The fourth annual Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Hall of Fame ceremony recognized 10 deserving individuals who have dedicated their lives to youth sports in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
The event was held June 2 at the Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston, honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to the CYO as a player, coach, clergy member, coordinator, official, parish representative, athletic director or other member of the community.
The award ceremony followed Mass in the chapel celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski.
St. Stan’s, Ozone Park, and St. Thomas Aquinas, Flatlands, each won the Kevin Mahoney Sportsmanship Award; Rich Gordillo was the recipient of the Bobby Cummings Memorial Award; and eighth grader Brandon Diaz from St. Andrew Avellino, Flushing, won this year’s CYO Essay Contest, which includes a $1,000 scholarship to his high school choice, Holy Cross, Flushing.
The following inductees make up this year’s CYO Hall of Fame class:
Dr. Jerome Antonio grew up in Holy Child Jesus parish, Richmond Hill, before attending Archbishop Molloy H.S., Briarwood, NYU, and the National College of Chiropractic, Lombard, Ill. Upon moving his family to Our Lady of Grace parish, Howard Beach, in 1994, he began directing the CYO soccer program there. The program has teams in grade levels one through eight as well as an instructional program for four- and five-year-olds.
Mary Burns began her CYO coaching career assisting the swimming clinic program at St. Brendan, Midwood, which later combined with St. Mark, Sheepshead Bay, and Resurrection, Gerritsen Beach.
She then moved on to Good Shepherd parish, Marine Park, and began as a volunteer timer in the stands. She soon became the swimming athletic director at the parish – a role she enjoyed for 20 years.
Father William Dulaney was involved with the athletic programs at St. Sebastian, Woodside, and St. Margaret, Middle Village, before settling in the past 10 years at St. Gregory the Great, Bellerose. At St. Gregory’s, he served as the moderator for the parish’s athletic association.
He always set aside time during his busy schedule to attend CYO sporting events, including blessing the field on Opening Day of the baseball and softball season. Father Dulaney passed away earlier this year and inducted posthumously.
Bob Farrell attended St. Joseph’s School, Astoria, and Most Holy Trinity H.S., Williamsburg, where he was a member of the school’s track team. He coached baseball and basketball in the early days of the St. Joseph’s CYO program and continued coaching there for over 50 years.
Additionally, he served as the St. Joseph’s parish athletic representative for 20 years. His contributions to CYO also include his time as a basketball referee, a position he filled for over 25 years.
Phil Favata began his involvement with CYO playing basketball growing up in Staten Island. In the 1970s, he formed the intramural sports program at Blessed Sacrament parish, Jackson Heights, and helped turn the parish auditorium into a basketball facility.
He then coached baseball and basketball for over 40 years at St. Adalbert, Elmhurst; Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Ridgewood; and St. Stan’s, Maspeth. He also offered his time to the Kiwanis and PAL leagues as a coach.
Ellyn Hausdorf played CYO basketball at Sacred Heart School, Bayside, and soon fell in love with the sport of volleyball while at Bayside H.S. As a junior, she coached fifth grade girls’ volleyball at St. Andrew Avellino, Flushing.
She later became the volleyball athletic director at Our Lady of the Snows, North Floral Park, once that CYO program was formed. She has spent the past 25 years in that role, in addition to her coaching varsity and junior varsity volleyball at St. Mary’s H.S., Manhasset, L.I., for the last 20 years.
Denise Hillig played CYO basketball at Holy Trinity, Whitestone, and continued her athletic career playing volleyball, basketball and softball at St. Agnes H.S., College Point. At Iona College, New Rochelle, she played four years of softball.
For the past 29 years, she has taught at St. John’s Prep, Astoria. During her tenure, she has coached JV volleyball, varsity softball and JV basketball. She also is serving in her 14th year as the president of the Diocese of Brooklyn’s GCHSAA.
Harry McMahon Sr. has been a coach in the St. Camillus/St. Virgilius, Broad Channel, soccer program for over 40 years. When he’s not coaching, he can often be seen lining the field before games and cleaning the bleachers for fans.
He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and an active member of the local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is also involved with smooth operation of the Broad Channel Athletic Club.
Maryellen Quinn participated in CYO swimming, volleyball, softball and basketball at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Bayside, and was a member of the volleyball, softball and swim teams at St. Agnes H.S., College Point. She started coaching swimming at the parish at age 16, and went on to coach volleyball and coordinate the parish’s volleyball program.
She then moved to St. Gregory the Great, Bellerose, where she coached volleyball, swimming and softball and became the girls’ parish athletic representative. She also served as CYO volleyball coordinator as well as a volleyball coach, referee, chairperson and assigner in the GCHSAA.
Ray Schick was a member of the basketball and baseball teams at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Ridgewood, and played basketball at Msgr. McClancy H.S., East Elmhurst. During his high school and college years, he coached basketball at his home parish and at St. Teresa, Woodside.
He later became part of the St. Stan’s, Maspeth, CYO program as a basketball and baseball coach. He is also a basketball official for the CYO and CHSAA. Additionally, he helped start the CYO Summer Basketball League, which is now in its fourth season.
Contact Jim Mancari via email at jmmanc@gmail.com.