By ERIC AHLQVIST
Cooperstown Crier
Connie Herzig is generally a
whirl of motion, full of energy,
talking fast and always on the
go.
But when she found out she
was going to be the recipient of
this year’s Fetterman Award, for
one of the few times in her life she
was at a loss for words.
Members of the gym came to
the CCS elementary school during
``Finale Friday’’ at the school
earlier this month. Brenda Wedderspoon-
Gray got up to speak
about the award, and surprised
Herzig with the announcement
she was this year’s winner.
``I was completely speechless,’’
said Herzig, a Cooperstown Elementary
School phys. ed teacher
and girls track and field coach for
the past 17 seasons. ``I was very
overwhelmed and honored. I
thought it was great they did it to
include the students, staff and
administrators who have supported
me throughout the years.’’
Herzig will be presented the
award at a private luncheon at
the Otesaga Hotel on Monday.
The Fetterman Award has been
in existence since 1994, and is
given to a member of the community
who is dedicated to serving
local youth, especially in the area
of athletics.
The recipient embodies the
meaning of outstanding sportsmanship,
inspired leadership and
caring service and is named for
longtime associate director Patrick
C. Fetterman.
Longtime boys track coach
Don Howard, who recently retired
and received the Fetterman
Award in 2000, said Herzig is an
ideal choice.
``Connie is warm, giving of her
time, high energy and goes above
and beyond for the girls’ benefit,’’
Howard said. ``The girls love her.
She’s a great motivator and also a
lot of fun to be around.’’
Herzig said she views sports
as a vehicle to further personal
and academic development.
``I coach because I love being
with the kids and I love the process
of a sport in helping them
mature, be a part of a team, and
explore skills and abilities,’’ she
said. `` They get to push their limits
and try things they never have
before. It’s a wonderful process,
and I approach coaching with a
teaching model.’’
Cooperstown athletic director
and middle school proncipal Mike
Cring said he enjoys watching
Herzig’s interaction with her students
and athletes.
``She treats each one as an individual
and then challenges
them all to do their best,’’ Cring
said. ``She’s a great coach and a
better role model.’’
Wedderspoon-Gray, who heads
the Fettwerman Award search
committee at the gym, said Herzig
was a unanimous choice after
nominations were received earlier
this fall.
``A lot of people coach, but very
few make the connection to their
players that Connie seems to
make,’’ she said.
Howard said he and other
coaches often jokingly refer to
Herzig as a ``Mother Hen’’ because
she is very protective and
involved with her athletes.
``She’s very warm,’’ Howard
said. ``She’s a giver, and that
makes her a great role model because
it’s good for kids to see
someone who gives back. It also
helps that she really knows her
stuff and is a great teacher.’’
Besides teaching and coaching,
Herzig also started the Red
Hot (formerly knows as the Redskin)
Ropers jump rope program
in 1992.
``We have between 90-105 kids
(3rd, 4th, and 5th) in the club every
year,’’ said Herzig, who
brought the idea with her from
Kansas, where she used to teach.
``I wanted an activity that encouraged
fitness, challenged the kids,
uses creativity, and is able to
grow with the students. During
the winter months, this program
meets two or three days a week
after school, and the kids jump
for an hour and 25 minutes. That
is a lot exercise! Kids gain agility,
coordination, confidence, and
have fun! What could be better?’’
Herzig was born in Brockport,
N.Y., and attended Cortland
State after high school. She left
college for a year and a half and
went to California to play on a
semi-professional soccer team before
returning and getting her
Bachelor’s degree.
She went to Kansas after college,
and received her Master’s
Degree in Physical Education. In
addition to track, she has taught
volleyball and basketball.
``I’m not sure I’d call it maternal,
but each athlete knows I
have a sincere interest in how
they do, whether it scores points
for the team or not,’’ Herzig said.
``I have coached many sports (not
in Cooperstown, but before) and I
really like coaching track because
it allows that process to work better
than in most sports. Improvement
is easy to see and the kids
really respond to the process.’’
Past winners include: Lavern
“Beanie” Ainslie; 1994: Jack Vineyard;
1995: Ted Kantorowski;
1996: Malcolm Brooks; 1997-98:
Jerry Townsend; 1998-99: Don
Howard; 2000: Dick White; 2001:
Pat and Ed Hazzard; 2002: Stephen
``Sharky’’ Nagelschmidt;
2003: Frank Miosek; 2004: Ted
Spencer; 2005: Terry Bliss; 2006:
Dave Adsit; and 2007: Bob Snyder.
Local Sports
Herzig is Fetterman Award recipient
- Local Sports
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CCS swimmer finds diving challenging
COOPERSTOWN’S AARON IDELSON FINISHED eighth Saturday in the Frontier League Diving Championships at Carthage. Idelson, who already has qualified for sectionals in diving, amassed 285.15 points over 11 dives. The remainder of the meet will be completed this Saturday at Watertown.
After a day of highs and lows, Cooperstown’s Aaron Idelson finished in the middle.
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The sophomore diver scored a 285.15 and finished eighth out of 16 divers at the Frontier League Diving Championships in Carthage on Saturday. -
Brothers compete in the pool
Sometimes things are not always as they seem. Just look at Cooperstown’s varsity swimming brothers Sean and Erik Mebust.
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Volleyball team wins tournament at home
The host Cooperstown volleyball team won a six-team round robin tournament last Saturday. The Redskins tied Stockbridge with identical 7-3 records, but owned the tiebreaker by a single point in head-to-head match-ups, winning 25-22 and losing 23-25.
