FHL Coaching Spotlight
Posted: February 14, 2012 at 1:49 pm
February 14, 2012 - Federal Hockey League (FHL) Chris Firriolo likes to talk about the sport he loves but sometimes you can also get him to discuss the other things he's done in his life.
Invariably, the subject will always revert to hockey.
No matter where Firriolo has been and what he has done in the past, all roads lead back to hockey for the 45-year-old head coach and team President of the Federal League's first-place New Jersey Outlaws.
All roads. And there have been many.
Firriolo's resume includes playing minor league baseball in the Montreal Expos' organization with Jamestown (New York) of the New York-Penn League and with West Palm Beach of the Florida State League in the mid 80s as well as playing Junior A hockey in North York, Ontario at a time when few Americans played at that level in Canada.
"When I graduated from high school I had an opportunity to go to college, a Division One college hockey scholarship or baseball scholarship and it was interesting because I was at the crossroads of my life and I chose baseball," said Firriolo who played third base and did some pitching with a low-90s fastball.
"I lasted thirty days in school cause I missed hockey so much so I left to go play junior hockey in Canada and when I got back that summer-I was eighteen-I was offered a free agent contract with the Montreal Expos in their minor league system," added Firriolo.
"And in the next couple years after that I was going back and playing junior hockey and playing baseball back and forth. My true passion was hockey. I was probably a better hockey player."
Firriolo, a 6-2, 195 pound defenseman who said his best attribute as a hockey player was that he had a good head for the game, was invited to Western Professional Hockey League and East Coast League training camps but stayed with baseball after he finished his junior hockey career because of the money.
"I was...do I pursue what I really loved or do I continue to make money playing baseball? It was a really hard decision and I ended up choosing to earn a living," he said.
"For me like it was a situation where it was all about money and longevity and then when I stopped playing ball one of my old coaches called me and I got right into coaching hockey and I've been coaching now forever."
The road took yet another turn for Firriolo who went back to college and graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey with a fine arts degree in the early 90s.
"I left the sports world for a while and I worked in the film and theater industry as a writer and director for about six years," said Firriolo.
His work as the artistic director of a professional regional theater company in New Jersey was quite extensive. "I've probably directed over sixty professional stage productions, 19 Shakespearean productions," said Firriolo.
While he has never personally visited the city of Cannes on the French Riviera, the movie Firriolo wrote, produced and directed, "Color of Love" made it there to the famous Cannes Film Festival where it premiered in 1999.
"Color of Love" is the story of two friends, one white and one black, whose lives take divergent paths, something the author certainly has enough experience with to write about.
Though he may one day return to the theater, directing the fortunes of hockey teams was ultimately where the Manhattan-born father of two teenage sons belonged.
"I was in New Jersey for a while early on in my coaching career," he said. "I took this U18 [under 18] Select team to travel all over North America playing an 80-game schedule against the top players in the world. That was fun because you really had a chance to have a direct impact on young guys' lives as hockey players and young men."
In addition to Select teams, Firriolo coached Oswego of the Junior A Ontario Provincial Hockey League, Syracuse of the Eastern Junior League and Team Ontario in the pre-draft showcase in Boston.
"Every year before the NHL draft they take the top players in the Province of Ontario, the Province of Quebec, Minnesota, Michigan, they come down to Boston to the pre-draft showcase. They play in front of all the NHL scouts. I worked with the guys in Boston so I used to coach the Ontario team. All those guys every year, like eighteen out of twenty guys were first or second round draft picks. It was impressive.
"Over the years I've probably coached over about two or three hundred NHL draft picks. And then I've coached five or six hundred NCAA divisional players. It's a labor of love."
Firriolo became a professional coach with the Brooklyn Aces of the Eastern Professional Hockey League in 2008-09 when he was contacted by Curt Russell who offered him a job coaching the New Jersey Rockhoppers. He also mentioned Brooklyn as another possibility. Firriolo chose Brooklyn which eventually lost the EPHL championship playoff series to New Jersey in three games after finishing first in the regular season.
