Category Archives: Search for Inductee

Betsy J. Gilmartin

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Betsy has been involved with volleyball for almost 40 years. She has participated in every possible aspect of the game: officiating, playing, coaching, committee member and administrator. When Betsy attended high school there were few if any opportunities for girls to play scholastic sports. So girls had to look for other places to play and that meant recreational leagues. Being a good athlete who wanted to play, Betsy looked and found her outlet at the Meriden Girls’ Club where she played basketball and softball. In fact, her basketball team won the New England championship one year.

It should come as no surprise that when Betsy arrived at Southern Connecticut State College in 1964 she tried out for every team she could. Possessing excellent athletic ability, a positive attitude and tremendous desire she not only played basketball and softball but she also made the field hockey and track teams in spite of her lack of experience in the sports. Betsy also played on Southern’s first volleyball team in her senior year.

Betsy’s brief college experience in volleyball set her on quite a journey. From 1969- 1972 she continued playing volleyball on the Connecticut Clippers US Volleyball Association team along with other CTWVHF members John Joyce, Debbie Chin and Linda Hamm. The Clippers were very successful and qualified to compete in four national tournaments (Knoxville, Birmingham, Salt Lake City and Honolulu). They were also instrumental in introducing “power volleyball” to our area providing numerous clinics to high school and college players and coaches.

In 1968 that she was hired to teach physical education and coach at North Haven High School. She tried her hand at officiating volleyball for a couple of years and then turned to coaching. She coached the North Haven volleyball team from 1970- 1972. Then in 1979 she served as assistant volleyball coach at Central Connecticut State University. Betsy was hired at Mercy High School in Middletown in 1983, serving as PE teacher, coach and athletic director. In 1984 she returned to coaching starting Mercy’s volleyball program. During her 10 year tenure as coach, Mercy qualified for state tournament play six times and advanced to the semifinals one year.

Betsy also served volleyball in leadership roles other than coaching. From 1987- 1996 she served on the CIAC volleyball committee. She was volleyball chairman of the Connecticut High School Coaches’ Association from 1987- 1993. Betsy is a founder and cochairman of the Senior All-Star game. She has been the chairman of the Southern Connecticut Conference Volleyball Coaches since 1994 and she is a founding member of the Connecticut Scholastic Woman’s Volleyball Hall of Fame.

Fred Colosimo

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Fred has been involved with the sport of volleyball for 27 years. He started the volleyball program at Ellington High School in 1979. Back in those early days of emerging girls’ athletics there was no assistant coach and Fred ran both the JV and varsity programs himself for 10 years. The girls were forced to wear old boys’ basketball shorts and strap type shirts. In spite of these hardships, Fred developed Ellington into one of the top volleyball programs in the state. His 25 year record is 299-176. Under Fred’s leadership Ellington won 7 conference championship, they qualified for the CIAC state tournament 18 times, reached the semifinals three times and were state runner-up once. Fred coached many outstanding players in his career. Eighteen of his former players went on to play in college and at least 15 have been involved as coaches ensuring that his legacy in volleyball will continue. In 1999 Fred was honored by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association as the Volleyball Coach of the Year.

Fred has also been active on the organizational level of volleyball. He served on the CIAC state committee for nine years and as a chairperson of the State Volleyball Association for six years. Along with John Fontana, Fred initiated the first, and has been responsible for all subsequent, volleyball all- state awards and banquets. He was involved with the first Connecticut Volleyball Senior All-Star game selection committee and he also selected as coach one year.

During the last 15 years Fred has been a volleyball official for the Connecticut Volleyball Board of Officials (CBVO) working high school girls’ and boys’ games as well as prep schools. For the past two years he has officiated at the Baystate Games, has coached and officiated at the Connecticut Nutmeg Games. He has also officiated at both the Special Olympics and Unified Games. Fred currently is chairperson of the CBVO. He is also involved with adult volleyball leagues in town trying to increase community awareness of the skill, recreation and fun of the game.

Hartford Courant: Colosimo Evolves Into An Expert

Edgar D. Bengermino

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It all started in 1968. Ed was helping Phil LeBrock teach “power” volleyball to the Physical Education majors at the University of Bridgeport and it turned out to be the beginning of a coaching career that would span over two decades. When Andrew Warde High School in Fairfield added varsity girls’ volleyball in 1974, Ed became the first head coach. This was a bit unusual because back then there were not many men coaching girls’ high school teams. He used his experience, enthusiasm and dedication to build Warde into one of the top programs in the state. His teams consistently qualified for post-season play both in the FCIAC and in the state tournament.

