A SAINT FOR LIFE!

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2026: Alphonse Lambert, longtime teacher and baseball coach at Spa Catholic, just might bleed purple and gold

Alphonse Lambert, shown with students during bowling class, said he could never have won The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Distinguished Secondary School Teacher Award without the support of Principal Chris Signor, his fellow teachers and three key mentors who shaped him: Tom Rentz, Ron Ravena and Murry O’Neil. (Photo provided)

It has been quite a year for Alphonse “Phonsey” Lambert.

The longtime Saratoga Central Catholic athletic director, physical education teacher and baseball coach finally won his first state baseball championship as the Saints captured the Class C state title last June. After the victory, Lambert, who is entering his 40th year coaching Spa Catholic baseball, was named the American Baseball Coaches Association Region I High School Coach of the year.

And during Catholic Schools Week Mass this past Friday, Lambert received the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Distinguished Secondary School Teacher Award, which “honors a Catho­lic school teacher who has promoted a school’s Catholic educational vision and who has a strong awareness of a school’s Catholic identity and mission. The teacher is one who has demonstrated excellence in teaching skills and has a positive effect on the moral growth of students.”

In his nomination letter, Principal Chris Signor, who grew up with Lambert, and Daniel Kumlander, president of the school’s board of trustees, noted his “unwavering dedication” for 36 years, teaching physical education to students in grades 6-12 and “enriching the lives of countless young people.” 

“Whether guiding students on the playing field or in the classroom, coach inspires them to pursue personal growth with enthusiasm and purpose,” they stated. “… Students routinely leave his care as better human beings, shaped by his positive discipline, steady guidance, and sincere belief in their potential.”

Whether winning a long-chased championship or receiving a teaching award for excellence, Lambert is quick to note that he could not have achieved these honors on his own.

“Any of these awards, honestly, when I do these milestone things, I try to deflect a little bit,” said Lambert, a 1984 graduate of Spa Catholic who has been athletic director for the past 22 years. “These things are because of a lot of people. The fact that an institution has that much faith in somebody pushing 40 years, is pretty awesome. The fact that people have still bought into my message is pretty awesome and the fact that we have a really solid group of teachers that all support each other, I am just carrying the torch for a lot of folks that have helped me along the way.”

And although there are many mentors to mention, Lambert specifically recalled three: Tom Rentz, Ron Ravena and Murry O’Neil. 

Rentz was the long-time baseball coach at Corinth High School who Lambert coached with when he was JV baseball coach at the school and said of Rentz “he had a big influence on my life.” Ravena was the legendary football and baseball coach at Ballston Spa, who Lambert had as a master teacher when he was student teaching and coaching freshman football at the school. “A tremendous mentor, taught me about discipline and taught me about mentorship.”

And then there was O’Neil who Lambert said was “like a second father to me.” O’Neil started the football program at Burnt Hills High School and after 30 years retired in 1985. Lambert met O’Neil when he was coaching modified football at Saratoga and “the relationship sparkled from there.” After coaching at Saratoga and South Glens Falls, Lambert restarted the football program at Spa Catholic in 2006 and O’Neil, who died in 2020, was there with him until 2010.

“He coached 60 consecutive years of high school football,” Lambert added. “When I tell you what a tremendous man, unbelievable.” Lambert said he wears two medals every day: his father’s dog tags, who was a WWII veteran and took part in the D-Day invasion at Normandy, and the St. Christopher Medal from O’Neil after he passed away.

He would also be remiss not to mention his wife Jo Ann, who was instrumental in keeping him at Spa Catholic after receiving offers in the public-school sector, to raise their son, Aiden, in a faith-filled environment. Aiden is a graduate of the school who works fulltime in marketing but still helps the Saints with their website and social media accounts.

“To be a great coach … you have to be married to the program, and it’s got to be something that your family understands that there are going to be sacrifices,” Lambert said. “I take the (baseball team) to spring training every year and we fundraise like crazy and that has been the last 20 years. I think I have probably missed 15 Easters with my family because we have a ballclub in Florida and we are training. We’re a Catholic school, they don’t pay for those trips.”

Even with all the pasta-dinner fundraisers, Super Bowl squares, baseball clinics and camps as well as bartending during the track season at the Jim Dandy Bar at Saratoga Race Course, Lambert could never imagine himself anywhere else.

“I love it. I come to work every day, I am working with a bunch of people that I love. I respect every teacher here because I know how hard they work and what they are all about,” Lambert said. “We have built a really good faculty here. I give a lot of credit to Principal Signor. I grew up with Chris, ‘K’ through 12th grade together. He has a vision and is always looking at the future and a lot of those thought processes are the same as mine.”

And if you can’t tell how much he loves Spa Catholic by now, he quipped: “I tell people someday when they open me up, I think the blood is going to come out purple and gold.”