Published: August 13, 2010

LAND O’ LAKES – To know John Castelamare is to understand he’s a creature of habit.

Practice begins promptly with a session in the weight room. Twice every school year, his football players will participate in his Ironman competition. During practice, at times, he’ll dig into his pocket for a pencil and paper and begin scribbling notes. He still has those gold-brimmed glasses with the blue strap attached.

“Everything is the same,” Castelamare admitted. “Everything. I just brought it right here and it’s basically the same. It’s just people have to adjust a little bit.”

And then there’s that whistle attached to that black lanyard, which displays his beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers logo.

Same as it has always been.

You know what else doesn’t change? Castelamare’s desire for perfection.

Time to work

Despite the ominous, low-hanging clouds distributing large raindrops outside the Academy at the Lakes gymnasium on this Wednesday afternoon, it was time to work.

He partitioned off half the basketball court in the gym and ran his handful of football players through a series of plays and formations.

“One Offense!” he yelled, prompting players along the coaching box area of the sideline to shuttle onto the makeshift field. After running a play or two against a scout defense, they returned to the sideline.

“Punt team!” Castelamare shouted.

Out marched the punt team and a scout return team.

The repetitiveness of the session has one purpose — to ensure that those changes and plays are second nature come game time. They’ll find out tonight at 7:30 when they host Citrus Park Christian School in their season opener.

Sounds like business as usual, but it isn’t.

Castelamare is indeed coaching the Wildcats, but not the ones from Wesley Chapel High. Nearly three months after having the final year in the Deferred Retirement Option Program denied in December following the 2009 season, essentially forcing him out of a position he held for 11 seasons, Academy at the Lakes hired him as its football coach.

‘He doesn’t allow you to do anything less than that’

No longer is there a roster of 50-plus players to plug in here and there. At the Academy, he has roughly a dozen for his six-man football team.

He has immersed himself into the new world of six-man football — the new rules, offensive and defensive sets as well as new philosophy — all while still demanding his players’ dedication.

“He’s got that personality where kids just listen to him and kids want to work really hard for him, so that’s going to help,” Academy at the Lakes athletic director Tom Haslam said. “That’s going to teach our kids a little bit about dedication, commitment and hard work because he doesn’t allow you to do anything less than that.”

As Castelamare, 60, embarks upon his 39th year of coaching, he decided to add a staff member he has seen across the field for many of those years.

While players filed into the gym, Castelamare deliberately walked toward the window of the weight room.

“You know who that is?” Castelamare asked, pointing to a man exiting a truck in the school’s parking lot. It was former Land O’ Lakes football assistant and longtime softball coach Jerry English.

“You can add our years (of coaching) up and it comes to 80 years,” he said with a grin.

When English got the call in early July about joining Castelamare’s staff, he couldn’t help but accept.

“I coached at Land O’ Lakes for quite a few years and played against John quite a few times, and I’ve had a lot of respect for him as a coach,” said English, who coaches the defensive line. “When he called me and asked me if I’d help him out this season, I thought it would be a great opportunity.

“I respect the man. He’s a good character person and he’s a hard worker.”

Joining Castelamare in a volunteer role is Trevor DeGroot, a Florida State University junior studying sports management. DeGroot is familiar with Castelamare’s system and style of coaching because he played receiver at Wesley Chapel.

DeGroot, who will return to Tallahassee next week, has helped the Academy at the Lakes team since May. Coaching six-man football at a private school has been a unique experience.

“It’s a different atmosphere with these players because they’re not just high-schoolers, there’s middle-schoolers as well,” said DeGroot, a 2008 Wesley Chapel grad. “It’s like three schools in one, so it’s tough. Some of the kids still have a lot to learn, especially the younger ones, but that’s good for them because they get to learn his system. For the older guys, it’s just a chance to go out there and play and have a chance to play football for him.”

Castelamare understands things aren’t exactly the same.

Inside the weight room and above the double doors is the same Ironman leaderboard, which hung inside the Wesley Chapel weight room. That board displays the times and amounts lifted by each participant of the Ironman contest. At Wesley Chapel, that board with 25 slots would be filled. At Academy at the Lakes, there are only nine names.

He considers that a foundation.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and it’s still fun,” Castelamare said. “I look forward to it every day. It’s another challenge. Our goal is to get to 11-man football. I don’t know how long it’s going to be, but it’s our goal to get there, but with a competitive team — not just have 25 kids.

“Also, the goal is to make them competitive now, so they understand what this is all about.”

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 259-7066. You can also follow him on Twitter @edanielsjr.

