Immersing yourself into a new community can be a intimidating and challenging task, but for new faculty member Mr. Filipe Camarotti, the transition into life here at Choate was near seamless. Entering his first year at Choate, he is currently coaching Girls’ JV Volleyball and plans on coaching Boys’ Varsity Volleyball this spring.
After working for three years as a faculty member at St. George’s School in Rhode Island, Mr. Camarotti decided to make a switch in his career. When asked why he chose to come to Choate, he stated, “I wanted to try something new, to challenge myself and put myself in a new environment, to work with different people and students so that I can learn and improve as a teacher, a coach, and as a dorm parent.” He also stated that he had no specific reason to leave St. George’s, but he just felt that Choate was an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up.
In regards to his own educational journey, Mr. Camarotti went to public high school in Iowa, and then he continued his education in Maine. After graduating from college, he jumped right into teaching and coaching. He coached soccer and basketball at St. George’s for three years, but he never had the opportunity to coach volleyball, which he played in college. Volleyball has been one of Mr. Camarotti’s lifelong passions, and he is delighted to finally coach the sport that he loves to play so much. As Mr. Camarotti gets acclimated to the Choate environment, he wants to settle in and understand Choate’s culture. He added, “I want to figure out my own place here at Choate, and in the next few years I want to challenge myself accordingly.”
When asked about his hopes and goals for both of his teams this year, he commented, “I just hope, especially in this first year, to just get to know the program and know the players and hope that they have a good experience and try to get a lot of feedback from them about what is working and what is not”. He added, “I want them to enjoy the process because if you really enjoy the process as a player, you are more willing to push through hard times and work for that team.” Thinking towards some of his long-term goals for his players and his team, he would just like to see continued and steady improvement from his players both fall and spring.
For Mr. Camarotti, who loves to compete, winning is important, but he mentioned that he is not willing to sacrifice the experiences he shares with his players, or his staff, for that success. He remembers the good times that he had with his teammates growing up in the sport, and with those experiences comes more of an opportunity to win. He also added that “it feels so much better when you win with a team that you really want to be a part of.”
It can be difficult sometimes to find experienced coaches to not only fill a position, but to also add to the existing coaching staff, but the school seems to have found a gem in Mr. Camarotti. Look for him to be a big contributor this year, both in the classroom and on the sidelines of volleyball matches.
