What started as an idea and a quick conversation
starter on a football sideline became reality when the inaugural class of the
Nassau County High School Athletics Hall of Fame was announced in Mineola
Wednesday afternoon. The 28 person class, which represents 23 high schools and
includes athletes, coaches, administrators, contributors and officials, will
officially be inducted at a ceremony at the Crest Hollow Country club on Sept
30th.
Pat
Pizzarelli, an athletic director and section VIII male vice president, was one
of the first to come up with the idea. One of the people he pitched the idea to
was Tom O’ Connors, a football official who fell in love with the idea. In an
interview, Tom mentioned that Pat would regularly mention the hall of fame to
him. “Every time I’d see him after that, Pat, the hall of fame, let's do it!”
With the help of the Nassau County Executive Ed
Mangano it finally happened. In an interview with Mangano about the idea he
said, “Athletics provides young people with important lessons, personal values,
leadership skills, physical activity and social interaction skills that will
benefit all involved for the rest of their lives.” The 28 person class that
will be getting inducted into the first ever Nassau County hall of fame
includes nine administrator's, six athletes, nine coaches, two contributors to
the hall of fame and two officials. Two of the nine coaches actually come from
Farmingdale, Buddy Krumenacker and Don Snyder.
With an official Nassau Hall Of Fame, we
can now truly honor the hard working people of Nassau County and their
accomplishments within their towns. Nassau County continues to be a great place
to raise kids and with this it enables them to learn a little history about
where they are growing up.
~ Brandon Aleman
