ISLAND PACIFIC ACADEMY is excited to share Frank Condello III ’18 is back on campus ready to lead the Track and Field team as an Assistant Coach. “I spent 14 years here and I wanted to come back and help out because these kids are in the same situation I was, you know running track without a track, but you can still do really well in the sport if you just want to,” said Condello.
“It has been great to coach Track and Field with Frank this season,” shared Seth Brownold, Head Coach. “I appreciate the expertise he brings to the team as a former IPA and D2 collegiate runner. It’s such a valuable experience for our students to work with an alum. It gives our student athletes a chance to see that they can have athletic success at IPA and at the next level.”
In November 2017, Frank was recruited by Belmont Abbey College (Division II) and offered a scholarship to be a part of their Cross Country and Track and Field teams. “It was validating, all my hard work paid off and it was exciting because I got the opportunity to run with a larger team with facilities and things that I knew would get me to that next level athletically,” shared Condello.
He sees a little of himself in the students on the team, which helps when he’s coaching. “I understand what their situation is, certain challenges, not being sure of which event they may want to do. I understand having been there, I’m just helping steer them in the right direction,” he continued.
Condello majored in Criminal Justice and found balance as a student and athlete by multitasking. “Academics is a big part of it. Yeah, I got to run on a college team but if my grades weren’t up to standard, I wouldn’t be able to compete. I’d say being well rounded in your sport is good, but you also need academics to back that up if you want a chance to get to the next level,” said Condello.
In addition to coaching, Condello is a paraprofessional tutor working with a special education student at Kaimiloa Elementary and is preparing to start graduate school to pursue a master’s in teaching. What does he want to teach, you ask? History. As a senior at IPA, Condello was named an ILH All-Star. Will history repeat itself and another Track and Field athlete be named All-Star under Coach Condello and Coach Brownold’s guidance? We can’t wait to see!
