On Dec. 3, Mr. Ben Cottrell, more familiarly known as “Coach Cotty”, received the Theodore James Ryken Award during the Feast Day Mass of Saint Francis Xavier in front of the entire school community.
Established in 1997, the award recognizes an adult member of the school community who by her or his commitment and dedication lives the mission of the Xaverian charism of education. This is one of the greatest honors the school can bestow upon a member of the community.
“First of all, I thought there was no way I would win this award. It’s not because I feel unworthy. It is because of all the amazing educators we have in this building,” Cotty humbly said. “I am just honored and thrilled to come to work every day and work with some of the best human beings I have ever known.”
President Colistra, who presented the award, recognized and praised Cotty for his contributions outside of the classroom and his impactful leadership.
“This faculty member’s impact extends through his work as a retreat leader, an accomplished baseball coach, and a teacher who spends countless hours assisting students outside of class,” Colistra said. “As the founder of Tigers for Christ and a leader in programs like Tiger Mentors and campus ministry, this faculty member creates spaces for students to grow in faith, character, and community.”
The past several recipients of the award were Mike Glaser, Matt Yarborough, and Ann-Coury Mulloy. Cotty, who has had a successful career and earned recognition in multiple ways during his tenure, ranks this at the top of the list.
“The meaning of this award is very difficult to put into words because it truly means so much to me,” he continued. “When I read the names of the previous recipients, I am in awe. The fact that my name will join a list with those incredible people is the absolute best part. Just to be mentioned with some of the best educators St. X has ever had, is a recognition of the highest standards.”
Anyone who knows Coach Cotty can tell you that he is relatively long-winded. What’s even more telling about his character, is that out of all of the questions, his longest response was to the question about who he’d credit this moment to. That’s one of the main reasons why he was nominated by so many of his colleagues: his humility. Since this is his moment, there will be no trimming of his answer when it comes to thanking people.
“So many people deserve credit for helping me get here. First is my mom. She is my rock and my counselor. When I was struggling in my sophomore year in college and didn’t know what I wanted to do, she suggested teaching math. Thank goodness I listened to my Momma! I certainly would not be here without her.”
“Next is Coach John Jefferson. Coach J was one of the very first people I met at St. X. He immediately welcomed me with open arms. He taught me how to teach and how to coach. Most of all he taught me how to love. That man has the biggest heart of anyone I know, and I am so thankful for him.
“Next is Mr. John Zickel. He was kind enough to allow me to do my student teaching with him. I learned so much from Mr. Zickel and I will always be indebted to him. He was also the one who helped me land a job at St. X. As soon as he heard there was a math opening, he stopped class and called me to let me know, and the rest is history.”
“I also have to give a huge thank you to Coach Andy Porta. That man will do anything for any of his players or students. Coach Porta showed me the importance of hard work and standing up for what you believe is right. As a coach, you are not always popular, but you can always do what you believe is best. There is also always room to improve. Coach Porta is never satisfied and is always looking for ways to improve. His relentless drive and dedication have inspired and motivated me. As I said earlier, I am just trying to keep up with all of the amazing people here.”
“I also have to mention Coach Joe White. During my 13th year teaching, I was questioning whether or not this was the right career for me. Coach White was a sounding board and a source of sage advice. He is the one who made me realize how much I love working with the students at St. X. He challenged me to find a way to help them, while also being fulfilled. After many talks and a lot of prayers, I decided to go back to school and get a counseling degree.”
“I also have to thank Mrs. Cathy Reynolds. Mrs. Reynolds has been with me through thick and thin for 20 years now. Anytime something wonderful happened in my life, she was always one of the first ones to celebrate with me. Anytime something difficult or challenging was occurring, she was always there to offer encouragement and a helping hand. Mrs. Reynolds has been a solid piece of my support system since day one. She has encouraged my ministry and helped foster both professional and personal growth in my life. I certainly would not be the man I am today without Mrs. Reynolds.”
“There’s also Coach Joe Bergamini. Coach Bergamini was another St. X giant whose shoulders I am very proud to stand on. Coach Bergamini would always go out of his way to make me feel special and loved. He would offer a note of encouragement or send an email of gratitude or just check in with me and see how I was doing. He always made sure that I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, how much he cared about me. That was something that really meant a lot to me. I try to do the same thing whenever I am working with a student. It is very important to me that the student knows, very clearly, how much I care about him and how badly I want him to succeed and be happy.”
“I owe Mrs. Amber Wissing and Mr. David Ianke a huge debt of gratitude. Mrs. Wissing was my counseling instructor when I was doing an internship. It was a lot of extra work for her, but she never complained at all. All she did was offer me guidance and encouragement and help me develop my skills as a counselor. Mr. Ianke was with me for most of that journey as well. Not only is he an unbelievable friend, but he was always there to help me when I needed it, both professionally and personally.”
“Finally, I have to thank Ms. Amy Sample and President Colistra for giving me the opportunities that I have. I am blessed beyond measure to get to come to St. X every day and work with some of the finest people I know. Ms. Sample and President Colistra have allowed me to help develop and implement some new programs at St. X aimed at improving the experience and overall education of our students. Not only have they given me their permission to strengthen and grow these programs, but they have also offered nothing but support and encouragement along the way. There are so many more people I could name, but I will stop here. I apologize to anyone who I left out. It took an entire village of people to help me get where I am today.”
While he might deflect a lot of the praise to others, this award ultimately recognizes his service and influence on the school and all of those a part of the St. X community. His passion for helping others succeed and his patience exemplifies the qualities needed to receive this illustrious award.
“Every day is a dream come true for me,” Cotty concluded. “I get to come to a place that I love and work with about 1300 people that I love. My heart is incredibly full, and I am exponentially blessed. How can life get any better than that?”
