Frank Lollino

 Frank Lollino - Advancing His Career as a PE Teacher

Frank Lollino spent over twenty years helping high school students live healthier, more fulfilling lives by teaching them the basics of Physical Education. He advanced his career every step of the way by going above and beyond the call of duty to help kids compete and develop the habits they need to live happy, healthy lives. Lollino built his career by taking an interest in the schools he worked at in the Chicago area and by helping them develop the programs he feels are necessary to help kids succeed beyond the classroom.

One way to advance in the PE instructor profession is to help the institution you work for form new sports teams or to participate in the sports programs they already have. Becoming a coach of any sporting team at a school is a great way to earn experience working with kids in an athletic setting, and it helps you sew yourself into the leadership staff of the school as well. A PE instructor with experience coaching can be an attractive applicant for an Athletic Director’s job or a sports coordinator’s job at another school or within the same one you work for now. Either way, you’ll be building your resume and providing students at your school with much-needed after-school activities they can participate in.

Frank Lollino has coached basketball for college and high school teams in addition to working with students regularly as their Physical Education instructor. For over twenty years, he worked with kids to develop a healthy interest in physical activity and team sports building character.

Frank Lollino - Long Career as a Physical Education Instructor

Frank Lollino has had a long career as a Physical Education instructor in Chicago area high schools. He was also a basketball coach at the high school and collegiate levels. Lollino has given his life to the betterment of the youth in his area by trying to teach them the basics of physical education and developing the habits that create happy, healthy lives for the kids he teaches. He became a PE teacher by following these steps:

• Earn a bachelor’s degree. If you’re interested in physical education, get a degree from a college that offers a Bachelor of Science in Education with an emphasis in physical education. These four-year programs prepare you for physical education in all grade levels. The courses included in these programs include instruction in kinesiology, exercise physiology, recreational sports, aerobics, health teaching methods, and applied physical education. Most of these programs also include a student-teaching experience towards the end of the program to give teachers some hands-on experience in the classroom.
• Earn a state license. Licensure is not required to teach PE at private schools, but most states require all physical education teachers to acquire a state license. Requirements to obtain this license vary from state to state, but most states require a bachelor’s degree from an accredited teacher’s education program and the passing of state teaching license exams.  
• Gain experience and move up. Gaining experience in the field of Physical Education requires more than only working in the classroom for years. The most valuable experience comes from coaching sports teams, forming fitness clubs, and any other way of getting involved in extracurricular activities.

Frank Lollino has created opportunities for many high school students to start their adult lives with the physical fitness and health habits that will allow them to live happy, healthy lives.

Frank Lollino-A Few Keys to Effective Game Strategy for Basketball Teams

Frank Lollino has coached basketball for many high schools and colleges for over two decades. He has found great success at every level he has coached and has led Morton College to two conference championships in his long career. Here are a few tips for new coaches at any level to develop an effective in-game strategy for their teams:

• The Keep it Simple System (KISS): Basketball is a simple game. You don’t have to develop a complicated offensive and defensive game plan to win. In fact, at some levels, trying to implement an overly complicated plan can cause unneeded frustration. Stick with a KISS. Establish one or two offensive alignments and three or four actions for your players to perform, and your team will show improvement quickly.
• Simple Transition and Half-Court Offense. These two simple offensive drills can keep your team fresh and crisp throughout the season. A simple transition offense requires that your players score a lay-up in less than five seconds without dribbling, and a simple half-court offense requires everyone to touch the ball before anyone can shoot.
• Triangle offense. There’s a reason why the triangle offense was so successful under Phil Jackson in the NBA. It’s simple and anyone can learn it. (It also helps to have Michael Jordan to give the ball to on a clear out.) This system is a patterned motion offense that has only a few basic actions to learn. Even in a recreational league, running this offense will help you win games.

Frank Lollino trained all of his most successful teams using these three fundamental, easy-to-learn game strategies.

Frank Lollino: What Makes a Great Basketball Team

Basketball is the ultimate team sport. The best team often has the best player in the league, that's true, but the best team also has to have good support players around the star who make up for shortcomings and understand how to play in a specific system. Most teams have one player who is above and beyond the rest, but bad teams exist because the other players on that team do not know how to play in a system.

Frank Lollino has been coaching basketball for 20 years. He spent seven years coaching high school basketball in Chicago, Illinois, and the other 13 years coaching at the college level. Every team that he has coached has seen dramatic on-court improvements. He coached Morton College to two straight undefeated seasons and was named NJCAA Skyway Coach of the Year twice. Here are the three things that make a great basketball team, according to him.

