Established | 1990 |
---|---|
Location | Suffolk County, New York, U.S. |
Type | Sports Hall of Fame |
Director | Chris R. Vaccaro (Since 2017) |
Website | http://www.SuffolkSportsHOF.com/ |
The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame is an American sports hall of fame based in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York. [1] The non-profit was established during 1990 to honor outstanding people, living or deceased, who have gained prominence and made substantial contributions on behalf of themselves and Suffolk County in professional and amateur sports. [1] [2]
During its early existence, The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame maintained a museum and education center that was located on South Ocean Avenue in Patchogue, New York. The facility closed during 2013. Soon after, traveling and permanent satellite exhibits began to appeare throughout Suffolk County. Permanent exhibits are featured at Long Island MacArthur Airport, Bethpage Ballpark, home of the Long Island Ducks, and Huntington Town Hall. [3] [1] [4]
Since 1990, 396 inductees have entered the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame. [5]
The Hall of Fame underwent a significant transformation during 2017-2018 under the guidance of Executive Director Chris R. Vaccaro. He implemented a rebranding initiative for the organization that included new logo, the development of a website and the creation of social media channels. Vaccaro also addressed portions of the annual induction ceremony and golf outing that provided greater recognition for the organization among supporters, inductees and the public. [6]
In August 2019, the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame debuted its historic marker program that honors locations of sporting significance within the county. The first marker commemorated Bethpage Ballpark, the home of the Long Island Ducks. This location is the site of the longest operated professional sports franchise and ballpark in Suffolk County history. [7]
The Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame honors inductees in 33 categories.
The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Ducks played their first season in 2000, two years after the ALPB inaugural season. Since their inception the Ducks' home ballpark has been Fairfield Properties Ballpark, formerly known as Bethpage Ballpark (2010-2020), Suffolk County Sports Park, EAB Park (2000–2001), and Citibank Park (2002–2009). The "Ducks" name refers to Long Island's duck-farming heritage and recalls the former Long Island Ducks professional ice hockey team. The team's first manager was Bud Harrelson, a part-owner of the team and a former major league player.
Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 8,466 at the time of the 2020 Census.
Fairfield Properties Ballpark is a 6,002-seat baseball park in Central Islip, New York that serves as the home of the Long Island Ducks, an independent professional baseball team that is a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Its first regular season game took place on May 14, 2000, when the Ducks played host to the Aberdeen Arsenal. The game was the first in the history of both franchises, as they both entered the Atlantic League at the same time. Fairfield Properties Ballpark hosted the 2002, 2010, and 2018 Atlantic League All-Star Games.
The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame honors athletes, coaches, administrators, journalists and other contributors to athletics. Many of the more than 350 inductees since 1972 were born in Virginia or enjoyed success in college, professional, amateur or Olympic sports after moving to the state. Each April the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame inducts eight new members into its ranks.
Bethpage may refer to:
Walt Whitman High School is a four-year public secondary school located at 301 West Hills Road, in Huntington Station, New York. It is South Huntington Union Free School District's only high school, serving students in Huntington Station, South Huntington, Melville, and West Hills. The school typically has around 2,000 students in grades 9–12.
Mark Millon is a retired American lacrosse player who last played for the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse. He attended Harborfields Highschool in Huntington, Long Island. He played collegiate lacrosse at the University of Massachusetts. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time, particularly known for his offensive prowess. He is also widely recognized as one of the best technical instructors and teachers in the sport.
The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is located in Macon, Georgia. It is the largest state sports hall of fame in the United States at 43,000 square feet (4,000 m2).
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame was incorporated in July 2005 under the New York State Board of Regents, as a nonprofit organization and holds a provisional charter to operate as a museum in the state of New York. It recognizes musicians, music executives, and other music and entertainment professionals who have contributed to the musical and entertainment heritage of Long Island through Induction Ceremonies held every 2 years since 2006. Inductees are selected by a committee that determines their eligibility through their contributions and time spent living and performing within the geographic area of Long Island, which includes Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Frank Urso is a former American lacrosse player and current high school lacrosse coach, best known for his collegiate career at the University of Maryland from 1973 to 1976. During those four years, Maryland won two national championships, in 1973 and 1975, and reached the final in 1974 and 1976. Urso received the Tewaaraton Legend Award in 2016.
The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Jackson, Mississippi. The hall of fame was established in 1961 and is currently located in a museum that displays the achievements of Mississippi athletes. The museum opened on July 4, 1996. It is opposite the Smith-Wills Stadium, former home of several minor-league baseball teams.
Diane Geppi-Aikens was an athlete and later a women's lacrosse coach at Loyola College. During her tenure as coach of Loyola College, the team made 10 appearances at NCAA tournaments, with Geppi-Aikens being named "Coach of the Year" three times.
The Lt. Ray Enners Award is presented annually to the most outstanding high school lacrosse player on Long Island's Suffolk County, New York. The award is presented by the Suffolk County Boys Lacrosse Coaches Association, Section XI Athletics, to the player who best exemplifies courage, teamwork, skill and leadership. The award is named in memory of Raymond Enners.
James C. Metzger is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of The Whitmore Agency, LLC. The Long Island insurance brokerage and financial services firm opened during 1989 and was sold to Acrisure during 2019.
Taylor Alexis Thornton is an American lacrosse player who competed for the Northwestern Wildcats. She won the Honda Sports Award in June 2012 and was nominated for the Sports Illustrated College Athlete of the Year Award in 2013.
Bethpage Federal Credit Union is a federally chartered credit union headquartered in Bethpage, Long Island, New York. As of January 2017, Bethpage FCU is the largest credit union in New York State and 16th largest in the nation with approximately $12.9 billion in assets, 471,284 members, and 38 publicly accessible branches throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.
The Vermont Sports Hall of Fame is an athletics hall of fame in the U.S. state of Vermont. Above all, induction "is for accomplishments in sports and recreation that generate a great source of pride to the state." Launched as a project in 2011, the Hall of Fame inducted its inaugural class on November 17, 2012. Inductees include multiple Olympic athletes and medalists, professional sports hall of fame inductees, and historical contributors from the state of Vermont or one of its colleges and universities.