For 15-20 minutes, Bedford Academy Dean and boys head basketball coach Rob Phelps waxed poetic about the advantages each
Away from the hothouse environment that is
The school’s morgue-like quiet code, after-school tutoring program, and prestigious academic programs were several selling stones for one of the city’s most reputable small-school institutions.
The dean and head basketball coach at
To stay on the court for the long haul, each player must sustain at least an 82 average.
Report Card day parallels city championships on the barometer of importance. The school has become a virtual launch-pad for Ivy League students.
It’s a small 300-student institution tucked away in the now gentrified neighborhood on sprawling
While
Without applying any used car salesmen-type tactics, without forcing the issue, Phelps pointed out the positive draws of everyday life at
“You hear that?” Said Phelps, acknowledging crickets-esque silence, a rarity for any
“There’s small classes here, a 16-to-1 teacher-to-student ratio. There’s no graffiti on the walls. Each and every one of the kids is respectful. If they do act up or get out of line, they have to answer to me.”
Phelps pauses, his laid-back demeanor evaporating. A cold, stern, and serious look suddenly etches across his face.
“Trust me, they don’t want to have to deal with me.”
As students filtered out of the tiny door bordering the building at dismissal, Phelps referred to his own mental analytics system.
“You see that girl right there? She’s got a 92 average, advanced regents diploma and she’s an athlete,” Phelps says.
“The girl next to her, 88 average. She’s now in two AP classes and wants to be a doctor. She’s been accepted into every college she’s applied to so far, including Wesleyan in Connecticut. The girl leaving right now, 95 average.”
Another student walks by, sporting a mischievous smile. As he approaches Phelps, who heeds him this way, his whole demeanor changes
“This is one of the jokesters, I had to set him straight a couple of times his freshman year, he’ll tell you about it,” Phelps said of the now-sophomore as he approaches.
“He’s one of the school’s few knuckleheads and yet he still has an 87 average and four regents diplomas.”
Featuring a next door YMCA, one which grants all
A weight room and an Olympic-size pool are just two amenities of this partnership.
Phelps is quick to admit, however, the
There are daunting challenges which only a rarified brand of student is tailored for.
While Phelps, like any coach in the city, would love to nurture waves of Gotham’s top-tier talent at the rate of
Post-school tutoring keeps the kids engaged. All after school activities, sports and clubs, require at least an 82 average.
The accountability has translated onto the court. As Phelps giddily concludes his grand tour of the small campus, he points to a trophy showcase that’s stacked to the brim with hardware.
At
“He really has to bear the load of scoring points, him and Ian (Roach). That’s where a bulk of our scoring is going to come from.”
Packing on muscle, range, and a hunting for his shot more than ever, Roach developed an assassin’s instinct during a long summer of in-house training.
Working with Phelps and former Nazaerth coach and PSAL commissioner Ted Gustus, Roach learned the respect has to be earned.
While Munson, as fierce an on-the-ball defender Phelps has groomed during his time at Bedford, went 45-3 on a deep summer slate with New Heights, the 6-foot-2 guard said his first commitment is his high school team.
Helping nurture Munson’s production is the same group of friends he grew up learning the game’s niceties with since third grade.
This quartet continues to push each other’s evolution on the court and off it, forming a gym rat clique.
The off-season is where much of the work leading into the season is done, as
