Coach’s Corner: Meet Paul Goldsman, the Runnin’ Rebels’ New Head Coach

The Runnin’ Rebels, Stuyvesant’s boys’ varsity basketball team, has a new head coach this season: Paul Goldsman. Goldsman joins the Stuyvesant community not only as the new head coach for the boys basketball team, but also as a guidance counselor.

Though new to Stuyvesant, Goldsman has had plenty of experience as both a basketball coach and guidance counselor. He coached basketball for 10 years in middle schools, high schools, and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit. Before becoming the coach for the Runnin’ Rebels, Goldsman was the basketball coach for the Long Island Lightning, a travel AAU team that operated out of West Hempstead, Long Island.

In addition to being an experienced basketball coach, Goldsman has been a school counselor for 13 years, working at schools in Brooklyn, Queens, and now Manhattan. For the last 11 years, he was the school counselor for the Queens High School of Teaching (QHST) in Bellerose, Queens. Unlike Stuyvesant, QHST is a smaller school with approximately 1,200 students, who are further divided into three smaller learning communities of 400 students each.

Goldsman was the counselor for one of the three learning communities at QHST and enjoyed getting to know the 400 students that were assigned to him. He stayed with the same students through their high school journey from the 9th to 12th grades. While Goldsman really enjoyed his time at QHST, he was ready for a change, and decided to leave QHST to join Stuyvesant High School.

Goldsman has not regretted his decision. “I love being a member of the Stuyvesant community,” he said. Like so many of us, Goldsman takes the train from Queens to Stuyvesant every day, often experiencing train traffic delays and major crowds. But he has no complaints. “I am blessed with the opportunity to work at one of the best public schools in the country,” Goldsman said.

He is also quick to point out that his colleagues, including his supervisor, Ms. Pedrick, have been welcoming and supportive of him, and are always there to answer his questions about topics ranging from school protocols, to A days versus B days, to advice on the best food trucks in Tribeca. In short, “working at Stuy has simply been incredible. I love coming to work,” Goldsman said.

Aside from his pivotal role as a Stuyvesant guidance counselor, Goldsman fosters a unique philosophy when it comes to coaching the Rebels. “I take pride in creating a team that is selfless, organized, and gritty,” Goldsman said. “I love when players set each other [up] with a great pass or dive on the floor for a loose ball.” The camaraderie among team members and the team’s desire to improve has helped them overcome obstacles and become better players. “Since the season began, we have struggled in protecting the basketball and rebounding,” Goldsman said. In order to overcome this, the Rebels have been working hard to improve. “The guys have been working diligently to improve their skills, and they always display a desire to learn,” Goldsman said.

“[Goldsman] has been a motivational figure for our team,” senior Nicola Manfredi said.

In particular, Goldsman likes the team to do one of his favorite drills, “Mine, not Yours,” in which two players are paired up and tasked with fighting for a loose ball that’s been bounced extremely high in the middle of the court. The players’ “ferocity and intensity” shine during this drill as they have to dive on the floor or run off the court to get the ball. “The team loves this drill as it is competitive and forces them to display their toughness in front of the entire squad,” said Goldsman.

What sets Goldsman apart from many other coaches is his mentality that the players deserve to actually play in games if they show up to practice and are willing to put in the time. “Due to the academic rigor at Stuyvesant, I know that when my players attend practice and games, they are sacrificing their time. If they are making the commitment to basketball and display a good attitude, they deserve to play; this is something I feel very strongly about,” he said.

As a result, unlike some other sports teams where many players remain, much to their chagrin, benchwarmers, Goldsman makes sure that unless they are injured, all 14 players on the team get the opportunity to play during games. “I think it is imperative for all players to obtain game experience,” said Goldsman.

Not only is he an experienced basketball coach and guidance counselor, but Goldsman is also very involved in community service. “Out-of-classroom learning experiences [are] something I strongly believe in,” Goldsman said. One of his fondest memories involves taking a group of QHST seniors to New Orleans to help build houses in the “Habitat for Humanity” program in response to Hurricane Katrina. Goldsman hopes to replicate this initiative at Stuyvesant and create a “Habitat for Humanity” club to volunteer to help places such as Florida, Houston, and Puerto Rico.

As is readily apparent, the Runnin’ Rebels are training hard under the able guidance of their new head coach. While Goldsman is humble about his new position, it is clear that we are very lucky to have this experienced coach, guidance counselor, and humanitarian join our community.