Robbinsville’s Mike Ciaramella, who will be honored by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation at a March 10 dinner, throws a pass during a 2012 game. (File photo by Suzette J. Lucas.)
From the very start, quarterback Mike Ciaramella realized his responsibility as varsity football player at Robbinsville High School.
“Since the beginning of freshman year, my football coach (Jason Gray) has always impressed upon me, and the rest of the team, that a high school football player is looked upon with more scrutiny than other students,” Ciaramella said. “He instilled the notion that a football player must be a leader in the classroom and a contributing member of the town in which he lives.”
Four years later, the Ravens’ senior has a résumé to be jealous of. His accomplishments in football, the classroom and in the community go beyond those of the typical guy who has only been around for 18 years.
All that hard work will be recognized on March 10 at the Princeton Hyatt, as the 51st Annual Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete dinner. Ciaramella is the Robbinsville honoree for the award.
“I took Coach Gray’s philosophy to heart,” Ciaramella said. “I do believe that as a varsity football player, and a quarterback more specifically, it is important for me to set an example in the classroom, in the community and on the field.
“To some degree, I feel as if this may lead to more students being active in the classroom, as well as in the community.”
Gray, who recently stepped down as the Ravens coach, used some of the most hallowed rivalries of all time to describe Ciaramella in his letter of recommendation to the DelVal committee.
“Three competitions come to mind when I think about Mr. Ciaramella: Oxford versus Cambridge, Harvard versus Yale, and Army versus Navy,” Gray said. “These three rivalries do not feature the most highly recruited athletes in the world. However, many fans look forward to attending the games and cheering on these special student athletes with overwhelming passion.
“Most importantly, these are the very best student-athletes, future leaders, and ambassadors to competition on the field and in life. Mr. Ciaramella has not just earned this Scholar Athlete award. He has also earned another important award—having coaches and teachers refer to him when teaching other students as an example to emulate.”
The toughest thing to do in discussing Ciaramella’s good points is figuring out where to start.
In the classroom, he has a 4.47 grade point averaged on a 4.0 weighed scale. This past fall he studied a music theory class at Princeton University, and was approved to study another at the university in the spring. Ciaramella said last semester’s experience at PU the proudest moment of his academic career.
“I was the only high school student to ever take the class,” said Ciaramella, who has performed two piano recitals and is the founder/keyboardist/guitarist for a five-piece band that recently recorded a sound track for documentary. “I scored a perfect 100 percent on the final exam and got an A for the class, and that was in the setting of Princeton students.”
When he’s back at Robbinsville, Ciaramella is a member of the Future Medical Leaders of America and the Chemistry Club at RHS, where he is also a member of the National Honor Society, the National Society of High School Scholars and an AP Scholar with Honor Award winner.
He won the President’s Education Award in February 2009 and the NAESP American Citizenship Award later that year. In his spare time, he picked up a black belt in okinawan, kempo, taekwondo, jujitsu and kenpo.
On the gridiron, he worked his way up the ranks, serving as starting quarterback/defensive back for the freshman team and then the JV team as a sophomore. He was back-up QB/DB for the varsity as a junior and the starting quarterback this past season.
Also a member of the Ravens baseball team, Ciaramella was a pitcher/outfielder/designated hitter for the varsity baseball team last year. He also pitched and played outfield for Robbinsville’s American Legion team before it disbanded.
During a high school career flooded with memories of great accomplishments, Ciaramella has no problem picking out his proudest moment on the football field. It came in the second-to-last game of this past season, when the Ravens’ Senior Night game got switched to Holy Cross due to field issues. Ciaramella had a passing and rushing touchdown to contribute to a 28-21 victory.
“It was obvious they were taking us for granted, and they were sure they would beat us and gain a higher seed in the playoffs,” Ciaramella said. “We were the obvious underdog. The entire team had a great game. It was our greatest game of all time.”
Aside from the enjoyment of winning a football game, Ciaramella found the sport to be a tremendous release from his extremely busy schedule.
“The brotherhood that my teammates and I shared made the games and practices very enjoyable,” he said. “There was always a sense that we were all pulling the rope in the same direction and everything generally ran smoothly.
“Football usually took my mind off of everything else happening at school and elsewhere. It was a time to work hard and have fun while doing so. After football practice, while physically tired, I was usually mentally rejuvenated and ready to concentrate on homework and other things.”
As if all he does for Robbinsville High School isn’t enough, Ciaramella also helps out in the community. Ciaramella has a 12-year-old sister with Down syndrome, and like any good big brother he takes an active role in his sister’s activities. She was a founding team member on the first Special Olympics soccer team representing Robbinsville, and Ciaramella assisted the coaches and players on the team, which won the silver medal at the Special Olympics Fall Festival.
He also serves an assistant ski instructor for persons with disabilities (including his sister) at Sugarbush and Pico Mountains in Vermont, and has helped his sister and her teammates in Nottingham Little League’s Challenger Division.
“For me, she is just my sister, so it’s a natural thing for me to help out with the Challenger League or anything else she may be involved with,” Ciaramella said. “Lots of times she joins along in things I do with my friends.
“Spending time with a person with a disability can be a pretty powerful learning experience. Growing up with my sister, I understand the value in all people and see the great flaw in prejudging people based upon presumed characteristics. The thing is, you have to spend time with people to know who they really are.”
It seems pretty easy to tell who Ciaramella is from just one conversation with him. He obviously cares about people, so it’s not surprising he is considering a career in either advanced education to become a doctor, or something in music. Ironically, both of those choices came due to injuries.
Ciaramella became interested in music at age 11 when a broken leg forced him to miss the 11-year-old Little League All-Star season and he took up guitar. As a freshman, he suffered a season-ending elbow injury early in the baseball season.
“I was amazed at how effectively the doctor fixed my elbow and how I rehabilitated,” Ciaramella said. “At that moment, I could see myself becoming a doctor when I grow up and helping athletes recover from injuries and get back to their sports.”
With the foundation he has built, Ciaramella has a nice headstart into whatever career he chooses. He points to two people as a reason for that.
“Throughout my childhood, I always looked up to my parents and wanted to be like them,” he said. “They each have demanding careers, and they always work very hard at what they do. This in turn taught me the value of hard work and has driven me to work hard in all the things I do.
“From my mother, I also learned to seek enjoyment in the things I have to do. From my father, I learned to be productive with what I do.”
He apparently listened well and is enjoying a very productive life.
And it’s just getting started.
Tickets for the March 10 awards dinner can be purchased by contacting Ron Hoehn at (609) 587-0806 or rhoehn@optonline.net.
Robbinsville’s Mike Ciaramella, who will be honored by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation at a March 10 dinner, throws a pass during a 2012 game. (File photo by Suzette J. Lucas.),
