The Grand Marshal of Saturday’s Morris Plains Memorial Day Parade will be a familiar face to anyone who has ever dipped a toe in the Community Park Pool.
Tina Cecala, former coach of the Morris Plains Marlins Swim Team, has been named the borough’s 2017 Citizen of the Year for her decades of service. That honor automatically puts her at the head of the line of march, and she’s excited about that.
“I love watching the kids represent their teams and clubs,” said Cecala, better known as Coach C. to generations of swimmers. She will lead the parade on May 27, 2017, after a 9 am memorial service at Robert’s Garden.
“Tina is very deserving,” said Steve Welsh, parade chairman.
“She has trained many young Morris Plains children over time who have continued on to compete at the YMCA, Club, High School, and College levels.In addition, her teams have won many championships under her guidance,” Welsh said.
Cecala received her Citizen of the Year award from the mayor and borough council at the Marlins’ end-of-season party last year.
“It was a very emotional night for me, in a good way,” said the coach, a Morris Plains resident for 57 years.
She swam for the Marlins at age 10, was an assistant coach by 16, and became head coach in 1986. Altogether, she has devoted 34 years to the summer swim team.
Now, she’s in her eighth season at the Greater Morristown Area YMCA, coaching the Senior 3 Practice Group and White Team.
Previously, Cecala coached for 13 years at Watchung Hills High School, where she was named to the school’s Hall of Fame for Teaching and Coaching.
And Rutgers University inducted her into the New Jersey Interscholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
“Swimming is my passion,” Cecala said, “and I wanted to give back in some way.
“You are always learning in the sport of swimming, which you can transfer to the swimmers.”
She has transferred that knowledge and passion to her own children, Joseph and Corrine Cecala. They will succeed her as coaches of the Marlins this summer.
Welsh, whose daughter Courtney swam for Cecala, praised the coach for putting “Morris Plains on the map as a formidable opponent each year, while encouraging good sportsmanship.”
Emma Piascik is a senior at Morristown High School, and a former swimmer for Coach C at the YMCA. She will attend Lafayette College in the fall. Look for MorristownGreen.com in Saturday’s parade!