"It was a good, fun year. We had a very good team that year," said the coach.
The EPHL folded after one season and Firriolo moved on to Danbury where he led the Whalers to a near upset of the first-place New York (now Brooklyn) Aviators in the first round of the FHL playoffs last year, losing the decisive fifth game in overtime on the road.
"We should have won that game," said Firriolo. "We were playing short [due to injuries]. We were winning 3-2 with eight minutes left. We had one natural defenseman. We had to move three guys back. I think Nicky Grove scored to tie it up. When it went into overtime I said Matt Puntureri is going to beat us in overtime."
Firriolo was absolutely right which is probably why he made Puntureri the first player acquired by the Outlaws in a cash deal last May.
After working with team owners Alan Friedman and Herm Sorcher in both Brooklyn and Danbury, Firriolo felt it was time to move on.
"I left there for a number of reasons," he said, "but my answer on the record is going to be just it was time. For me, like, I enjoyed building the program with those guys but from a career standpoint and what was best for my family being closer to home-it's just five minutes from where I live [Montville, NJ]-and I get to see my boys every day and it's just better for my family.
"It has nothing to do with those guys and I wish them the best of luck. I'm proud of what they're doing there and we obviously play them, the enemy, but I always wish those two guys all the success in the world. They're two good guys."
Firriolo is now very happy working for team owner Kristin Ann Rooney, an attorney from Arizona.
"We have an owner who's allowed me to do what I need to do to be successful in the sense of being supportive and making the decisions," he said. "Sometimes owners want their hand in the pot making some of the hockey decisions and she's kind of said, hey, you've got more experience than most, you've been successful and I'm going to give you the reins."
Reins firmly in hand, Firriolo has put together a team that is statistically dominating the FHL with a .814 win percentage through 43 games (37-6, 105 points) to lead its nearest rival by 19 points and leads the league in power play percentage (28.04). New Jersey is second to 1000 Islands in penalty killing (84.44-83.93).
Goaltender Adam Dekker is 16-4 with a 2.60 goals against average and leads the league with four shutouts and a .924 save percentage while Dan McWhinney is 20-3, leads the FHL with a 2.56 goals against average and has a .921 save percentage.
Four of the top eight scorers in the Federal League belong to the Outlaws though Jeff Winchester, acquired from 1000 Islands, has played only three games for his new team so far. He is a whopping +67 with 67 points on 15 goals and 52 assists. Travis Kauffeldt has 36 goals, 47 assists, 83 points and is +42 while Kevin Cooper has 80 points (36 goals, 44 assists, +51). Puntureri is +27 with 16 goals and 43 assists for 59 points.
Firriolo rightfully takes enormous pride in his sons Anthony (13) and Chris (15) and says, "I feel very blessed."
He adds, "Anthony is a very, very good hockey player. He's probably right now at his age probably five times better than I was at that age and Chris is a phenomenal soccer player and a pretty good basketball player."
Firriolo feels pride in his hockey team too.
"We've got a great group of guys. This is the best core guys I've had in the locker room. They've got a lot of experience at the pro level. Our record speaks for itself," he said.
"If we achieve our goal at the end of the year and win a championship it's going to be because these guys worked their tails off."
The coach has also worked his tail off, not only putting the team together but helping put the league together in the beginning, another surprise on his resume.
Federal League Commissioner Don Kirnan, a big Yankee fan, remembers attending a game in the Bronx when the league was in the planning stage and driving home to Syracuse in a terrible storm, arriving very early in the morning.
Firriolo was there waiting to meet Kirnan when he got home so they could hit the road to check out new cities and arenas for the league.
"I told Chris I needed two hours sleep," said Kirnan. "He said he'd drive the first two hours."
There's that road again. The road that brings Chris Firriolo back to hockey every time.
