The man, the myth, the legend, the Panman

On a cold Friday night during the long nights of January you will find a young man roaming the court in the Simon Gymnasium. He walks around shaking players hands and giving words of advice, giving hugs out to the referees who have know him for over ten years, dancing to the music that is playing, and interacting with the student section. When it is time for the game to start he goes and sits down in his regular spot, the end of the bench. There he will cheer on his “little freshies”, and get the water ready for a timeout. When the coach finally calls a time out, the spotlight is now on him, and he will do the honorary break down. He will crouch down and yell: Are you ready? Are you ready? Break down. Break down. Break down. What thousands of students have witnessed over his tenure here can only be expressed in two words: The Panman.

For the good part of the last two decades, Christopher Panarese has been the team manager for the football and boys basketball teams at Central High School. He has been a member of countless championship teams, and has seen some of the low points for some of these programs. And if his signature break down isn't well known enough, then his personal conversations are. In a simple conversation with Chris, he can make you laugh, cry, and inspire you to become a better person. Though Chris has a form of autism, this doesn't hold him back to being a great person, friend, and manager.

During football season, not only does the Panman go to every home and away game, he also attends every practice. According to Nick Tyler, “ Chris is just a great person to be around on the field. If he isn't getting everyone hyped up for practice, or a game; then he is walking around having conversations with players and coaches, and making everyone laugh.” He went on to say that, “whenever I am down Chris seems to just come over and give me a pat on the back, and I am ready to go.”

Coach Ryan Ray discussed how integral apart of the Central football family Chris has been. Ray described him as, “a great friend,” and “he always has a great attitude and positive out look on the Central side of life. Nobody bleeds green more than Chris Panarese.”

On the basketball court Panarese is just as inspiring. Evan MacDonald, “Having Pan (Chris) on our team, on the bench, and in the locker room is a privilege. He is a funny and talkative guy who makes everyone laugh. During the games he pumps up the crowd to get us going and when we come onto the bench he gives us his wise words of advice always ending in ‘Central is the best.’ Pan is the man.”

Chris Panarese is also a dear friend of mine. Through thick and thin he remains a person I can always talk to, make me laugh, or get a smile out of me even on a bad day. When I graduate Central High School, he is one of many people I will miss. The jokes he makes are priceless, and he is somebody that nobody should take for granted. So, the next time you see Chris Panarese, make sure to say hi, give him a hug, touch his hair to annoy him, because he will make sure to get a laugh out of you.

#sport #basketball #football #central