Academy alumnus, Michael Setteducato (Class of ’09), currently a freshman at John’s Hopkins University, has been accepted as a summer intern at the Moffitt Cancer Center. The SPARK internship is a 10-week research study program consisting of 40 hours per week of intensive faculty-led research at Moffitt. Interns design and execute a research project under the guidance of an assigned mentor while gaining hands-on laboratory experience by conducting experiments and collecting and analyzing data in a high-tech environment with access to professional resources. Participants document, report and present their findings. In addition, students have the opportunity to attend weekly seminars exploring the latest developments in cancer research technology, methods and application. Enthusiasm for research as a career, as evidenced by a student’s GPA, extracurricular activities, and written statements, set a candidate apart during the application process. Michael is one out of only 20 students nation-wide selected by a faculty committee to participate in the summer internship program. Michael first began developing and honing his scientific research skills in our Advanced Scientific Research program in high school.

STUDENT NEWS

Students at Academy at the Lakes are seeing their Musical Dreams become Reality.

Shannon O’Donnell and Alexis Setteducato, both Class of 2011, are on their way to seeing their dreams of musical and theatrical success come to fruition. Both girls have been accepted to some of the nation’s most intensive and acclaimed collegiate summer programs for the arts.


Shannon O’ Donnell has been enrolled in many of the arts classes offered at Academy during her middle and high school career. From chorus to drama, dance and musical theory, she has seen her love of performing blossom at Academy. Her true passion for the craft can be seen in her every involvement at Academy; whether performing in the school’s musical, assisting in directing, or even set design. Shannon is currently working in two shows outside of school; “Moby Dick, the Musical”, in which she plays the lead Ishmael and she’s also collaborating on a brand new musical “Coast 2 Coast, Hitsville” with Solerno Theatre. Shannon intends to pursue a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and ultimately her Masters in Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. Her greatest ambition is to perform on Broadway as well as tour nationally and internationally.

Shannon surely possesses the focus, drive and talent to get there. Her talents have been recognized by two of the country’s top musical theatre programs. The Broadway Theatre Project saw several hundred applicants during 9 live auditions across the United States and accepted Video auditions as well. There were only 200 available apprentice positions for the 2010 Session. Shannon will be one of them! She will have the unique opportunity to study with some of the most accomplished producers, casting directors, directors, and choreographers in the performing arts world. Playbill magazine refers to Broadway Theatre Project as, “The world’s most prestigious musical theatre arts education program for high school and college students.”

Shannon has also been accepted to Indiana University’s Midsummer Theatre Program, a dynamic theatre and drama institute designed especially for young artists. Classes are taught by IU faculty professionals, outstanding teaching assistants, and guest artists. Dozens of talented and dedicated students from around the country come together for two weeks of challenging and rewarding theatrical training and exposure to one of the richest cultural landscapes in the country. Each year they only accept approximately 20 of the nation’s most promising students.

Alexis Setteducato is another talented student who has made the most of the rich arts program at Academy at the Lakes. As a prominent member of the choral program, she recently starred as Maria in Academy’s spring musical, The Sound of Music. During her tenure at Academy she has been enrolled in drama, dance, music history, and music theory courses. Alexis is currently studying to become a classical singer taking private voice lessons, diction coaching, and piano and guitar lessons. Last summer, Alexis attended The Peabody Conservatory’s Summer Vocal Institute at John’s Hopkins University. Her goal is to attend a university with a strong music program where she plans to pursue a Bachelor in Vocal or Opera Performance. Her long term goals consist of obtaining a Master’s degree in Opera Performance, completing an apprenticeship in either Italy or Germany, and joining an opera company.

This summer, Alexis has been accepted to The Boston Conservatory Music Division’s Vocal/Choral Intensive summer voice program which focuses on training high-school students who are serious about singing in classical styles. The two-week program mirrors the Conservatory’s college curriculum, serving as a great introduction to a conservatory education. This summer voice program at The Boston Conservatory is designed to strengthen performance skills, sight-singing and musical skills, enhance vocal technique by working with professional singers and the Boston Conservatory faculty.

Alexis has also been accepted to Eastman School of Music’s Collegiate Vocal Institute at The University of Rochester. This internationally acclaimed program is for students who are seriously considering a career in music. The highly individualized program emphasizes solo performance and is designed for mature students of advanced performance levels who can work well in a focused collegiate type environment. Only students that possess high level musical skills, good organizational skills, and mature personal skills are asked to study with members of Eastman’s Community Music School faculty and members of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Alexis was offered a scholarship to support her attendance this summer.

We are most proud of our outstanding students and of the Academy programs that inspire and nuture their diverse talents.

Competing for the first time against a field of 22 schools in their division, Academy at the Lakes received second place honors at the most recent Odyssey of the Mind Regional Competition. A team comprised of six children from grades 2 through 4 competed in Discovered Treasures. The students created a skit about an archaeological expedition that took place through several time periods and involved different artifacts and landmarks. In addition to making their own props, the team incorporated dance and song into their skit. The performance garnered one of two second place awards given for their division.