At Warde and then Fairfield High School, Ed and his teams compiled some impressive statistics. There were numerous FCIAC division championships, five FCIAC league championships and six times they were FCIAC league runner-up. Ed’s teams qualified for the state tournament every year including four trips to the CIAC Class LL finals; unfortunately, the top prize eluded them all four times. Ed has received much recognition in his coaching career. To name just a few, he was selected as the CAIC Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1978, he was the Region II Coach of the Year three times and represented our region at the National High School Coach of the Year Awards.

During Ed’s 25-year career he has given much more to the sport than just his coaching. He served on the volleyball state committee from 1980-86. Ed was also instrumental in gaining acceptance for boys’ volleyball in the state. He wrote many letters and appealed to the athletic directors and coaches, encouraging them to add this sport for boys. He saw his hard work come to fruition when, after several years as a club sport, enough schools added boys’ volleyball for it to gain recognition by the CIAC as a full varsity sport. Ed is also a founding member of the Connecticut Women’s Scholastic Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame.

Lisa M. Barbaro

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Lisa’s remarkable career began in 1993 at the Morgan School in Clinton. She was a three-sport athlete, playing volleyball, basketball and softball; she was outstanding in all three. During her four years there, she left an amazing legacy. Lisa was a four-year starter on the volleyball team and served as captain. In those years, her team amassed an 85-3 record, finished 22-0 in 1995 (an undefeated season for the first time in school history), won three conference championships and won the CIAC Class S State Championship four years in a row. Lisa’s contribution to her team’s success is evident in her numerous awards.  She was 2nd team All-Conference in 1994, 1st team All-Conference in ’95 and ’96. , All-Middlesex County in ’94, ’95, ’96, All-Area 1994, ’95, ’96 and 2nd team All-State in 1996.  As if this were not enough, Lisa was equally successful in her other two sports. She was captain of the basketball and softball teams as well, and she was selected to the All-Conference, All-Middlesex County, All-Area and All-State teams in BOTH of these sports. In her junior year, all three of her teams won state titles. This is believed to be a state record for the most consecutive state titles won in one year for a single high school girl’s athletic program. To cap off her career, Lisa was chosen the New Haven Register Connecticut Female Athlete of the Year in 1996, an honor she would receive again in 1997.

After graduating high school, Lisa attended Coker College in South Carolina and Southern Connecticut State University. She has continued to share her love of sports and competition by working at numerous volleyball clinics and camps, and through coaching. Lisa was head volleyball coach at Branford High School for two years, where she developed a more skilled, unified and successful program.  In 2004 she was named head women’s volleyball coach and softball coach at her alma mater, SCSU.  Her drive, dedication and disciplined coaching style have already helped to improve these programs.

Marjorie R. Dolan

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Marge’s interest in sports began when she was a young girl. It started with her playing with her siblings, then competing at the high school level and then in college.  She attended Southern Connecticut State College from 1970-74, where she majored in Physical Education and played volleyball, basketball and softball.  In 1976, marge was hired as a physical education teacher and as head volleyball coach at North Haven High School.  Her enthusiasm, competitiveness and extensive knowledge contributed to her success as a coach.  She produced teams that were aggressive, disciplined and highly motivated.  North Haven qualified for post-season play regularly.  In 1979, just three years after Marge took over at North Haven, they not only qualified for the state tournament, they won the Class M State Championship.  Then in 1980, they repeated their success and won a second championship.

Marge also coached basketball and softball at North Haven and she was instrumental in establishing the North Haven High School Sports Hall of Fame.  Many of the athletes Marge coached continued to play volleyball in college and a few have become coaches.

Over the years, Marge has given a lot of her time to volleyball.  She has served on the CIAC volleyball committee for the last 28 years and she has be the CIAC State Volleyball Tournament director for the last eight.  She also served as Region I representative to the National Federation of High Schools’ Volleyball Rules Committee in the late 80’s.

Marge has been honored for her many contributions to sports and the athletes that play them.  In 1993, she was inducted into the Northeast Agenda Women’s Sports Hall of Fame for her contributions to the promotion of women in sports.

Today Marge is still serving the students and athletes at North Haven High School where she has been the Director of Athletics since 1993.

 

 

Paula Astramowicz Smalac

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Paula attended Platt High School in Meriden from 1975-79 during the infancy of Title IX and the growth of women’s athletics. A versatile athlete, she played volleyball, basketball and softball.  When Paula entered Platt as a freshman, volleyball had only been a varsity sport for three years.  The team finished 6-8 that year, but just three year later it would finish 15-2 and be runner-up in the CIAC Class M State finals.  Paula was a big part of that success.  A dedicated and talented athlete, she worked to develop and improve. She was a four-year varsity starter in volleyball, earning four letters and serving as co-captain her senior year. She was also an All-League team selection her sophomore, junior and senior years (there were not All-State teams in the 70’s).   Paula did not just excel in volleyball; she was a four-year varsity starter in basketball and softball as well.  She earned letters in each of these sports for four years. She has the distinction of being the first athlete at Platt to earn twelve varsity letters. Paula was also captain of the basketball and softball teams and was an All-League selection for both.

