SYOSSET, N.Y. (BVM) — When Dawn Cerrone applied to be Our Lady of Mercy Academy’s (OLMA) new athletic coordinator in August of 2020, she knew the position would be formidable in the best of times; surviving the first year in the midst of a global pandemic was a challenge that she had yet to prepare for. 

Cerrone, the Our Lady of Mercy Academy’s athletic director had an unusual start to her journey as COVID-19 has made this past sports season more challenging than ever before.

As the former Director of Physical Education, Health, and Athletics for Roslyn and Garden City Public Schools, Cerrone has experience working in athletics before coming to OLMA this past fall. However, nothing could prepare her for having to resume the 2020 sports season while the COVID-19 pandemic continued to be an issue.

“I had experience [in athletics] from working in places like Garden City, but it doesn’t matter if you’re big or small [pertaining to school size], [COVID] affected everybody,” Cerrone said.

In order to adhere with New York State guidelines, Cerrone and the OLMA athletics department were required to adhere to state protocol, including regular temperature checks and a strict mask mandate. Though contrary to other public schools in the area, OLMA did not require student athletes to sign waivers prior to the start of the sports season.

“It is because of the support that we received from our community that this season was able to go forward,” Cerrone said. “Our student athletes were all in. We were very appreciative of how cooperative everyone was, especially considering how for three-fourths of the season, we didn’t have fans. Although the girls understood why that was, I could tell they missed the support they would get from their friends and family. [It was] only until volleyball in the spring season did we finally have home fans.”

However, there were some difficulties that Cerrone faced during the year in part due to the uncertainty of state guidelines. It’s the one part of the season that she wishes would have improved. 

“I would appreciate better communication,” Cerrone said. “Governor Cuomo has been making changes to state protocol as the sports season has gone on and it’s been very arbitrary. It’s hard to uphold state protocol with so many current changes. But I think it just goes to show that you can play sports under every condition, no matter how uncertain.” 

In addition to being an athletic coordinator during the school year, Cerrone has also made strides during her first year through the renovation of the school gymnasium. The new gym, which has been repainted and refurbished for the first time in about thirty years, is dedicated to Karen Andreone, the previous athletic director who retired in 2020 after 33-years of service. Her signature will be engraved onto the floor in her memory. 

During these past times, Cerrone embraced school spirit by respecting the past while looking toward the future. Extending beyond her responsibilities as an athletic director, Cerrone has been instrumental in setting up a new mobile PA system that has made outdoor sporting events more enjoyable. Cerrone believes in teamwork that starts on the field, but extends to the larger community as a whole.