Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District (CHSD) sports program has a long-standing tradition of drive and dedication and this attitude has not only given them an impressive past, but an even brighter future leading into 2012 and beyond.

“We run a wide range programs for boys and girls sports, ranging from seventh grade to twelfth,” Saul Lerner, director of athletics for the CHSD, said. “We’ve always had success, but we’ve had more success recently. We’ve had County championships in badminton, track, baseball and volleyball.”

While it would be easy to take full credit for the CHSD’s increased sporting prowess, Lerner not only heaped praise upon his coaching staff, but on the people who shaped his young athletes’ early, formative years as well.

“I think a lot of it goes to the youth leagues getting bigger and better over the years,” he said. “You’re only as good as the preparation. It’s hard to start training kids in high school and these leagues have done an outstanding job of providing us kids who are better trained. Also, we’re having more success with better coaches as well.”

The one thing on everyone’s mind when it comes to school programs are the various cuts to state aid to New York school districts, as well as the looming 2012-2013 two percent school tax cap.

But with budgets being fine-tuned to compensate, Lerner said that, despite some minor house-cleaning, the CHSD athletic programs will mostly remain intact for the time being.

“It never helps with you have to do more with less, but we’re doing the best we can with what we have,” he said. “We did let go of some coaches last year and there are some coaches on the table this year. No sports programs will be entirely eliminated, but there are potential sports cuts, just as there are cuts in every other aspect of this district.”

Bellmore-Merrick’s increased profile on the Long Island sports scene has translated to more colleges eyeing the district’s teams for possible future recruits. Due to this, Lerner felt it necessary to guide the young men and women under his watch into making the right decisions when it comes to higher education.

“Because we have more kids that are being successful, the district has decided to put together a program to tell parents and kids how best to go about the college recruiting process,” he said.

The program consists of roundtable discussions between parents, students, and various prospective colleges, moderated by CHSD representatives.

“What we’re trying to do is raise awareness of the parents and the student athletes,” Wendy Tepfer, director of the CHSD Community Parent Center, said.

“We know kids have a dream, and that dream is to play college athletics, and we want to help them turn that dream into reality, and the best way to do that is to being in the people that can give them the information that they need in order to go down that road,” Tepfer said.