WOODBURY — Former Nonnewaug High School girls basketball coach Adam Brutting and Woodbury Middle School culinary teacher Michael Hadoulis teamed up this winter as the dynamic duo to coach the Woodbury Middle School girls basketball team. 

After 10 years of coaching at Nonnewaug, Brutting stepped down to focus more on his professional career. This left many girls on the high school team unexpectedly surprised, but he left for the right reasons.

“I decided to take on an online school program to give myself some different options for my job in the future,” Brutting revealed. 

The program would take up lots of nights and weekends, which meant there would be no way of balancing coaching, teaching, and his own schooling.

Time management was a big factor in his decision. However, Brutting isn’t closing the door on high school coaching.

“I have the intent to return back someday,” Brutting said.

Stepping down from coaching at the high school was a tough decision for Brutting after coaching for so long and leading the program. That being said, Brutting still wanted to be connected to basketball, and when the opportunity came up to help his friend at the middle school, he knew he had to take it.

“I thought it would be a great idea to coach with Hadoulis because not only is it a great way to stay connected with basketball, but also a different time commitment,” Brutting said.

Hadoulis had a strong desire to coach the WMS girls basketball team for years, but the slot was never open. When he saw it had opened, he knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he had to jump on.

Hadoulis had always been interested in basketball as a kid and played for many years, but he’d coached. With Brutting becoming available to assist him, he knew it would be a great match.

“After being friends with Brutting for a while and seeing his passion, and great experience with basketball, and later finding out he had stepped down from the high school, I thought he would be the perfect person to coach with,” Hadoulis said.

Having a strong bond and connection is important to coaches because it also leads to how they connect with each other and the players. Understanding your teammates can really help you learn from each other and how to work together.

Hearing from coaches, different students, and players, playing a sport and being on a team in general with people you have a really strong bond and connection with can truly change your perspective of being on a team, and seeing the true aspect of working as a whole. 

Accomplishing things with your team is a really great feeling, and being with a group of such supportive people can really teach you many things about being a teammate and a person in general. This could not be possible without coaches who shape us into the people and players we are.

“Brutting and Hadoulis have truly shaped me into the player and person I am,” said eighth-grader Julia Gwiazdowski. “Without them I would truly not understand the importance of being on a team and working together.”

“They both really focused on the individual aspect of basketball and have made all of us better players,” seventh-grader Bryce Gilbert stated.

Not only did Brutting’s and Hadoulis’ coaching affect the team’s success, but it also impacted everyone individually. They were the dynamic duo and made the eighth-graders’ last season more memorable.

“I think we truly do make a great team together, and I have learned a lot from his coaching techniques and a lot from him as a coach,” Hadoulis said.