Local Sports
Herzig is Fetterman Award recipient
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
-
-
Pair complete lake swim
EMILY KERR, LEFT, David Bonderoff and Amy Hage Delli-Coli were all smiles after their lake swim on Saturday.
David Bonderoff, 17, of Cooperstown and Amy Hage Delli-Coli, 41, of Exeter, N.H swam the entire length of Otsego Lake last Saturday. They began their 9.2-mile swim at Springfield Landing at 7 a.m. on the north end of the lake, along with their friend, Emily Kerr, of Exeter, New Hampshire.
Continued ... -
Patriots have shot at another stellar season
The Cherry Valley-Springfield boys soccer team had a dream season last fall, coasting through the regular season undefeated and capturing its third straight Tri-Valley Championship title with a 3-0 victory over Morris.
Continued ... -
Former CCS star to play for Hartwick
Former Cooperstown girls basketball and Herkimer County Community College star Samantha Fox is taking her hardwood talents to Hartwick College next season.
Continued ... -
Deer suggestions made
A citizen task force for the 4F Wildlife Management Unit, which includes most of Otsego County, has recommended the DEC set a no net change in the estimated deer population.
Continued ... -
Hawkeyes players honored
Two Cooperstown Hawkeyes players earned Second Team All-League honors from the New York Collegiate Baseball league on Monday.
Continued ... - Thursday, August 19, 2010
-
Girl is in a league of her own
Some may argue that girls do not belong on the ballfield playing among boys, but a 13-year-old Little League girl from Plant City Fla., has proven she can hold her own.
Continued ... -
Perez to represent the East for National Title
Last spring, Elias (E.J.) Perez was the recipient of Cooperstown Youth Football’s inaugural Youth Football Camp Scholarship award, and recently attended the Offense/Defense football camp held in Rochester.
Continued ... -
Benefit golf tournament is Aug. 29
Prizes, good food and fun will be ``par for the course’’ at a benefit Golf Tournament on Sunday, Aug. 29, at the Otsego Golf Course. The Tournament is organized by the newly created Cooperstown Rotary Foundation (CRF), a nonprofit, tax deductible organization.
Continued ... -
Edmonds named athlete of the year
Cooperstown’s Caleb Edmonds did more than enough to earn Daily Star Athlete of the Year honors in track.
Continued ... - Thursday, August 5, 2010
-
Petroskey homers, but Hawkeyes eliminated
Cooperstown Hawkeyes owner Tom Hickey said on Monday the team’s inaugural season was a success on every level except for one.
Continued ... -
C’town Legion finishes season 11-8
The Cooperstown American Legion baseball team completewhat head coach Ed Dubben called a successful season by defeating Herkimer, 5-2, last Thursday at Doubleday Field.
Continued ... - Thursday, July 29, 2010
-
Dawson has harsh words for steroid users
Andre Dawson entered the Hall of Fame wearing a Montreal Expos cap on Sunday, but it was clear his heart was still in Chicago.
Continued ... -
Hall voting process restructured
Thanks to a restructuring in the way the National Baseball Hall of Fame selects veterans for enshrinement, the late George Steinbrenner might have a plaque in the Cooperstown shrine next summer.
Continued ... -
C’town girls lose first
The Clark Sports Center hosted four games in the girls summer basketball league last Wednesday.
Continued ... -
Hawkeyes will host playoff game
This much is sure: The Cooperstown Hawkeyes will host a playoff game at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Doubleday Field. Who their opponent will be though, is still very much up in the air. Cooperstown clinched a playoff berth with a 4-1 victory over Albany Tuesday evening at Doubleday Field and played two games on Wednesday. They are currently 21-19, a halfgame ahead of fourth place Glens Falls. They played Glens Falls at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and with a win would lock up third place and a likely first round match-up with the Oneonta Outlaws beginning Friday night.
Continued ...
The Outlaws ended their regular season on Tuesday with an 8-5 win at Albany. - Thursday, July 22, 2010
-
'Hawk,' 'Whitey,' 'God' to enter Hall
When former Cubs’ second baseman Ryne Sandberg was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, he took time during his speech to single out former teammate Andre Dawson, who was in attendance that day.
Continued ... -
Tennis tournament 'a success'
The third annual Chris Gentile Memorial Tennis Tournament was held last weekend at the Clark Sports Center.
Continued ... -
Ozzie to host Play Ball on Friday
He blazed a trail across the baseball world for parts of three decades, forever changing the game with fielding accomplishments never before seen.
Continued ... -
Hawkeyes in playoff hunt as season winds down
If the New York Collegiate Baseball League playoffs were to begin today, the Cooperstown Hawkeyes and Oneonta Outlaws would meet in a first round series. The top four teams in each division qualify for postseason play, and currently Oneonta is in second place and Cooperstown in third with one week left in the regular season.
Continued ... -
Cooperstown All Stars fall in final
The Cooperstown Major League All Star team advanced to the finals of the week-long Oneonta tournament, but fell to the hosts, 15- 8, in the championship game on Sunday.
Continued ...
-