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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FHL Coaching Spotlight
Frugal Tip: Keep Healthy Snacks
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Subliminal Health Fitness Diet Solution 8 – Video
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Subliminal Health Fitness Diet Solution 12 – Video
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Subliminal Health Fitness Diet Solution 12 - Video
New Book Reveals How to Lose Weight by Saying No to Dieting and Exercise.
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Everwood has released a provocative new weight loss book, set to turn the health and fitness world upside-down.
(PRWEB) February 14, 2012
Everwood Presents: - America remains heralded as one of the most overweight countries in the world and despite a growing awareness, it seems losing weight remains for many people as confusing and as elusive as ever. Society is bombarded constantly by a marketing onslaught of diets, fads, exercise machines, home delivered meals, supplements, pills and other weight loss schemes and services. Unfortunately, the industry is infamous for its often suspicious and questionable methods, all promising quick and easy solutions to an already despairing population. To add to the confusion, the modern era is one where information surrounding nutrition and exercise is exhaustive and often at times contradictory, so it’s no wonder that people looking to lose weight can often feel skeptical, overwhelmed and discouraged.
While health and fitness professionals will generally agree that losing weight is best achieved through dieting and exercise, an innovative new method from Australia is well on its way to revolutionize this perception. According to weight loss specialist Azrael, mainstream advice surrounding weight loss is frequently impractical, incorrect or short-sighted. “While I believe the majority of health and fitness professionals across the world do have the best of intentions, many are unfortunately providing the public and their governments with misleading or wrong information.” Azrael continues by stating that popular industry maxims such as "weight loss is all about calories in versus calories out," "dieting and exercise," "write a weight loss goal," "eat a balanced diet," and "breakfast is the most important meal of the day," are all examples of what he calls junk information.
Azrael has personally battled against obesity twice in his life. “When I first lost weight, I succeeded by following the advice of experts at the time. I was eating a very low-fat diet in combination with plenty of exercise. But years later, my priorities in life changed and before I knew it, I was more overweight than ever.” Realizing that the initial advice he had followed was ultimately unhealthy and unrealistic for the long term, Azrael lost trust with the experts and was in turn inspired to find his own solution. Azrael succeeded and developed a weight loss method without dieting or exercise, without using willpower or supplements and without undergoing hypnotherapy or surgery and has effortlessly kept the weight off now for many years. He clearly articulates that there are no secrets to losing weight and that essentially, permanent weight loss is based on common sense and living a healthy lifestyle. The difficulty he claims is that common sense and healthy lifestyle are not terms agreed to universally. “Leading a healthy lifestyle is not a new idea, however people may be surprised and shocked to learn of what actually constitutes a healthy lifestyle. Eating five to eight small meals a day for example, is not healthy living in my opinion, yet this directly opposes mainstream health and fitness advice. The public needs to remember that ‘what works’ and ‘what is healthy’ are not always one and the same.”
After first helping friends and family to lose weight, Azrael has gone on to assist countless others with his new book: Odysi Zero | Lose Weight: Say No to Dieting and Exercise. He actively warns that some people make take offence from the book’s content, yet he expresses his opinions without apology. Azrael and his supporters remain steadfast and resolute in spreading his message. “I strongly feel some things must be said and so I have said them.”
Odysi Zero | Lose Weight: Say No to Dieting and Exercise is available for $25.00 in most bookstores or online at http://www.OdysiZero.com.
Original Edition. ISBN: 9780646546872 (pbk), 100 pages, 6 x 8, eBook also available.
###
Neofitos Pertsinidis
Everwood Pty Ltd
0466 806 539 +61
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Get a Tax-Smart Plan for In-Retirement Withdrawals
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Question: I'm preparing for retirement and trying to figure out where I should go for money to meet my income needs. I understand that it's important to start by withdrawing from some accounts and save other accounts for later. What's the right sequence?
Answer: There isn't a cookie-cutter answer to withdrawal sequencing because an investor's strategy will be determined by age and tax rate when taking the withdrawal. But a key focus when developing your withdrawal strategy should be preserving the tax-saving benefits of your tax-sheltered investments for as long as you possibly can.
