By ERIC AHLQVIST
Cooperstown Crier
It’s been quite a month for
Brenda Wedderspoon-Gray.
In late September, she was inducted
into the Cooperstown Athletic
Hall of Fame as a member of
the 1977 field hockey team. Last
week, she learned she was selected
as this year’s recipient of the
Clark Sports Center’s Patrick C.
Fetterman Award.
The award is presented by the
gym and the Clark Foundation 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 after the gym’s longtime
associate director.
Wedderspoon-Gray graduated
from CCS in 1978 and SUNY
Cortland in 1982, and was coaching
junior varsity field hockey at
Cooperstown by the fall of that
year. She has been with the field
hockey program for 27 years, the
last 13 as head coach.
When the new gym opened in
its new location on Susquehanna
Avenue in 1986, Weddersppon-
Gray became an employee and is
currently the director of aquatics
at the gym, although she has
coached a variety of sports over
the years.
``Pat was actually instrumental
in bringing me here,’’ Wedderspoon-
Gray said. ``I think we were
all impacted by his leadership
role. He stressed sportsmanship
above all else and I think we’ve
all tried to follow his example.’’
Wedderspoon-Gray was nominated
for the award by Pat and
Ed Hazzard, who were co-winners
of the award in 2002.
``Brenda continues to work
with kids and young adults on a
daily basis at the Clark Sports
Center, continues to coach at Cooperstown
High School and yet
finds time to volunteer and donate
time to working with children
and local organizations in
the area of athletics,’’ the Hazzards
wrote to the selection committee.
``We have watched Brenda
interact with young people, fellow
coaches, officials and members of
the community and she clearly
fits the criteria for this award.’’
In addition to field hockey,
Wedderspoon-Gray has also
coached volleyball and girls track
at CCS, and youth basketball and
swimming at the gym. She said
former varsity field hockey coach
Pat Mihalko and longtime CCS
track coach Don Howard helped
inspire her to get into coaching.
``I’m honored to win this award,
but I’m not done coaching yet,’’
Wedderspoon-Gray said with a
laugh. ``I’d like to think I have a
lot of years left, and I still really
enjoy it.’’
Wedderspoon-Gray will officially
receive the Fetterman
Award during a luncheon at the
Otesaga Hotel on Monday.
Past Fetterman Award winners
include: 1994: Lavern ``Beanie’’
Ainslie; 1995: Jack Vineyard;
1996: Ted Kantorowski; 1997:
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. 2007: Bob Snyder; and
2008: Connie Herzig.
