Today Connecticut lost a great coach and iconic figure with the passing of Irv Black from complications due to cancer. Mr. Black was 79. Aside from the many honors he received as an athlete and as a coach, Mr. Black was first and foremost an educator and shared his knowledge with those who were fortunate enough to spend time with him. While his booming voice could strike fear in coaches and athletes (my athletes learned never to go near the starting line unless they were in a race) he would never hesitate to sing the praises of those who excelled. My fondness memory of Mr. Black is the time I spent with him sitting on the back of his timing truck (I interrupted his reading of Il Progresso during a lull in a decathlon many Junes ago) to ask him a high jump question and came away with not only a detailed answer but also a greater appreciation of athletics, opera, art, history and more. He will be missed at the many meets and functions he so greatly enriched. The CHSCA extends its deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

On Saturday June 17th at 11am there will be a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Maurice Church in New Britain. Memorial donations can be made to the Helen and Harry Gray Cancer Center, in care of Hartford Hospital, 85 Retreat Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut 06010

On July 1, 2010 P.A. 10-62 requires all coaches issued a coaching permit from the State Department of Education to “take an initial training course regarding concussion and head injuries.” The CCEP program currently has the only authorized course to meet this requirement (Module 15). This August at Southington High School during the 2010 All Sport Clinic this module will be offered along with other coaching education modules and sports topics. The Bureau of Education Standards and Certification will be monitoring compliance on this new regulation.
Please review the clinic information on this page and register ASAP for this event.

The first recipient for the Meritorious Service award is MARY WOLLENBERG. The purpose of this award is to honor a high school coach who has provided exemplary guidance to their student athletes.

Mary was one of the true pioneers in women’s sports in Connecticut. For thirty-five years, she coached field hockey, first at Terryville High School then at Watertown High School. She also coached softball for twenty-four years in both towns.

Mary attended the University of Maine where she earned her Bachelor’s degree, and participated in field hockey. Mary played goalie in the early stages of field hockey at Maine. She later taught as a physical education teacher in Terryville and Watertown.

Mary was the driving force behind and the first chairperson of the All State Selection Committee starting in the late 1970’s. She has also worked on committees for All Star Games and Nutmegs and is currently Chairperson of the All State Banquet.

Mary has received several awards. She is in the Northeast: New Agenda Hall of Fame, the prestigious Watertown-Oakville Gold Circle of Sports, and in 1991, she was recognized by her peers as Coach of the Year.

Mary has had a lasting effect on a huge number of students and athletes. Her successor as field hockey coach in Watertown, instituted the “Mary Wollenberg Award” which is given to the senior player who shows the most dedication to field hockey.

The CHSCA is proud to recognize Mary Wollenberg as the 2009 Meritorious Service award recipient.

The following sports will have their All-State banquets at the Aqua Turf in Southington starting this March and April of 2010.

3/18 Gymnastics

3/21 Wrestling

3/23 Boys Swimming

3/23 Cheerleading

3/25 Indoor Track & Field

4/6 Boys Basketball

4/7 Girls Basketball

4/11 Ice Hockey

Directions to the Aqua Turf can be found on the main page on the left hand drop down menu.

Click on MORE for information.

Please click on MORE to view the CHSCA Constitution with proposed changes that have been noted by a asterisks **.
They are in Article I 1-2 letter f; Article VI 6-4; Code of Ethics opening statement; bullets 11 and 12.

One of Connecticut's best known and beloved high school sports writers died Thursday July 24th at the age of 61.

For over 30 years Hal Levy was a key member in helping to advance high school athletics, coaches and players as a writer and editor. Hal was tireless in his efforts to help the CHSCA promote the many programs they have for all high school athletes. This past May at the Coaches Recognition Dinner, despite his illness, Hal introduced the CHSCA Scholarship winners. For him it was a labor of love no different than the many other tasks and stories he is tied to. It is for this and more that his friends at the CHSCA mourn his passing.

Hal Levy was a past president of the Connecticut Sports Writers Alliance as well as its treasurer. He received the Joseph J. Fontana Distinguished Service Award in 1995 from the CHSCA. In 2006 Hal Levy was inducted into the CHSCA Hall of Fame.

Calling hours are Wednesday July 30th from 4-8pm at the B.C. Bailey Funeral Home located on 273 South Elm St. in Wallingford, CT. Memorial contributions can be made to the CT Sportswriters Alliance PO Box 70 Unionville, CT 06085 or to the Coginchaug Benchwarmers c/o John R. Castiglione, 144 Green Ln. Durham, CT 06422.

Kevin Gilbride, Offensive Coordinator of the 2008 World Champion New York Giants, will be honored at The 23rd Annual Franciscan Sports Banquet and Silent Auction on Wednesday, June 4, 2008, at the Aqua Turf Club, Plantsville, Connecticut. The Jim Calhoun Community Service Award will be presented by Coach Calhoun to Paul Pendergast, President and Chief Development Officer for Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center Foundation. This year’s event is dedicated to Meriden’s Maloney High School Football Coach Rob Szymaszek. He is a past recipient of the Saint Francis Award. Rob died in 2007 after a long battle with cancer. Mr. Robert Fiondella, former Chairman of the Board and CEO of The Phoenix Companies, Inc., and Founding Principal of Jerob Interprises, LLC., and Mr. Raymond Peach, retired Executive Vice President of Hudson United Bank and current Executive Consultant with TD Banknorth, are co-chairs of the event.

The proceeds benefit the programs of the Franciscan Life Center.

This event is sponsored in part by ESPN.


The Silent Auction begins at 5:30 pm. Auction items include: Three Season Tickets to the New York Giants 2008-2009 Season and four Reserved Tickets to a 2008 Boston Red Sox Game including diner at the exclusive EMC Club hosted by Lou Gorman of the Boston Red Sox.
For more information visit our web site at www.flcenter.org, call (203) 237-8084.

On Tuesday April 22nd the UCONN Club will present the prestigious Red O’Neill Award to Ledyard Football Coach Bill Mignault. Coach Mignault in forty-two seasons has four state championships and three hundred eighteen wins-the most of any high school football coach in Connecticut. The award is named after Martin “Red” O’Neill, the first All-American candidate from the UCONN football program.

The awards ceremony starts at 5:45pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cromwell, CT. Tickets are $50. Tickets as well as program/sponsorship ads can be purchased through Ashley Green in care of the UCONN Athletic Development Office (860) 486-9192 or agreen@foundation.uconn.edu

Congratulations Bill from the CHSCA.

Congratulations to Ed Aston and the Cheshire girls swim team for their dual meet record streak of 235 wins dating back to 1986 beating the previous mark set by Elkhart Central High in Indiana. Coach Aston is a CHSCA and NHSACA coach of the year award winner. His colleagues at the CHSCA offer him and his team a hearty well done.