"It’s not a dilemma for you. It’s an opportunity for the kid."

Mark Mussina Lycoming County Commissioner, Montoursville, PA Originally posted on Facebook

It’s strange how life works, but this is now two years in a row that one of my proudest moments from the basketball season came during the school musical. Last year, Kingston [a student] wanted to do both. In all my years as a player and a coach, I don’t ever remember a kid playing basketball and doing the school musical, but Kingston wanted to try, and it actually worked out pretty well. He kind of broke down the barrier.

This year, it was Shaw. He auditioned for The Little Mermaid and landed a big part, Grimsby. He also played a big part on our team. He wasn’t a starter, but he was a classic “role player” who came off the bench and contributed every game, so we needed him at practice, but…they also needed him at rehearsal. So we worked it out.

Some days he would show up and say, “I have to bail a little early today.” Other days he would text me and say, “I’m gonna be a little late, but I’ll be there by about 4:15.” Every day, Shaw just went up and down that long hallway between the auditorium and the gym, and again, it worked out fine.

In fact, it’s gone so smoothly, I’ve never even had to meet with the musical’s director and hash out a plan. The kids have just kept me posted on their schedule, and we figure it out. There were a couple times we had to alter our practice plan, and I would say, “I don’t want to go over this until Shaw gets here,” or, “we need to run through this before Shaw has to leave,” but overall, at least from my perspective, it was seamless.

My most memorable part of the process was one day when he walked into the gym, and I said to him, “how’s the show going so far?” He kind of shook his head and said, “I have a lot more lines than I expected.”

I also remember asking some of the cheerleaders who were also in musical, “How’s Shaw doing?” And in their theatrical, overdramatic way, they said, “He’s really good.”

And he was…at least on opening night. The place was packed, and these kids killed it. Shaw included.

Sports and theatre are similar in many ways. You’ve got the team/cast concept. The practice/rehearsal time. Then game night/show night. But going on stage takes a different kind of courage than playing a sport. I’m not going to say it’s harder. I’m not going to say it’s easier. I will say the stage was way scarier, at least it was for me when I did it. I think it was for Kingston too. I’ll wait until Sunday night and ask Shaw what he thinks.

It’ll also be interesting to ask him, twenty years from now, which he remembers more. Nailing his role in the spring musical, or nailing those two last-minute free throws, earning him a shout-out from one of the region's prominent sports writers that read, “[Shaw] comes up big late, and Montoursville edges Loyalsock in a cross-creek thriller.”

I’ll bet he cherishes both memories. I’m glad we again figured out a way to let him have both memories. And I encourage all kids who want to try to do both to give it a go. It’ll be a lot of work, but you’ll never regret it.

And to any coaches posed with this scenario, remember, it’s not a dilemma for you. It’s an opportunity for the kid. An opportunity he or she may never get again. And the kid is the one doing all the work. If they can pull it off, so can you. And when it’s over, you’ll feel good about helping them in their journey.

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Mark Mussina is starting his first term as county commissioner. Born and raised in Lycoming County, Mr. Mussina is a graduate of Montoursville High School and Susquehanna University where he earned a degree in Mathematics.

Professionally, Mr. Mussina is a realtor, a property manager, and an equity partner at NCPA Media LLC.

A long-time athlete and sports enthusiast, in 2019, Mr. Mussina was inducted into the West Branch Sports Hall of Fame. He has also served for many years as a league official, umpire, and has coached multiple sports on both the boys and the girls’ side. In 2023, as boys’ basketball coach at Montoursville, Mr. Mussina was named the “Most Sportsmanlike Coach” by the local referee’s chapter.

Mr. Mussina is also greatly involved in the artistic/creative world, having written the screenplay for the 2013 film “A Bet’s a Bet,” starring Mena Suvari and Keenan Thompson, and a 2020 novel titled “A Mile in Her Shoes.” Mr. Mussina sits on the Board of Directors for Williamsport’s Community Theatre League and starred in the CTL’s 2019 production of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Mr. Mussina feels incredibly blessed that this opportunity presented itself and the timing at which it did. He’s excited about having the ability to have a positive impact on the lives of those in our community, and he believes wholeheartedly that on a local level, regular, everyday people can make a substantial impact to improve our region both economically and socially, not only for today, but also for our children, grandchildren, and generations to come. https://www.lyco.org/Elected-Officials/Commissioners