In terms of determination to help young men learn the game of basketball, few can match the desire of Dan Shapiro.

After playing tennis for Waterford High School and winning an Eastern Connecticut Conference singles title, Dan began coaching travel teams in Westbrook before becoming the Knights' boys' freshman head coach under current girls' hoops Head Coach Bill Bernard eight years ago. While he assists on a varsity squad that is in the midst of a banner campaign at 19-2, Dan is additionally piloting a freshman club that is 13-2.

"I've always been interested in basketball, love the game, and I love the kids," says Dan, an assistant attorney general in Hartford. "I want to win these games as bad as anyone and I'll do anything I can to help the kids succeed. A lot of my competiveness came from my dad and also through tennis. Being a singles player, I learned a lot about mental toughness through it."

Dan loves the fact that he can personally watch his athletes grow through the sport from freshman year on and preaches a group concept to collect victories.

"My philosophy is based on what I learned from Bill and [current boys' hoops Head Coach] Jeff Beeman in that you have to build a team together and not just around one player," says Dan, who also orchestrates inbound plays for the varsity squad. "I love to see the kids go through the system. I coached them for four years and to see them learn and have a dream season is great."

Coach Beeman admits that even he can't equal the fire Dan brings to the table. He adds that Dan's work with helping students doesn't stop after a practice or contest ends.

"He is dedicated to teaching the boys the skills of the game and teaching them how to deal with challenges they encounter on and off the court," says Beeman. "He comes to every varsity game as my lead assistant. We talk daily about personnel, opponents, game plans, strategies, etc. He is a huge help in the success of our teams over the years. I am not sure I can match his passion and enthusiasm for doing whatever is necessary to make us successful."

Even working a demanding job during the day, Dan is able to manage his time coaching for the Knights. At the rookie level, the freshmen get a small, but healthy taste of the main stage.

"One of the great things is that the kids can practice at night and so I'm able to drive right to the practices and games," Dan says. "Jeff is a tremendous basketball coach and his plan and commitment to strategy is great so we always have a plan for a team that is pressing a certain way. We try to give the freshmen a watered-down version of that, but the terminology, along with the offenses and defenses, are pretty much the same."

Dan sees great joy having a hand in the process of molding boys into adults and, based on their conduct on and off the court, the sky's the limit for these Knights.

"It's great to teach them because you see them develop as players and kids. They go from 14-year-olds to young men," says Dan. "You can see how far the seniors have come and that they are heading in the right direction."

The strong record of the freshman team this year shows that the Westbrook's future is bright. Still, Dan takes even greater pride in the boys doing things the right way.

"We are trying to build the whole program now and we have a good amount of talent on the freshman group," Dan says. "One thing is that they've worked so hard and now believe in each other. This is a very unselfish team."