Paula received a volleyball scholarship to the University of Connecticut, no small feat since scholarships for women were rare in 1979.  She played there for three years and earned three more varsity letters. Since graduating college, Paula has continued her involvement with volleyball, playing on USVBA teams, beach doubles, and coaching.  Paula started coaching at Middletown High School in 1984, but left after one season to return to Platt to replace her former coach, Denise Amiot.  She continued to keep the winning tradition alive. In her four years there, Platt won three CIAC Class M State Championships (1985, ’86 and ’88) and was runner up in 1987.

Today Paula resides in Cheshire with her husband Michael and her two children, Brendan (11) and Lindsay (8).

Toni M.Cartisano

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Toni attended Southern Connecticut State College from 1967-71. After graduation she was hired by the Branford School System to teach physical education at Branford High School, and she also became the volleyball coach. Toni’s volleyball coaching career did not startout on  a very high note; that first year her team finished the season 0-14. The second year produced a more promising 10-5 record and, from that point on, there was not going back.  In her 20-year career, Toni has had only four losing seasons.

There have been many accomplishments in Toni’s career.  Her teams have qualified for the state tournament every year but one.  Branford appeared in five CIAC Class M State Finals, winning the championship three years in a row from ’81-’83 and finishing runner up in ’84 and ’88. In 1982, in addition to winning the state championship, her team completed an undefeated season and won the Housatonic League Championship. Toni was named CIAC State Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1984, and she has been nominated as National Coach of the Year twice. She has coached numerous all-league and all-state players many have gone on to play in college, and a few have become coaches themselves. Toni was active in the Connecticut Junior Olympics program. She coached the team that won the tournament and the right to represent Connecticut in the Junior Olympics in Chicago, Illinois. Toni served on the CIAC volleyball committee from 1983-’86.  She is one of the founding members of the Housatonic League and a founding member of the Connecticut Scholastic Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame.

Toni retired from teaching this past June, but will continue to work with the young people at Branford High, supervising two clubs and producing the theatrical productions there.

Cynthia Hitchcock

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Cindy is one of the pioneers of girls’ athletics in this area.

She started her coaching career in 1970 at Cheshire High School where she coached both volleyball and basketball.  She also coached the girls’ track team from 1973-1981.  Cindy’s intensity and competitive attitude helped build Cheshire into one of the most successful athletic programs in the state. During Cindy’s career her volleyball teams compiled an impressive record including 3 state championships, 7 Housatonic League championships and an amazing 57 game winning streak.  Many of the athletes under Cindy’s guidance received All-League and All-State honors and many went on to play in college.

At the helm of the basketball team for twenty years, Cindy’s teams were very successful.  Her leadership gained her many honors including being named Coach of the Year by the Tap Off Club in 1982 and being inducted into the Tap Off Club Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.

Today Cindy is retired from teaching and coaching, but she is embarking on a new career- as a volleyball official!  She also spends time with her son Bruce, daughter-in-law Susan and grandsons Bruce and Blake.

Karen B. Zealor

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Karen’s involvement with volleyball began in 1974 at Maloney High School in Meriden.  Under the watchful eye of Coach Sandy Piantek, she and her teammates won 3 state championships, were runners up once, and were undefeated during the regular season 4 years in a row. Karen attended the University of Connecticut and as a freshman walk-on, she not only got herself a starting varsity position, she also got a scholarship.

Karen began officiating in 1981.  With her knowledge of the game and confident demeanor she was always in demand.  During the 15 years of her career she has officiated countless high school and college games statewide.  Karen has also been selected to referee at the Nutmeg Games, the Connecticut Special Olympics World Games.  She is a member of the Connecticut Board of Volleyball Officials and has served as both secretary and vice president.  Karen has also shared her expertise by serving on the committee to train and evaluate officials.

Today Karen lives in Wallingford with her 2 children Zachary and Rachel.

Mark J. Sullivan

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Mark’s first involvement with volleyball was as a player in 1969. His love of the game increased and he soon joined Westerly YMCA, which afforded him more playing time and play at a more competitive level.  Mark soon decided he wanted to experience that other part of the game, the coaching part. In 1979 he started the varsity volleyball program at Robert E. Fitch High School in Groton. Using his experience as a player, his hard work ethic, and his dedication, he built one of the most successful volleyball programs in the state.  During his 12 years as head coach, Mark has established quite a record. His teams have qualified for the CIAC State Tournament every year. He has coached four All-State players including two sisters and numerous All-league players.

He has received honors over the years including the New London Day Coach of the Year in 1990 and Connecticut High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1991.

Mark retired from coaching in 1990 and lives in Mystic with his wife Margaret.