Imagine this. After a long day at work, you are wholesomely eating dinner with your family, and from across the table, you see your crazy son (who has recently been introduced to Hulk Hogan) with his shirt over his head, yelling, “Whatchu gonna do, brother!” Mr. Gelalia doesn’t have to imagine this because this scene played out in his life not too long ago. 

“As a fan of Hulk growing up, naturally, I pumped in some crowd noise to really embrace the moment.” Mr. Gelalia added.

Besides being many students’ favorite PE Teacher at Wayne Hills, Mr. Gelalia is a baseball coach over at Don Bosco. While not being surrounded by teenagers, he is at home with his loving wife, who teaches middle school math in Bergen County. 

Additionally, he has two children: James, who is 3, and Audrey, who is 6. The Hogan lover, James, loves baseball and can’t wait to grow up to be on an organized team. As for Audrey, she is an all-around athlete, playing soccer, basketball, softball, and gymnastics.

The question many young teenagers face during high school is, What am I going to do with my life? While to some they know by the time they step foot into high school, to others, they are starting college in a few months and still haven’t found a major. To Mr. Gelalia, he knew during high school that he wanted a teaching job, which he knew would come with the ultimate prize, being a coach. 

“It’s funny how often we describe some of the best coaches of today and years past as ‘teachers of the game,’” Mr. Gelalia said.

I got the chance to ask Mr. Gelalia about being a father, teacher, and coach, and he gave a bit of advice on all of them. 

“One bit of advice on being a father . . . You’re going to have things come up; that’s life, but enjoy them when they’re young.  You spend more time with your children when they’re adults than you do with them as kids.”

Time flies when you’re having fun, which may mean the best years of your life will be gone in a flash. This is a blessing and a curse but it also means to not waste a lick of it. 

Mr. Gelalia said, “4 years for a kid feels like forever, while 4 years for an adult feels like 4 hours.”  

He said, ” Be fair and treat the kids the way you’d want a teacher to treat your own children.”

“We are stewards of the game.  Our job is to optimize the learning and create an atmosphere that allows players to develop themselves in all phases of that particular sport and their lives.” 

To everyone who knows Mr. G, they know him as a steward of the game. Whether that game is baseball or the game is just being a respectful young man, he has been a blessing to everyone he has had a relationship with and everyone who has crossed paths with him.

Alumni of Wayne Hills Class of 2025, Alex Baba, said, “Mr. Gelalia inspired me to be a better man because he taught me how to work hard and show dedication in what we were doing in school.” The little details that Mr. G shows while teaching can impact peoples lives outside of the classroom too.

While Mr. Gelalia is set up now, he wasn’t always a coach, teacher, and father. Growing up he played football and baseball, and eventually got the opportunity to play baseball in college. As time went on he grew more and more in wisdom, learning from some of his favorite coaches ever, Tim Byron, Brian Dunn, and Jeff Albies. 

Lastly, Mr. Gelalia said, “Those losses don’t ever go away; if you let them, they can become motivators and shift your perspective on how you go about things within the job or your personal life.”

Struggles are inevitable in life, but with good leaders and role models, such as Mr. Gelalia around us, life can be that much easier, and fun too.