Odyssey of the Mind is an educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students of all ages. Children apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. Odyssey of the Mind provides children with benefits that reach beyond the classroom; students learn skills that will last a lifetime. We are thrilled that we can offer our students this valuable learning experience.

A big congratulations to our Odyssey of the Mind team.
Quinn 4th grade
Chance 3rd grade
Bilal 4th grade
Lauren 4th grade
Charvi 2nd grade
Anmol 4th grade

“Science Fair was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot,” eighth-grader Colleen Lopez said about the Pasco Regional Science and Engineering Fair at River Ridge High School on Saturday, February 6th.

Colleen was one of seven Academy students who competed in the fair. All seven students placed in the top three slots in their category. Six students won first place and will continue to the state science fair.

Seniors Helen Latimer and Julian Doromal won first place in the teams category of the high school competition with their work, Multilayer Polypeptide Nanofilms. Helen and Julian efficiently and reproducibly generated biological nanofilms, a breakthrough necessary to transform nanotechnology into a marketable commodity. Julian and Helen worked in Dr. Donald Haynie’s laboratory in the USF Physics Department and will continue their work until they leave for college in the fall.

Ninth-grader Alex Stark won first place in the computer category with his project “Tic Tac Toe: Adventures in Decision Making.” Alex programmed an invincible tic tac toe game and demonstrated that his program is infallible compared to its human competitors. Alex earned commendations from both Intel Corporation and the U.S. Army.

In her project Regional Groundwater Study Through Isotopic Analysis, senior Carly Harro analyzed hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios by mass spectrometry to trace surface and groundwater interconnectivity in the Weeki Wachee Ground Water Basin in Hernando County. Her findings will be utilized by the Southwest Florida Water Management District to study local water shortages. Carly won first place and received commendations from the Association of Women Geoscientists and the American Meteorological Society and also took home the U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize Regional Award and an invitation to enter a special competition.

In the middle school science fair, eighth-grader Shayne Fitzgerald won first place in the Environmental Science category with his project Quick Steam II. Shane utilized steam from an exothermic reaction of calcium oxide with water to turn an alternator. This reaction could be a cheap, readily available energy source to power batteries or run a generator. Shayne hopes to apply his work to powering a car.

Eighth-grader Colleen Lopez won first place in the Botany category for her work on The Effect of Centrifugal Force on Radish Seed Germination. Colleen utilized centrifugal force to mimic the mechanism for producing gravity in space. She hopes her work will be applicable to growing fresh food in space.

Seventh-grader David Gamero earned third place in the Environmental Science category with his work titled Electric Magnets. David calculated the productivity of an electrical generator turning at different speeds and compared single generators to multiple generators. He determined that using multiple generators is more efficient than using one large generator. He hopes to charge the lithium ion battery of a laptop or iPod by placing two generators on either side of a bicycle axle.

The spirit of inventiveness and inquiry is a hallmark of the educational experience at Academy at the Lakes. We are most proud of our students, their teachers, and the special school culture that encourages and supports our future leaders, scientists, and innovators.

Academy at the Lakes, located on Collier Parkway in Land O’Lakes, serves students from the entire North Tampa metropolitan area from PK3 through 12th grade.

Students explored the Atlanta History Center’s signature exhibit, Turning Point: The American Civil War, one of the nation’s largest and most complete exhibits of Civil War artifacts and stories.  Students visited the Chickamauga Battlefield, part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, where they viewed a film that put the battle in context, enjoyed a hands-on Common Soldier program led by one of the National Park Rangers, and visited selected sites on the battlefield – including the monument erected by the State of Florida to honor its soldiers who served there.

Students learned about one of the important, culminating battles of the Civil War at the Atlanta Cyclorama.  This unique museum features a 358’ circumference “cyclorama” painting of the July 1864 Battle of Atlanta.  Students also visited the Andersonville National Historic Site in Andersonville, Georgia, where they were guided through both the site and story of the infamous Civil War POW camp by one of the National Park Rangers, explored the excellent exhibits at the National Prisoner of War Museum, and walked the hallowed ground of the Andersonville National Cemetery.  Interspersed with these visits to significant curriculum related sites, students also enjoyed a guided tour of CNN’s Atlanta studios, exploring Stone Mountain Park (with the expansive views from the summit and the challenge one of the country’s largest adventure ropes courses), and the opportunity to engage in a few hours of traditional teen fun (video games and go-karts) at a nearby Malibu Grand Prix Entertainment Center.

By the end of the trip, students experienced an action-packed and enlightening adventure, learned a variety of life lessons about traveling, and bonded more closely as a class.