By TERRY NAU

Sports editor

By TERRY NAU
Sports editor
CENTRAL FALLS – When Joe Handy’s name was called as Coach of the Year at the third annual Cox R.I. Sports Awards banquet on Monday night, his mind immediately flashed back to his mentor – the late Ralph Holden.
“I’ve been coaching half of my life,” Handy admitted on Wednesday, “and it all started at the C.F. Community Center with Ralph, 20 years ago. He always talked about giving back to the community, giving back to the kids. Ralph instilled his belief in me that we have to keep giving back to the kids.”
Handy, a 40-year-old Central Falls native, was something of a surprise winner. Sure, his Central Falls High girls’ basketball team won its first-ever state title. But there are several more high-profile coaches out there who might have expected to hear their name called.
“I was stunned,” Handy admitted. “It’s a great honor to be selected. I’m very flattered. But if my name hadn’t been called, I would have been okay with that because my satisfaction in coaching comes from working with the kids. They can break this award into 100 pieces and give each of the kids a piece because the kids from Central Falls wear their hearts on their sleeves. They will do anything for you. I’m starting to get a little emotional just talking about them.”
Handy, who played on the last Central Falls High boys’ state championship team back in 1987, took an assistant’s job with the girls’ team in 1990 and became head coach nine years ago. His Warriors have gone to the Division III finals in three of the last four years, losing twice before pulling out a dramatic 57-54 victory over Hope High in the title game last March.
Central Falls athletic director Kathy Luther extolled Handy’s virtues in her recommendation to the Cox selection committee.
“Joe’s commitment and dedication to the ladies is second to none,” said Luther, who preceded Handy as girls’ coach. “Joe has earned respect among his peers as a knowledgeable and compassionate competitor. He also commits his time doing clinics with the kids in C.F. Joe rallies his players to give back to the community and mentor the younger kids.
“Joe is all about the kids,” Luther added. “He and his wife (Christine) open their home to former players who stop by to see him and his family.”
Handy, who works at Teknor Apex in Pawtucket, will once again run a summer basketball league in Central Falls, keeping in touch with some of his players, looking for new ones, and staying involved with all of the kids.
“Ralph Holden always said ‘don’t forget your roots.’ That really rubbed off on me because I grew up poor in this city with my mom at home and sickly. I can relate to what the kids are going through. And I can level with them. I know when I was a student at the high school, I really did look up to my coaches. Teachers are extremely important, of course, but coaches can have a big influence on a kid. I probably spend as much time with my team as I do with my family (during basketball season).”
Handy returns a strong nucleus of players from his state title team.
“We played five freshmen last year,” he said. “We’ve got (tournament MVP) Ana Rodriguez coming back along with the Webb sisters and the Cooley sisters.”
The Warriors might be a little too good for most of their Division III competition. Handy admitted he has thought of moving up to Division II.
“That’s where we were until five or six years ago when the program went weak for awhile and we dropped down a division,” Handy said. “The idea of moving up has crossed my mind but the league is looking into a regionalization format because of the expense involved with traveling all over the state. I think that may be a year away. If regionalization goes through, we will be playing some of our old rivals again – Tolman, Shea and St. Raphael Academy. It makes sense.”