For JV Tennis Coach Charlie Siracusa, 9/11 is a time to reflect on the life teachings, faith, and memory of his good friend and tennis mentor, Charles Kasper. Without Charles, Siracusa would not have found his calling in life, one that he describes as bringing tennis to the lives of kids in Michigan - specifically, those at Catholic Central.

Originally from New York, Siracusa’s eyes were wide and flowing with emotion as he told us the story and memory of his good friend and mentor, Charles, who later would lose his life in the collapsing of the Twin Tower buildings on 9/11.

Prior to 9/11, Siracusa was an avid marathon runner and hadn’t yet been introduced to the sport of tennis. After a hip injury sidelined him from training for his fourth New York marathon, Siracusa’s chiropractor suggested he give tennis a try. While on the court one day, Siracusa met Charles, an experienced tennis coach, who could tell Siracusa was talented and offered to work with him to sharpen his skills. 

The two formed a friendship and bond that would touch Siracusa’s heart and eventually lead him to his love for tennis. They traveled to tennis camps together in Myrtle Beach, where Siracusa’s game would greatly improve under Charles’ wing. 

After years of friendship, Siracusa was heartbroken when he heard the news of Charles’ death on 9/11. He called Charles’s wife to check on her. She told him that Charles would have wanted him to “find people in Michigan as bad as you were at tennis, teach them, and tell them Charles’ story.” Siracusa has been living out those wishes to this day. 

Siracusa’s connection to 9/11 runs deeper than Charles or tennis, further contributing to a story only God could craft. It begins with his time spent as part of the leadership team at Carhartt, where Siracusa shared that the Mid-Western clothing company didn’t want credit for providing the ground zero clean-up gear, an act that was tough for a New Yorker to grasp.  

After finding out that his dear friend died when the South Tower collapsed, Siracusa’s team at Carhartt sent him a book by Gary Suson called Requiem - Images of Ground Zero, picturing everything that happened at 9/11 and illustrating the part Carhartt had in the clean up at ground zero. This ultimately brought awareness to how Siracusa was there for his friend at his time of death even when he didn’t realize it. 

For Siracusa, 9/11 isn’t a time for grieving, it’s a time to remember Charles’ life teachings and keep them alive by passing them down to his students at Catholic Central. 

“God’s grace is everywhere. His hand is everywhere. The sooner we realize that, the sooner we can relax and enjoy the life we were blessed to be given,” he stated.