Rec Sports
Chris Fratalia Steps Aside As Wellington Wolves President
For the last 18 years, longtime Wellington resident Chris Fratalia has been serving as the volunteer president of the Wellington Wolves travel basketball program. During that time, he has been the heart and soul of the organization. Whether it was ordering uniforms, organizing practice times, planning travel for an out-of-town basketball tournament or running the longtime March Madness tournament in Wellington, Fratalia was very involved in getting things done.
As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. This past fall, Fratalia stepped aside as the president of the Wolves, which means the organization is now moving forward under the leadership of Mike Colin.
Longtime Wellington Wolves supporter John Sitomer said that Fratalia was a brilliant administrator and will be missed.
“Chris did the work of 10 people,” Sitomer said. “He showcased tremendous leadership. His legacy with the Wolves is amazing.”
Throughout the year, Fratalia oversaw the administrative and business side of the Wolves organization.
“With my marketing and business background, I focused on the business operations of the Wolves,” said Fratalia, who grew up in Charlestown, Massachusetts, where he played football and ice hockey. “I always left the coaching of the Wolves teams to our coaches.”
Fratalia started his long tenure with the Wolves because of his son’s interest in basketball.
“Years ago, my son, Max, was in the fifth grade, and he wanted to play basketball, so we visited Village Park to see what opportunities there were to play youth basketball,” Fratalia said. “I quickly realized that I could help the Wellington Wolves organization. I was asked to join the board of directors. And then I was asked to be the president. That was 18 years ago.”
Through the years, one of Fratalia’s strengths was understanding marketing and branding.
“In the early days, I would get clothing made that showcased our logo and our organizational name. We would sell the items at cost,” Fratalia recalled. “Then, when I would visit gyms around Palm Beach County to watch a basketball game, and I’d see people wearing our clothing. That helped spread awareness.”
A big part of Fratalia’s work with the Wolves was organizing and conducting the annual March Madness basketball tournament, which attracts more than 100 youth basketball teams from Florida and elsewhere to Wellington for a two-day event, always held in early March.
“I would start my early preparations in August, and in the week leading up to the tournament, I would take a week’s vacation from work to take care of final details,” recalled Fratalia, now in his 27th year as a sales director for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. “Our March Madness tournament expanded to 18 basketball courts around Palm Beach County.”
The organizational tournament work performed by Fratalia did not go unnoticed.
“We won the U.S. Amateur Award for the top travel basketball tournament for seven straight years,” Fratalia noted.
Besides running a travel basketball organization, Fratalia oversaw the creation of a shoe drive, a food drive, and helped with the Council of Dads, a group of adults who help tutor student-athletes with the Wolves who needed a helping hand with homework and their academic obligations.
Looking back at his time with the Wolves, Fratalia is quick to thank other people for their support.
“I had a very supportive board of directors who understood our mission,” Fratalia said. “I also want to thank Eric Juckett and Ryan Hagopian with the Village of Wellington for their ongoing support. Also, my wife Kate was very supportive of the time that I spent with the Wolves.”
As Fratalia reflects on his time guiding the Wolves, he will miss the relationships he made with players, coaches, parents, sponsors and referees.
“It has been a great ride, and it’s time to turn over control to a new group of leaders in Wellington’s basketball community,” Fratalia said.
Without a doubt, Fratalia will be missed and never forgotten.
