Joe Introna of Joe Leone’s Brings F.A.M.I.L.Y. to the Kevin Williams Christmas Classic

For nearly 20 years, Joe Introna has been trying to spread the message of F.A.M.I.L.Y. to the Shore Conference and beyond. 

This year he has brought the mantra of selflessness to the Kevin Williams Christmas Classic, which is presented by Shore Sports Insider and features 16 boys basketball teams and 18 girls teams, including many of the top squads in the Shore Conference. The tournament tips off at the RWJ Barnabas Center and the adjacent court at Toms River North with the boys and girls quarterfinals on Dec. 26. 

Introna, the owner of the popular Joe Leone’s Italian Specialties locations in Point Pleasant Beach and Manasquan and a sponsor of the Christmas Classic, has been an ambassador for the national organization known as One Strong F.A.M.I.L.Y. since 2009. The acronym stands for Forget About Me I Love You. 

“I thought it was a great way of promoting selfless behavior,” Introna said. “It’s about changing people’s lives and the way that they act. I feel it’s really important with adolescent sports to help players, coaches and parents start recognizing selfless behaviors.” 

Introna imprinted that message upon the participating teams at this year’s Christmas Classic during a welcome breakfast earlier this month. 

“As I said at the breakfast, if you are the type of coach who is making about you and your wins and your records, this isn’t a mantra for you,” Introna said. “It’s about building young players into selfless men and women.” 

Introna’s outreach for F.A.M.I.L.Y. mainly involves speaking with players, parents and coaches of interested teams during workshops and 45-minute sessions. He works to incorporate the adults in an era where outlandish and sometimes violent behavior by parents at youth sporting events has become commonplace. 

“I like to have input from the families, the parents and relatives, to recognize that it’s not about them – it’s about the student-athletes,” he said. “I like to give them perspectives about how you act as a person. It’s not about stats, it’s not about personal accomplishments, it’s about doing everything as a team.” 

Introna has worked with the football programs at Wall, Pinelands and Raritan. Greg Schiano, the head football coach at Rutgers University, has also embraced the F.A.M.I.L.Y. message. 

“If I’m in a room with 80 student-athletes and 10 coaches and I change two people’s minds in their way of thinking, I did my job,” Introna said. 

Introna is a father of five himself, and his son just completed his freshman season of football at Red Bank Catholic, so he lives the F.A.M.I.L.Y. message to the fullest. His talks to teams comprise the personal approach he has come up with as well as points of emphasis created by Mike Manhardt, who founded One Strong F.A.M.I.L.Y. in 1999. 

The program is free and primarily involves Introna speaking with the players, coaches and parents in a pair of 45-minute sessions, for example. A crucial aspect is buy-in from coaches. 

“I need the coaches to continue the mantra and teach it themselves,” he said. 

In addition to having ambassadors like Introna speak to teams, One Strong F.A.M.I.L.Y. also promotes selflessness through dinner events, charitable efforts, mentoring programs and team-building exercises. 

The organization says it has reached 33 countries, served more than 750,000 meals and distributed more than a million wristbands with the F.A.M.I.L.Y. acronym on them, many of which can be seen on Shore Conference football sidelines being worn by players. The wristbands serve as a handy reminder for players to be selfless and committed to their teammates and others.