Mike Graceffo
Burbank youth coach
When he was a senior at Burroughs High School in the mid-1970s, Mike
Graceffo was persuaded into coaching in a Burbank Park, Recreation
and Community Services Department league.
“I kind of got into coaching just because they needed people to
coach youth baseball in the city,” he said. “Little did I know that
coaching would become my life, and I would come to love it so much.”
Twenty-eight years later, Graceffo has become one of the most
revered and most successful youth coaches in the city.
Whether it’s guiding park and recreation teams, heading sports
programs at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School, coaching at the
high-school level or conducting local camps, Graceffo continually
influences the lives of thousands of area boys and girls.
“Coaching has turned out to be more rewarding than I could have
ever imagined,” he said. “It is just special to see players grow from
these small athletes to become successful, not only in sports, but in
life.”
Working at St. Francis Xavier since 1991, Graceffo was inducted
into the Catholic Youth Organization Fall of Fame on May 1.
Graceffo also has the distinction of coaching at all four local
high schools over the years.