurdle and back to the state final four?

Siano: You know what, I think it’s that we’ve matured. We were kind of a young ball club last year, we had two seniors that played, six juniors and one sophomore. So I think we’re more mature than last year. We’ve got a couple of holes to fill; those two guys were a big part of our team. So I think ultimately becoming more mature, stronger, knowing the game and just growing up. I think that will definitely change for us.

Rick: Every coach’s goal is to get players to reach their potential. What specific things do you and your staff do to ensure that you get the best out of your players?

Siano: We challenge them everyday. We have competitions, different things we do and different drills. I think competition brings out the best in people so e challenge them, whether it’s a BP drill where we challenge how many guys can go oppo, or if our pitchers can have less than nine pitches in an inning. So everything we do is a challenge, is a competition, because you want them to compete, and competing brings out the best in everybody.

Rick: Outside of you on-field success, what is one specific thing you are most proud to have achieved as a coach?

Siano: Sending guys on to do different things. Not everybody is going to be a baseball player. You’re going to have doctors, you’re going to have lawyers, you’re going to have firefighters and teachers. So ultimately, just seeing my players succeed in life. It’s a short stint so far only being four years, but you can see the change of young men to adults. And like I said before, that’s the biggest reward. They are growing up and they are realizing the things that life is about to give them, and it is definitely rewarding.

Rick: Ok. We’re going to finish with a bit of fun… either/or, I’ll give you choices, and you choose what best fits you… Disciplinarian or Players Coach?

Siano: Disciplinarian.

Rick: Chocolate or Vanilla?

Siano: Chocolate.

Rick: Boxing or MMA?

Siano: Neither.

Rick: Jay Z or Blake Shelton?

Siano: Jay Z.

Rick: A good dessert, or a good workout?

Siano: A good dessert.

Rick: Defense or hitting?

Siano: Defense.

Rick: I knew you were going to say that one. OK, last one… beating Boca, or beating Spanish River?

Siano: Beating both. They are crosstown rivals and our kids play with them year round, so you want to beat both of them. I don’t think either one is more important than the other. You want both of them. Every time we step on the field, even as coaches, we do different things. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is, we want to win every one when we step on that field.

Rick: Having been privileged to see a lot of those games between you guys over the last few years, I know they are very good games. You guys definitely take that approach on both sides.

Siano: Our players thrive for it. They know these are their childhood friends who they have grown up with and played with year round. It’s bragging rights. So like I said, no matter who it is, Boca or River, with the summer now being the way it is, they know each other all through the summer circuit. So it’s fun to play them.

Rick: Coach thanks for your time, and we wish you good luck the rest of the season!

Siano: Thank you sir!

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