Staff Conversations: Eric Simonelli
Why did you choose this career?
In my senior year at Endicott College as a Sport Management major, I was fortunate enough to get a semester internship with the Boston Celtics in Media Relations. It was an amazing experience to interview professional athletes and get a first-hand look at how the professional sports arena works. At the end of the internship, I realized that experience as a student admission tour guide, being a student-athlete, and being on a college campus was my true passion. After graduation, I spent the summer playing semi-professional basketball in Denmark and then decided to take a job in College Admissions as an Assistant Collegiate Basketball Coach. Once I got onto a college campus, I knew I had a passion for helping, advising, and mentoring students. Over the last 20 years, my passion has remained the same and I have enjoyed every minute of it!
Where did you go to college and why?
I received my undergraduate degree from Endicott College and my graduate degree from the University of Rhode Island. I was recruited by James Cosgrove (current Trinity College Men’s Basketball Coach) when he was an assistant coach at Saint Anselm College. When Cosgrove left St. Anslem and took over at Endicott College, he convinced me to join him to build a program and for the unique internship experience it offers. I received my master’s while I was working as an Athletic Liaison and Assistant Director of Admissions in Education and have been a Rhody Ram fan ever since.
What was your favorite class in college? Tell us about it.
My favorite college course was Managerial Aspects of Leadership in Sport Organization. It was taught by professor Dr. Richard Nastasi who has had a positive impact on me as a student. I enjoyed learning different leadership and management styles in sports to deal with diverse groups of team dynamics. This psychological approach has helped me in handling conflict, dealing with adversity, staying humble during success, and working with lots of different types of people.
Favorite extracurricular? Why?
I spent most of my time as a high school student-athlete competing on multiple sports teams, earning 10 varsity letters at Duxbury High School in Massachusetts, and working over the summer for the Town of Duxbury Recreation Department. My childhood and high school years were devoted to training, practicing, and working. As a high school student-athlete, I played four sports (soccer, football, basketball, and tennis). As a football player, I was a wide receiver and field goal kicker on varsity as a sophomore and broke the school record for the longest field goal. In my junior and senior years, I played soccer in the fall, one of the sports I played a lot while growing up, and gave up football. As a tennis player, I started on varsity for 3 years and competed with the top tennis players in Massachusetts at #2 singles. As a basketball player, I started on varsity for 3 years, was a 1000-point scorer, Boston Herald and Globe All-Scholastic, and played in the Boston Garden as a senior for the Eastern, Massachusetts finals. Over the summers I worked basketball camps and taught tennis lessons to the youth in town. I continued working for the Recreation Department through college. I’ve always enjoyed working with youth in the community and consider it one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Tell us a little about your family and/or what you like to do in your spare time!
I have been married for almost 15 years to my wife Gina, who grew up in Mansfield, Massachusetts, and went to the University of Rhode Island for her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She has been there ever since and is currently the Director of Donor Relations. I have a son, Jase, who is 11, and a daughter, Anna, who is 6. Both of them attend Our Lady of Mercy School in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. I also direct Higher Learning Basketball, a skill development program, and am the President of Warwick Youth Basketball where I coach my children’s teams. In my spare time, I enjoy working out, walking, going to the Narragansett beach in the summer, hanging by the pool and hot tub, and spending quality time with my family. I also enjoy family vacations to warm climates and taking my wife out to dinner! I am also very close with my dad and younger brother. My mom passed away 8 ½ years ago and it has brought us closer. My dad is an incredibly patient man and spent over 40 years as the CEO of a non-profit organization called BAMSI, which provides services to adults and children with developmental disabilities, mental illness, behavioral health, and public health needs. My brother is an Engineer and Builder on the north shore of Massachusetts.
Favorite memory from your college experience?
My favorite memories in college are winning back-to-back conference championships and playing in the NCAA Tournament. Also, for my senior semester-long internship, I was fortunate to land a position with the Boston Celtics in Media Relations. It was a memorable experience seeing how a professional sports organization operates and meeting the team and coaching staff.
Favorite quote that gives you inspiration?
“Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you respond.”
Eric Simonelli has more than 20 years of college admissions experience at both the collegiate and secondary education levels. He served as the Admission Advisor and Athletic Liaison at the University of Rhode Island for 13 years and most recently as the Director of College Counseling at La Salle Academy for 8 years. Eric has demonstrated a proven history of success in coaching and college advising students and parents on both sides of the desk.
As the Admission-Athletic Liaison, Eric has led the NCAA Eligibility Center requirements and related compliance matters for all student-athletes recruited to University NCAA Division I, II, and II Intercollegiate Athletic programs. As a former DIII collegiate basketball player, Hall of Fame Inductee, and 1,000-point scorer, Eric also understands the entire recruitment process, communication flow between prospective student-athletes and coaches, and advising coaches with their recruitment efforts to meet admission standards. He also has guided student-athletes with course selection when evaluating their high school record and has worked closely with the Dean of Admission on supporting student-athletes in the application and financial aid process.
Deeply invested in the college admissions and counseling profession, Eric is a member of the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Eric grew up in Duxbury, Massachusetts, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management from Endicott College and a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Rhode Island. Currently, he directs Higher Learning Basketball, a youth skill development program, and is the President of the Warwick Youth Travel Basketball program. He has been married for 14 years and has two school-aged children.