• Every great team can play defense, especially man-to-man defense. The pillar of a championship team in every single sport is defense. Playing great defense means the opposition scores less and you create turnovers, which leads to easy points for you and zero points for the opponent. Playing great man defense requires everyone to stick to his or her man, communicate well, and switch when required to do so. This means that your players have to be able to defend at different positions as well. Defense is probably the hardest part of playing basketball, but it is the most important.

• The next thing that your team needs to be great at if they want to be great themselves is rebounding as a team. Every player needs to be a good rebounder. They have to box out there man and crash the boards. The more you rebound on the defensive end, the less second chances your opponents will have and the less they score. The more you rebound on the offensive end, the more second chances you create, the less time your opponent has the ball, and the more you score.

• Lastly, every great basketball team has good half court offenses that methodically take high percentage shots. They either are taking shots inside the key or from beyond the arc. No one is jacking up shots where they are well guarded. Everyone can move the ball quickly and move off the ball well. This also includes minimizing turnovers.

Frank Lollino: Four Ways to Become a Great High School Basketball Player

Frank Lollino has been coaching basketball for the past 20 years. He spent seven of those years coaching high school teams and the other 13 years coaching at the college level. Every school, regardless if it was in college or high school, that he has coached at has seen dramatic improvements on the court and off of it. He was named the NJCAA Skyway Coach of the Year on two occasions and the IBCA Coach of the Year once. He coached Morton College to two straight undefeated conference champion seasons. He has seen and guided the growth and improvement of a number of players in both high school and college and understands what it takes for players on both levels to become great basketball players. Here are a few of his tips to do so.

•You have to be willing to work harder than anybody else. Coaches know if a player has been working hard by looking at the demeanor and observing their focus. Work hard on the court as well by taking charges, diving after loose balls, playing hard defense, getting up and down the court, and finishing plays.

•Do not let yourself get pushed around. Dictate the tempo of the game and decide the intensity. Force the opposition to make mistakes and make the players around you better. Part of not letting yourself get pushed around is about being a leader. Play and lead by example.

•Understand the system that you are playing in and know what your coach wants. You need to know how to be successful in the system and how the system is going to be successful with you. Part of understanding the system is the ability to understand your coach and what he or she values.

•No matter what be humble and stay humble. Don't let a good game get to you and do not let any attention directed at you move your focus away from your game.

Frank Lollino: How to Become a College, Basketball Coach

Breaking into the coaching scene in college is difficult but very possible. Coaching college athletics is a great experience because you get to work with young adults who are just starting to experience freedom and responsibility for the first time. You are given a great amount of responsibility as a college coach because many of you players will look up to for guidance and help, both and off the court.

Frank Lollino has been coaching basketball for over 20 years and 13 of those years have been at the college level. Every team that he has coached has seen remarkable improvements in both on the court and off the court results. Here he gives a few tips that proved to help him become a successful college basketball coach.

• The first thing that comes to most people's minds when they are trying to figure out how to break into college coaching is what kind of degree you need. That all depends on the division you plan on coaching. Division 1 schools will require you to have a degree. Division II and below will require you to have a Master's degree. This is because Division 1 schools have the resources to support less educated coaches. In fact, most assistant coaches are teaching at the University the coach at because the job is not full-time. The more skills that you have, the more likely you are to get a job at a school in Division 2 or lower. You will have more to contribute to the school besides your coaching abilities.

• Coaching is very much a contact based business. Often it is less about what you know and more about whom you know. Obviously you have to know something to make an impression on people, but knowing the right people will help. You can get to know the right people by coaching at summer basketball camps sponsored by universities and or major sports organizations. This will get your name out there and will be a chance for you to exhibit your skills to the right people.

• Lastly, patience is the greatest characteristic every college coach has. There are a lot of people like you looking for a job coaching in college but only a small amount of job openings available. Be patient, work hard, and prepare to get frustrated at times.

Frank Lollino: Four Tips For Succeeding as a High School Basketball Coach

Coaching high school sports is a great opportunity if presented to you. It's an opportunity to teach and coach kids who are at an age where their skills are at a good level, but they are still open to learning and have the ability to improve significantly. Most importantly, the want to have fun playing whatever sport you are coaching, and therefore you will have fun coaching it.

Frank Lollino has been coaching basketball for more than 20 years and coached high school for about seven those. Here are four pieces of his advice that ensured he succeeded as a high school coach.

• You need to make sure that your philosophy is about having fun. Winning is important, of course, but the majority of your time spent as a coach should be ensuring that your players are learning, improving, and having fun. You need to give everybody the chance to improve and grow as basketball players. Remember that none of your games are that important in the grand scheme of things.

• Make sure that you regularly communicate with your team and in a positive manner. When you need make a correction, do so using an example in a positive manner so that the criticism is constructive, and the player knows how to improve.

