Farewell Sister Maria

By Dave Ricci

She was brash. Unapologetic. And, most of the time, pretty intimidating. She always wanted to win and she wanted those around her to feel the same way.

On Friday news spread like wildfire throughout WNY that coaching legend Sister Maria Pares had succumbed to cancer after a decade-plus long battle. She was 75.

How well known was she? I received a text from our Mike Pidanick asking if I heard Sister had passed. That’s all you had to say. Sister and everyone in the WNY basketball and sports community knew who you meant.

Her many accolades are well known.

A member of the Canisius College and Greater Buffalo Sports Halls of Fame, she was also the architect of the Sacred Heart dynasty.

Sister was without question a product of the old school way of thinking. You came in. Did your work. Was respectful. Then you went home. She didn’t sugar coat anything.

You could have explained the term P.C. to her 10 times and she wouldn’t have understood.

Check that. She would have understood. She just wouldn’t have cared. She was not part of the hugs and kisses everyone gets a ribbon generation.

Sister Maria definitely had a way of rubbing people the wrong way, at times.

My first real encounter with Sister was about 12 years ago at the Dann Memorial Rink on the Nichols School campus.

I was with the Metro Community News at the time. I was covering Nichols hockey with then Metro sports editor Matt Ondesko. Sister saw us and, well, the SHA/Nichols rivalry bubbled over as she remarked “well I’m not surprised to see you guys here. The Nichols News!” A jab at our North Buffalo edition that featured Nichols, as well as other area schools.

Matt tried to explain to Sister, who was living in North Buffalo, the reason you see so much Nichols is because they are a North Buffalo school. Sacred Heart content could be found in our Amherst and Williamsville papers, but she didn’t listen.

Being the North Buffalo reporter who tried to have balance of all schools I took her tirade personally.

She went on and on until finally I snapped and said who is this dame?! I of course knew who she was, but felt I had to give some kind of rebuttal after polite response failed.

While she seemed so grumpy and unreasonable on the surface the heart of her rant was that she wanted her girls to be recognized for their work.

Since that day though Sister always greeted me with a smile and a thanks for covering her team.

I didn’t always agree with her methods or how she spoke to some of her players. Again, she could be abrasive but as I look back I can see the full scope of what she was trying to do. Or at least what I think she was trying to do.

Sister Maria was trying to prepare her players for more than basketball. She was getting them ready for the world. A world that can often be unkind, especially to young women. She wanted her players to win. In basketball and in life and to be a winner, in Sister’s eyes, you had to be tough. Tougher than any person or any road block fate puts in front of you.

The reaction of former players over social media, the well wishes. The thank yous. The messages of Rest In Peace. Everything. Every word from every SHA girl proves that Sister’s message ultimately came through. They say the measure of a person is how much their lives impact others for the better. Sister Maria without question made her mark.