As long as a retiree has both taxable and tax-advantaged assets like IRAs and company retirement plans, it's usually best to hold on to the accounts with the most generous tax treatment while spending down less tax-efficient assets. The following sequence will make sense for many retirees.
1. If you're over age 70 1/2, your first stop for withdrawals are those accounts that carry required minimum distributions, or RMDs, such as traditional IRAs and company retirement plans. (You'll pay penalties if you don't take these distributions on time.)
2. If you're not required to take RMDs or you've taken your RMDs and still need cash, turn to your taxable assets. Start by selling assets with the highest cost basis first and then move on to those assets where your cost basis is lower (and your tax hit is higher). Relative to tax-deferred or tax-free assets, these assets have the highest costs associated with them while you own them, so it makes sense to deplete those first.
3. Finally, tap company retirement-plan accounts and IRAs. Save Roth IRA assets for last.
The Logistics
The sequence in which you tap your accounts will help you determine how to position each pool of money. The money that you'll draw upon first--to fund living expenses in the first years of retirement--should be invested in highly liquid securities like certificates of deposit, money markets, and short-term bonds. The reason is pretty common-sensical: Doing so helps ensure that you're taking money from your most-stable pool of assets first, and therefore you won't have to withdraw from your higher-risk/higher-return accounts (for example, those that hold stocks or more-risky bonds) when your account is at a low ebb. That strategy also gives your stock assets, which have the potential for the highest long-term returns, more time to grow.
To put in place a system for tapping your retirement accounts, start with an estimate of your annual spending needs for the next one to two years and your most recent statements for all of your retirement accounts. Then go through the following steps.
Step 1
Every retiree should have at least one to two years' worth of living expenses set aside in highly liquid (that is, checking, savings, money market, certificate of deposit) investments at all times.
Once you've arrived at the amount of cash that you need to have on hand, determine if your RMDs will cover your income needs for those years (if you're older than 70 1/2). If you're not 70 1/2 and/or your RMDs won't cover your income needs, see if your taxable account will cover your income needs during the next one to two years.
If your taxable account doesn't cover one to two years' worth of living expenses, carve out any additional amount of living expenses from your IRA or company-retirement-plan assets using the sequence outlined above.
Step 2
Once you've set aside your cash position, put in place a plan to periodically refill your cash stake so that it always will cover one to two years' worth of living expenses. This article details the bucket approach to managing your income during retirement.
Step 3
Next, determine a sequence of withdrawals for your longer-term assets, based on the guidelines provided above. The accounts you tap sooner should be in relatively more-liquid investments than those you tap later in retirement. Your longest-term, riskiest assets should go in your Roth IRA because you'll tap them last in the sequence.
Also Keep in Mind
The preceding has focused primarily on retirees who are older than age 59 1/2, the age at which you can begin tapping retirement accounts without penalty. However, if you're between 55 and 59 1/2 and you left your employer after you turned age 55, you can tap your 401(k) without penalty. (You will pay taxes, however, as with all 401(k) distributions.)
And while taxable assets usually go in the "sell early" bin, that's not true if you have highly appreciated assets and plan to leave money to your heirs. If, for example, you own stock that has appreciated significantly since you bought it (and you have no way of offsetting that gain with a loss elsewhere in your portfolio) you may be better off leaving that position intact and passing it to your heirs. The reason is that your heirs will receive what's called a "step up" in their cost basis, meaning that they'll be taxed only on any appreciation in the security after you pass away. If you have a lot of highly appreciated securities in your portfolio (lucky you!), an accountant can help you sort through your options.
A version of this article appeared March 18, 2011.
Excerpted with permission of the publisher John Wiley & Sons, Inc. from 30-Minute Money Solutions: A Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Your Finances. Copyright (c) MMX by Morningstar Inc.