• Make sure that you are learning more and more as each season goes by. Never be satisfied with your current amount of knowledge. The best coaches continue to learn and adapt. Make sure that what you are learning and what you want to communicate to your players is appropriate to their age, skill and maturity level.

• Lastly, use all the resources that are available to you. There are plenty of organizations that offer continuing education opportunities and assistance to youth and high school coaches. Watch instructional videos, attend coaching clinics and seminars, find an online course, and talk to other coaches to find out what works and doesn’t work for them.

Coach Taking Time Out

Having the opportunity to take time off and enjoy the great things in life is always a benefit for anyone. Whenever you become a professional or a very committed worker at a very high level, it is important to seek out a pastime for enjoy time off. This is the necessity for one to stay motivated and focused with her day-to-day jobs.

Frank Lollino has taken the time to let everybody understand how important it is to have a little personal time to sort things out in life. He explains to even his players that it is important to find things to help you fulfill your personal wants in order to feel a balanced life. He makes people aware of his situation with the profession he is in. It is a very high volume of work and commitment. Explains it is important to refresh one's patients by enjoying free time. He likes to spend time with his two pit bulls by taking them out to a nice long walk. He loves to give them his free time playing. He also likes to take some time off and visit many of the art galleries that are open in the big city of Chicago. Just to let people understand that he has the major appreciation of music especially when it is live.

Frank Lollino really likes to take some time off and going the many professional and college teams around the Chicago area. He feels a major role in watching life sports by attending the event. He also takes time off to go in the swimming pool during the summers.

Frank Lollino - Earning the Degrees

For the profession of a high school teacher is very important to have an educational background that can support your position. It is a big part of every child's education and the role of the teacher is extremely important. Takes a lot of educational backgrounds and studying to accomplish the degree necessarily. There's also certification courses and programs that must be attended to in order to participate as a staff member in a high school. There's also hands-on training when they college graduate goes through the process of becoming a teacher.

Frank Lollino knew that if he was going to fill his goals he would need to accomplish getting a degree. His Is education in college began locally at the University level. He attended Concordia University where he would successfully accomplish receiving a BA in secondary education as well as a minor in history. He has always pushed harder and everything he puts his mind and heart. So he decided he would pursue a Masters degree by enrolling back into Cordia University.

There was much success in his accomplishment as in 2006 he earned a degree in educational leadership. He would further his education by getting a mother Masters from the American College of education specializing in curriculum and instruction. He always had ambition accessible and decided to take on the challenge of obtaining licenses and various educational fields. As he became basketball coach at the high school he would further participate in programs and various Association to enhance his coaching skills. This was out of his competitive spirit and will be successful.

Frank Lollino - Deep Chicago Roots

Frank Lollino was born and raised in Chicago and still lives there today. His parents, Frank, and Anna Marie were proud Italian Americans and happily shared their culture and roots with their two children, Frank and Laura.

Lollino had an idyllic childhood growing up on the Northwest side of Chicago—playing sports, bonding with sister, playing with friends and learning about his heritage from his parents. He had a deep love for the family home where he grew up and today owns and lives in the same house in the Galewood community. His sister and her two children live close by, and Lollino is a devoted Uncle to both their whole lives. His niece is now a freshman in high school, and his nephew is an eighth grader.

Lollino has always loved living in Chicago, and when he graduated from high school and began making decisions for his own path in life, he decided to attend college at nearby Concordia University. Once he graduated, he embarked on his career as a teacher and coach, also within the community where he grew up. Lollino went back to Concordia University when he decided to pursue a Master’s degree.

Lollino devoted the next twenty years of his life to educating high school students at schools in Chicago’s West Side. He first taught at Austin Community Academy High School, followed by a decade as a teacher at Lane Tech College Prep High School.

Throughout his life and career, Lollino has remained deeply attached to his Chicago roots, and he still have more to discover and give within his beloved community.

Frank Lollino - Italian Roots and the Love of Pizza

Italian roots are important to Frank Lollino. His parents, Frank and Anna Marie Lollino, made sure that Frank and his sister Laurie grew up with a heavy dose of history regarding their roots. Lollino cherishes his childhood as part of a proud Italian family and as he established himself in his career, he began to explore his roots further, becoming involved in UNICO National, an Italian American service organization based in the United States. Aside from involvement in UNICO, he took on another aspect of his Italian roots with a fierce passion: pizza.

As a member of UNICO, Frank Lollino worked to raise funds for worthy causes in his community with ties to the Italian American culture. “UNICO was a club that I really enjoyed. It was an Italian organization that raised money for college scholarships for students and donated money to worthy causes like the Red Cross,”said Lollino.

Members of UNICO also work to enhance and promote the image of Italian Americans, to promote Italian heritage and culture, to assist and support non-profits in cultural, educational, scientific and literary projects, as well as promoting involvement in public welfare amongst their members.

