Bob Germano is a Founder and Owner of the NJ Vipers and has been coaching competitive fastpitch softball for over 20 years. His teams have won countless tournaments, including two USSSA NJ State Championships and finals appearances in two Nationals championships. His players have received HS Coach's Awards, Athlete of the Week, All League, All County and All State honors. They have won League, County and State HS Championships.  Many have and continue to play at the college level, where they have received all-conference honors.  Bob has been featured on WFAN radio, various magazines and newspapers and is respected throughout the North Jersey and Northeast softball community.

Bob's 2003/04 18U Premier team is/ was considered one of the better teams in the entire Northeast Region. He has won the USSSA NJ State Championships with two different groups at 12u and 16u.

Bob grew up in Park Ridge, NJ where he holds the single season record for hits, at bats & runs scored.  He was a 1st Team All County, Associated Press 1st Team All State/ All Groups and was inducted into the PRHS Hall of Fame in 2003.  He continued his career at Seton Hall University where he played with 19 players who were drafted into MLB and 3 who went on to play in MLB.  He is still engaged with the PRHS & SHU programs.  Bob played competitive men's fastpitch softball for over 25 years including nationally ranked teams and tournaments…sometimes playing 120+ games per year.

Bob has a successful mortgage banking career that started in 1985 as a high school summer job.  He has run departments, branches, multi-sites, regions & divisions over his career for private, bank and hedge fund owned and publicly traded entities.

Bob has lived in Old Tappan, NJ since 2003, is married to his wife Liz and they have two daughters, Lindsey & Raegen (and their dog, Max). Lindsey and Raegen both played with the Vipers from inception.  Lindsey is also a graduate of Seton Hall and coaches in the program;  Raegen does as well when home from Roger Williams University, where she is an All CCC pitcher.  Liz is the one who named the Vipers and has been invaluable to the organization throughout its existence.

 

Bob Germano Guiding Principles For Coaches & Leaders

 

Know the Role of a leader. Our job is to provide the knowledge, tools, roadmap, and resources for players / coaches/ teams to achieve and exceed their goals. If they fall short, coach them how to get there.

Our members buy the experience and the journey. Not the product or the price

Coaching is as much about listening and observing than it is telling.

Be transparent and communicative. In the absence of proactive and truthful communication, people will create their own narratives that can vary greatly to what is actually happening or being worked on.

Be confidant but humble. We do not know everything. It is ok to ask for help.

We are judged collectively and in the aggregate. Competitors see us as an entity, our members see us as people.

Do not micromanage. If a coach or player is struggling, coach them and train them. If they do not get it or are incapable of getting it, we need to do them a favor and either put them in a position to better succeed or have them go elsewhere so they can be happy while we find the right situation for us.

You are a leader and must act like a leader. Every word and action will be highly scrutinized.

Every touch point is an opportunity to create a Raving Fan!

Evangelize the Vipers every chance you get.

Act professional, respectful, communicate and be good at follow up.

Manage scared...scared you may be unprepared for something.

Create a program you would want your child to be a part of.

Our goal is empowered teams and coaches (w/ accountability) that embody our culture, practices, philosophies, and mission statements.

Always give credit to coaches, players, and parents.

We not I. Us not me

We are in business because of our players, parents, and coaches. There is no Vipers without them.

Servant leadership. We are here to serve our customers. Ultimately, we are a customer service
business.

Complaints or concerns are opportunities. The quiet ones are the ones to worry about

Compared to what?

Awareness of who we are is not an issue…we must show and demonstrate every day why we are
different. “Closest/ Cheapest/ They Are All the Same” cannot enter into how we are evaluated by our customers.

Do what you say and say what you do.

Our biggest threat to our experience/ journey? Apathy.

Our assets are 1) players/ coaches/ parents, 2) relationships and 3) reputation.

Retain and engage players and families by making the Vipers an incredible place to be and play.

Look at the Big Picture…we are long term focused.

Create an environment where players and parents cannot imagine their lives without the Vipers.

We are either getting better or getting worse. It is ok to question the status quo in our never-ending quest to get better.

Continuous improvement is a mindset that must be front and center.

Never get bored with the basics…they are boring but that is where greatness grows from

Be good on purpose.

As coaches and leaders, we must help each other and capitalize on each other’s strengths.

Share best practices and what has worked or not worked in the past with all coaches and leaders.

Utilize the resources, tools and relationships that are available for you.

If there is something you need that we do not have, ask.

Have fun.