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Lady Redskins come out strong in second half
Nicole Cring’s double, double helped Cooperstown make a decisive second-half run and beat visiting Mohawk 45-28 in a Center State Conference game on Monday. Cring had 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots as the
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Redskins scored the first seven points of the second half, stretching a 17-14 lead to 24-14. “There wasn’t much to say.” -
CCS wrestling team competes in championships
Cooperstown teammates Michael Boyle and Jacob Miller had runner-up finishes in the Center State Conference Championships on Saturday at Adirondack.
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Niekro, Ozzie to return for Hall of Fame Classic
The Knucksies and Wizards will go at it again this June in Cooperstown. The Baseball Hall of Fame announced Monday that Hall of Famers Phil Niekro and Ozzie Smith will return as team captains for the fourth annual Hall of Fame Classic at Doubleday Field.
Continued ... - Monday, January 30, 2012
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Redskins hit century mark
If at first you do succeed, try to do even better next time. Dave Bertram led the Cooperstown boys basketball team to its highest points total in his 10 years as head coach Tuesday, when the Redskins thumped visiting Morrisville- Eaton, 106-51, in a Center State Conference Division III game.
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Davine, king of Cooperstown assists
If you need help, try calling Jay Davine. Senior point guard Davine broke Cooperstown’s all-time assists record last Thursday and scored 13 points to lead the Redskins to a 71-43 boys basketball thumping of visiting Westmoreland in a Center State Conference Division III game.
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Fox has big night for Hartwick women
Cooperstown graduate Samantha Fox scored a varsity-high 14 points Friday to lead the Hartwick College women’s basketball team to a 59-49 victory over visiting St. John Fisher in the Empire 8 Conference.
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Patriots hold off Gilbertsville-Mount Upton with score of 59-53
A varsity-high 27 points from Kyle Jaquay led host Cherry Valley- Springfield to a 59-53 Tri-Valley League boys basketball victory Monday over Gilbertsville-Mount Upton.
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CCS wrestles with the ‘Big Dogs’
Cooperstown’s wrestling revival got a reality check on Saturday in the form of visiting Dolgeville. Both teams came in undefeated in the Center State Conference, but only the Blue Devils left that way after a 64-10 win over the Redskins. “Dolgeville is definitely a tough team. Top to bottom, they really don’t have any weak spots on their roster,” Cooperstown coach Micaiah Abts said.
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Coach says he thinks his girls will return to top of their class
Close, but not there yet. That’s the story of Cooperstown’s volleyball team this season, and it played out again on Monday in a 3-1 loss to visiting Waterville in a Center State Conference match.
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Clark Sports Center hosts tournament
The Clark Sports Center recently held its eighth annual Pat Fetterman Memorial Tournament. There were six girls’ teams and six boys’ teams from as far away as West Philadelphia, according to a media release from the sports center.
Continued ... - Thursday, January 19, 2012
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Boy one step closer to seeing football dreams come true
Since Cowboy Stadium in Dallas opened in 2010, football fans have marveled at the massive, modernstadium. Over the holidays, Cooperstown Central School freshman Michael Perrino got to play two games in it himself.
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CCS coach and player earn recognition
Cooperstown’s soccer season has been over for a couple of months now, but the awards haven’t ended. Redskins’ coach Frank Miosek has been named Center State Conference coach of the year, while junior mid-fielder Michael Rowley won co-player of the year.
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Milford girls thump G-MU
Avalon Ward scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Milford topped visiting Gilbertsville-Mount Upton, 44-30, in a Tri-Valley League girls basketball game Tuesday. Milford held a 38-14 lead after three quarters before being outscored, 16-6, in the final period.
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Wrestling team focused on improving as end of season nears
Three Cooperstown wrestlers placed at the Central New York WrestlingTournament on Saturday at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill school, giving the Redskins confidence going into their final matches and the end of the season tournaments. Mikey Boyle (113) and Jacob Miller (138) each placed fourth, and Kevin Segit (195) placed sixth in the tournament. Cooperstown finished 14th overall.
Continued ... - Thursday, January 12, 2012
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Redskin ladies are red hot: CCS remains undefeated
Holli Erkson scored a game-high 13 points and Nicole Cring had eight blocks and 12 rebounds as Cooperstown stayed undefeated in the Center State Conference with a 44-29 victory over visiting Sauquoit Valley at Bursey Gymnasium on Tuesday. The Redskins (9-1, 5-0) had early foul trouble and problems on offense in the game. Fortunately for them, they had no problems on defense.
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Free throw caps 46-45 victory over Hamilton
Nicole Cring had a double-double and Holli Erkson hit a walkoff foul shot as host Cooperstown edged Hamilton, 46-45, in a Center State Conference Division III girls basketball game last Thursday. Alexis Bloomfield went 1-for-2 from the foul line with 30.2 seconds left to tie the score at 45 for the Redskins (8-1, 4-0), who stole Hamilton’s last possession with 7.5 seconds to go.
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Hall welcomes Cincinnati kid in third year of eligibility
Former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin was the lone selection by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. And Larkin’s admission into the National Baseball Hall of Fame came in a landslide. The Cincinnati native who grew up cheering for the man he’d replace at shortstop Dave Concepcion garnered 86 percent of the vote. Seventyfive percent is needed for election.
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