“[My players] gotta have good character, gotta be able to work hard, [and] gotta have some skill,” said Patrick Maietta, Head Coach of Argo Boys’ Varsity Basketball and social studies teacher. Maietta values those who take accountability, respect, and behave well, and believes that these traits will help one in life.
From September conditioning through the season’s end in February, Maietta helps his players improve on the court, while also helping them develop discipline and responsibility off the court.
Maietta has been interested in the sport of basketball since he was a child. As a kid, he would play basketball with his brother, tagging along as a rebounder. He would also watch basketball, loving to see his favorite player Dr. J, or Julius Erving, play.
“[I went] to grade school, played basketball. [I] had a good grade school coach who is now the head coach at Morton in Berwyn [and] Cicero—a mentor to me who just loved the game. [I] continued to play through high school, did not play in college, and always wanted to give back to the game,” said Maietta.
He did give back to the game through coaching basketball at a Catholic high school in Oak Park named Fenwick for the course of 11 years.
“My dream was always to be a teacher and a coach and go back to the high school I graduated from (Fenwick High school), which I did,” said Maietta. However, when he was granted the opportunity to work at Argo Community High School as a teacher and coach, he took the job. He has worked in these positions for over 20 years.
Throughout his career, Maietta has always attempted to motivate his players to better themselves daily.
“I try to keep it real with them. I try to motivate them to be themselves, but to work hard every day because it’s a challenge. And nobody’s going to give us anything outside of Argo… We can’t do it by ourselves. We’ve got to do it together… And the only way we’re going to have success is if we do it together,” said Maietta. “Basketball is a game. From it, it can teach us a lot about ourselves in terms of responsibility and work ethic.”
Maietta’s coaching and mentoring style has been having an impact.
“I think Mr. Maietta is a good coach. He pushes us to our limits, and he shows us everything that we need to know…. He showed me how to be a good leader. He showed me how to talk to my teammates, and he showed us how to stay together whenever we are losing,” said Ian Hernandez, a player on the varsity team.
Maietta coached many players over the past decades, and the players he currently coaches have positive things to say about him.
“I feel like, you know, he pushes his players to the max and makes sure that we have everything that we need to succeed,” said Darron Greer, another player on the varsity team.
