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A deep-seeded passion for athletics flows through Jason Calabrese’s veins. He can’t remember a time when sports weren’t front and center in his world. Through his exceptional skill and dedication, he became a player, a coach and most recently, an author. He released his first book, Boost Your Basketball IQ: How to Think the Game, Be the Smartest Player on the Court, and Win More in the fall of 2023.

Jason began as a basketball player while he was in the third grade. He played as many sports as possible and soaked up the techniques, methodologies and nuances of each. From there, he discovered his true passion as a coach. He has coached football, basketball, and baseball at local high schools. He focused on both strategy and player development.

“I was fortunate to be around and coached by legends in the (Greater Waterbury area) community such as Timothy McDonald, Ed Generali, Joe Gilmore, Bobby Brown, Hank Spellman, Marty Sparano, Joe Begnal and Jim Quinn. If you took all of the combined wins for them, there would surely be 3000 combined. I was very fortunate to be around top-notch people.”

Jason’s sons, Colby ’21 and Chase ’24 followed in their father’s footsteps and submersed themselves into the world of sports. They participated on many teams including basketball, baseball, track & field and cross country. During this time, Jason was looking at athletic programs outside of school that helped young athletes help hone their skills. He noticed that some of the fundamental knowledge and skills were not being taught, mainly because coaches and trainers didn't have enough time on the court to teach it. Jason immediately saw the need for something to augment all of the other accumulated skills that players could learn on their own after practice or games. He wanted to create a player who was the full package – bigger, faster, stronger and smarter.

He deduced that the best way to reach the most amount of people was to write a book. “I have a history with writing. I previously authored a bi-weekly column for the Republican-American’s business section. Writing a book seemed like a logical progression.”

It took Jason about ten years to write, design, format and publish Boost Your Basketball IQ: How to Think the Game, Be the Smartest Player on the Court, and Win More. Jason wrote it from the perspective of a former player, coach and a parent.  “I think it is great for a parent or a player to see things from a coach’s perspective and vice versa.”  

When the book was released in November 2023, several coaches who Jason coached with or against attended the book release party. He was overwhelmed by the support he received from them. Currently, over 500 copies of the book have been sold, primarily through word of mouth. It can currently be purchased through Amazon.

Jason sees how invaluable athletic experiences are to children and adolescents and their development into young adults. “Athletics teach them how to be resilient and relentless. The whole concept of working with a team is a skill that they can use later in life at their job. They are also creating a bond with their teammates. It doesn’t always have to be about the wins and losses. It is about the journey.”