As the coach of three different varsity sports: boys soccer in the fall, and boys wrestling in the winter, girls flag football in the spring, Matthew Curiale balances multiple teams and responsibilities throughout the year.
Mr. Curiale has coached boys soccer for 15 years, girls flag football for 14, and boys wrestling for seven, and over the past three years, he has consistently led the flag football team to playoff runs, including a girls flag football Division 1A championship in 2024.
Mr. Curiale’s coaching journey began in 2011 when he started to coach boys soccer, a sport that he had played growing up. He said, “I…have always had a passion for [soccer], so it was a natural place for me to begin.” The following year, he was asked to build the girls varsity flag football team from scratch and lead it through its first season. Then in 2019, when the wrestling team was left without a coach, a group of boys from the soccer team convinced him to take over. Since he had wrestled in high school himself, he agreed and was “excited to help keep the program going.”
“I have always wanted to coach sports because I love athletics and enjoy working with young people,” Mr. Curiale said. “It is incredibly rewarding to see athletes succeed and grow.”
Mr. Curiale places immense emphasis on nurturing a positive team environment so that players feel comfortable and enjoy playing their sport. He said, “most importantly, I want my players to have a positive, productive, and meaningful experience that they will remember long after the season ends.
Players from all of his teams agreed Mr. Curiale emphasizes friendly and supportive atmospheres. Girls varsity flag football player junior Kexin Wang said, “I think his tendency to laugh off a mistake has definitely helped me grow as an athlete. He’s always been very supportive of all our players and allows them to get playing time even if they make mistakes.”
Kexin said that Mr. Curiale’s encouraging attitude and ability to look past individual mistakes “makes him someone we can trust and look up to.”
On the wrestling mat, sophomore Zihan Liu, who joined the team without any prior experience, recalls how Mr. Curiale guided him “step by step” instead of rushing through techniques. Once, after Zihan had lost a match, he braced himself for disappointment from his coach. Instead, Zihan said Mr. Curiale told him that he “had made great progress and that [he] had done [his] best.”
Zihan said, “Coach Curiale not only helps us improve our skills greatly, but also always guides us patiently and cheers us on as we grow.”
Junior and boys varsity soccer captain Tristan Lyner said, “Coach helps our team through losses by providing positive encouragement and feedback mixed in with his unique humor that really makes the team a fun place to be.” He said that Mr. Curiale fosters a relaxed practice environment and good team relationships, as he “is a good people person, which allows him to collaborate with our captains and overall team to create the best environment and plans.”
Sophomore and flag football player Isabella Cohen said that Mr. Curiale is “so committed to the team.” “He always makes me laugh, and I always feel welcome…There’s never a moment I’m not laughing,” she said.
In the future, Mr. Curiale plans to continue coaching and supporting the growth of his athletes, whether that be in an athletic or personal context. “My goal is for every athlete to participate, learn, work hard, and have fun at the same time,” he said “Along the way, I also try to teach valuable life lessons that extend beyond sports. Most importantly, I want my players to have a positive, productive, and meaningful experience that they will remember long after the season ends.”
