SoCal High School & Prep News

Sondheimer Article Profiles Granada Hills'
Coach Lou Cicciari--(November 30, 1997)

Today's Los Angeles Times featured Eric Sondheimer's usual Sunday "smorgasbord of notes" from around the San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas. But this article had something a bit more special than the usual anecdotes about players, teams and scores. The article contained a small feature on Coach Lou Cicciari, the boys varsity coach at Granada Hills High School.

So what's so special about a fifth year varsity coach, who before that was an assistant coach for 10 years? What's the big deal about a guy who spent five years getting a teaching credential? Why is he among the most respected coaches in the LA City Section among basketball players and coaches alike?

Maybe it's because he can't play the game the way he coaches it. Maybe it's because he tries to teach life skills to the players. Maybe it's because he knows and teaches more just basketball.

You see, Cicciari's been in a wheelchair since he was seven years old when both his legs were amputated because of a blood disease that destroyed all the blood vessels in his legs.

But, that hasn't held him back, and as Sondheimer notes, he's made it. Obtained his teaching credential after five long years of study. Worked his way up from the bottom of the coaching ranks, earning credibility. Now he's a head varsity coach. He's 38, and as Sondheimer says, he's one of the Valley's most respected coaches. He told Sondheimer, "I love the game, I love coaching, I get up in the morning and I look forward to coming to work. This is fun for me."

And his players think it's fun too. Granada Hills forward Leon Pimky told Sondheimer, "He's a great motivator. Everyone listens when he speaks." According to Sondheimer, the best sign of Cicciari's impact at Granada Hills comes from how players treat him. "After they know me for awhile, the chair becomes invisible and they know me as a coach and a friend," Cicciari told the Times.

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