On the cultural side, UNICO promotes pizza as perhaps one of the most popular foods worldwide, giving a breakdown of pizza’s origins in Naples, Italy in the early 1800’s. The passion for pizza is one that Lollino has no problem supporting. He, like most, has a deep appreciation for this food which is further enhanced by its rich history.

Frank Lollino: Italian Easter

As a dominantly Catholic nation, Italians love to celebrate Easter. And Frank Lollino, an Italian-American, proudly displays his culture and heritage by partaking in the rituals celebrated in his homeland. He is also a support of UNICO, which gives a description of Italian Easter on their website, which is shared below:

“Traditional Easter meals vary from region to region, but eggs and roasted Lamb are common staples everywhere. Eggs represent life, fertility and renewal. These are all essential symbols of Easter. Dyed eggs grace many tables and they are found in soups and in the traditional Easter pie (Torta Pasqualina). Roasted lamb is the symbol of birth and the Shepard. Chocolate bunnies are not common in Italy but beautifully decorated chocolate eggs are a traditional Easter treat and gift. The official Easter cake is the Eastern Dove (Colomba) that represents peace. Pizza Rustica, Pizza Chiena (or as many in the US call it – “Pizza Gaina”), Pastiera di Grana, Pastiera di Riso etc. are all Easter specialties from the Southern part of Italy. Easter Monday, also known as Little Easter (Pasquetta) is also an official Italian Holiday. It is often spent enjoying the spring weather with family and friends at picnics. The “Racing of the Egg” (Palio dell’Uovo) is a traditional Easter Monday game in the town of Tredozio in the Emilia-Romagna region. In Barano d’ Ishcia, a traditional Island dance called the “Festa della Ndrezzata takes place on the same day. So, as in all Italian holidays, Easter is a lengthy and festive time in Italy with much eating and merriness. Italians are certainly a people who love to party. We should be proud to call ourselves Italian/Americans.”

Frank Lollino loves to celebrate this holiday Italian-style.

Frank Lollino: When Tricolore Became Official

Frank Lollino supports UNICO, which promotes Italian-American culture and heritage while also helping members of their greater communities. Below, his organization that Frank Lollino supports explains the later history of the Tricolore, and how it became the official symbol of Italy, as told by the organization’s Italian Heritage and Culture Chair:

“The first true (displayed) national flag in which the colors were applied horizontally is the Cispadane Republic flag. This flag was adopted on January 7, 1797 and had the red at the top, the white in the middle, charged with the coat of arms, and the green at the bottom. On July 17, 1797 the Cispadane and the Transpadane Republics were united into the Cisalpine Republic, which adopted the Tricolore, known today as the official Italian flag. It is for that reason that the official version generally claims that the Italian flag is modeled after the French Tricolore. In 1802 the Cisalpine Republic became the Italian Republic and on August 20, 1802, a new flag was adopted. The new design was modeled after the Napoleonic military flags: on a red field a white lozenge under a green rectangle. On March 1805 the republic became a kingdom at which time a golden Napoleonic eagle was added on the flag's green field. The Tricolore, charged with the Savoy shield in the center, became the national flag of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1848 and of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. The State flag and the war ensign also included the Savoy crown. Finally, on June 19, 1946, the plain Tricolore became the official flag of the Italian Republic. In order to avoid confusion with the Mexican flag at sea, two different coat of arms were added by decree of November 9, 1947, one to the civil and one to the war ensigns.”

Frank Lollino - The Effectiveness of UNICO

Frank Lollino is a Chicago-area basketball coach who proudly supports UNICO, an American-Italian organization that helps provide necessary funding and volunteer services to a wide variety of relief efforts. The organization started in the early 1900’s, and has since grown significantly to help more and more people in need. Their effectiveness as a group is best depicted on UNICO’s website as so:

“Since the inception of UNICO National in 1947, thousands of people and individual charities have been the recipients of UNICO's charity. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for national and international disasters. Typical of this generosity was the gift of $500,000 to create 10 buildings in Italy to house those suffering from the ravages of an earthquake disaster. UNICO's latest disaster relief effort was raising $30,000 for victims of the September 11th Twin Towers attack.   One of the recipients was Windows of Hope which provided relief to those who worked in the restaurants and food services located in the World Trade Center.

Each year, UNICO Foundation and UNICO National Chapters donate approximately $1 million to various charities.   Scholarships continue to be the primary focus, as roughly one-third of all monies raised goes to deserving students from chapter locations throughout the chain.”

Frank Lollino is proud to support this organization and see firsthand the positive impact it has on the people that benefit from it as well as the community that surrounds them. UNICO is exactly the type of unique organization they have named themselves to be, with a goal that is nothing short of benevolent.