See More Articles by Christine Benz
30-Minute Money SolutionsNeed help picking up the pieces in this turbulent market? 30-Minute Money Solutions by Morningstar director of personal finance Christine Benz simplifies the daunting task of getting your financial house in order. Written for novice and experienced investors alike, this book offers manageable, step-by-step solutions for tackling money challenges and building a comprehensive financial plan in simple 30-minute increments. Learn more.Order Your Copy Today--$16.95
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BMO Retirement Tips of the Day: Don't Fear Retirement & Talk to Your Partner About Your Views on Retirement
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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -02/14/12)- As the February 29th deadline approaches to make a contribution to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and as part of its ongoing commitment to improving financial literacy, BMO Financial Group will be providing daily retirement tips during the month of February from BMO Retirement Institute Head Tina Di Vito's new book 52 Ways To Wreck Your Retirement...And How To Rescue It.
Tip Number 27:
Focus your energy on things that really matter to you in retirement
Many people are wary of retirement and may go through different emotional stages, including impatience, fear, excitement, disappointment and/or happiness. Rather than fearing the unknown, embrace this new phase of your life. Retirement can be a rewarding and fulfilling time, if you let it. Consider the following if you are feeling unsure about retiring:
-- Instead of worrying about how you will fill your newly open schedule,
look forward to controlling your 24-hour clock.
-- Leaving your profession does not mean losing your identity - titles are
just titles and do not define who you are.
-- Try a "mini-retirement" or ease into retirement by gradually reducing
your work hours.
-- Do not wait until you retire to try new activities - start them now.
Tip Number 28:
Plan for retirement together and talk to your partner about what you want to do.
You and your spouse may not be on the same page with regards to how you want to spend your retirement. It is critical that you openly discuss your ideas and views for your retirement with your partner so that you are able to plan together. Consider these topics when discussing your retirement plans:
-- Will you both be retiring at the same time?
-- What activities do each of you want to do? List both individual
activities and shared activities.
-- How will family be a part of your retirement?
-- How will you continue to develop friendships and grow your social
networks?
-- What roles will you each play? Will your role at home change once you
retire?
For more information on retirement: http://www.bmo.com/retirement.
Get the latest BMO press releases via Twitter by following @BMOmedia.
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Part 7 – Self-employment Lifestyle Reality Check. – Video
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Arsenal's Thierry Henry not thinking of personal glory ahead of Champions League clash with Milan
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Thierry Henry has admitted that he is not thinking of personal glory as he looks forward to his last game in an Arsenal shirt, Wednesday's Champions League tie with AC Milan.
Henry is set to return to parent club New York Red Bulls after the match at San Siro, but says he is not thinking of scoring a goal against the Italian side, just helping his own team on the night.
"I have not thought about it," he told The Independent. "I just want to help Arsenal on the night.
"I am an Arsenal player for one more game. Milan is Milan. It is another type of game and it is never easy to win away in the Champions League."
Henry is the only player in the current Arsenal squad who appeared in their famous 5-1 victory over Inter Milan in 2003 and admits that the significance of rejoining the club hasn't quite sunken in yet,
"I will look back on it afterwards and see what happened. It has all been kind of unreal."
The importance hasn't been lost on the rest of the squad, however, with Aaron Ramsey praising the French striker before saying Arsenal should aim to take the initiative in Milan.
"It's been a fantastic period for [Henry] coming back to the club that he supports and has done so much for. It's a great story for him so far," he said.
"If we can go [to Milan] and get a few goals and then come back to the Emirates then that's going to be a fantastic result for us. Hopefully, we can get a couple of goals and keep them out as well."
After the weekend's victory against Sunderland in the Premier League, Arsenal are back into the Champions League places, and Ramsey admits it is a good feeling but says his side need to focus on the next game before thinking of anything else.
"It's nice to be level on points in fourth place and back in a Champions League place, where we want to be," he continued.
"We're going to take each game as it comes. Now we'll concentrate on the big game on Wednesday."
How do you stay up to date with football when on the move? With http://m.goal.com – your best source for mobile coverage of the beautiful game.
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Blackbelt in Excellence – achieving personal, team and business success – Video
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