MPHS Athletic Hall of Fame

On Oct 16th I was inducted into my High School Athletic Hall of Fame.  I've been asked by many "what sport did you play" and my reply is always, "what sport didn't I play".  With a Dad who was a physical education teacher and coach, it was sort of inevitable that I would be indoctrinated into the world of sports early on.  For many years I was the only girl on my dad's baseball team and as my dad tells it, the boys were always surprised to find that the girl on their team was actually a good player.  Throughout high school I focused on 4 sports competitively: Badminton (I won a few junior national titles and was invited to the US Olympic Training camp in Lake Placid), Field Hockey (was on varsity for 3 years and we won states my sr. year), Volleyball (played varsity for 3 years and in addition to H.S. played on the gold-medal winning empire state games team) and Basketball (where I was named suffolk county rookie of the year as a sophomore).

The Hall of Fame is in it's third year and I was inducted along with 8 other athletes.  Luckily the kids had off the following week so we all flew in to NY for the festivities. There was a dinner ceremony on Friday night that my dad, brothers and aunt came to.  I always knew a couple of my friends would be there too but what I didn't know was that my girlfriends were scheming behind my back and a whole bunch of them ended up coming.  One drove all the way from Delaware, one took the ferry down from Connecticut and my best friend flew in from Wisconsin.  It was a most wonderful surprise and mini-reunion!!!


I was introduced by my former classmate and teammate, Judy.  Judy graduated two years ahead of me and also attended (and played field hockey at) JMU, often giving me rides home on school holidays.   I had to give a speech which I agonized over for weeks but in the end I'm happy how it turned out and I think the audience appreciated it too (I did get a couple of wink, winks "yours was the best" from attendees).  Sort of my love letter to the town I grew up in. I've included my speech and Judy's intro below for posterity sake.



With the time zone change, the kids were fast asleep at the table about halfway through the program. Poor babies (and at some point, poor josh because he really couldn't move with them both slouch on top of him).

The next day, the inductees and their families all met in the high school lobby where our plaques were unveiled on the Hall of Fame wall


From there we all toured the high school which has changed so much since I attended.  The gym which used to be painted olive green and have a rubber floor is now bright and cheery with a beautiful wood floor.  There is a also new two story library addition and the lobby itself is completely remodeled.


Before the Homecoming football game all the inductees marched on to the field and were announced after which we stayed to watch the first half of the game.  K was so excited to be watching a real American Football game and eating cotton candy (or as they call it in the UK, candy floss).


A fantastic weekend back in Miller Place, a town I loved then and still love now.

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Judy Intro:

                  Suzy Lahey’s former coaches often describe her as being level headed, calm, not affected by pressure…Her teammates often make mention of her leading by example and always being in the right place at the right time. 

                  They say she was the one who could pull her team together after a loss and the one who was looked to-- to deliver the go ahead goal or that perfect serve to finish a match.

                  Suzy’s athletic accomplishments started very early—in 8^th grade, winning the Suffolk County singles badminton title.  Her badminton triumphs continued all through high school winning 3 Junior National Championships in doubles and mixed doubles and being ranked #1 in the Nation for Mixed Doubles;

                  She was named Basketball “Rookie of the Year” as a sophomore

                 

                  She was the Leading scorer, MVP, All-League, All-Conference,

All-County and All Tournament in Field Hockey in her Junior and Senior years;

                 

                  She was a 2-time U17 Elite Volleyball team member and 2-time Empire State Games selection winning a Gold and a Silver medal, along with collecting another double shot of All-League, All-County and All-Tournament honors for volleyball her last two years.

                  Her graduating class’ Walter P. McCoyd Outstanding Female Athlete Award winner and one of The Times Beacon Record’s  “Best Athletes for 1989”.

**It was obvious that anything that Suzy Lahey did, she did incredibly well.**

                  But were all of these achievements a result of sheer talent and hard work alone?  Suzy’s former basketball coach Lisa Lally thinks that Suzy had a little something extra working in her favor.

She said that Suzy had an incredibly high “Sports IQ”.

                  We hear that term thrown around by sports commentators, and by coaches on recruiting trips, but what does that really mean for a young athlete?

                  We know that “IQ” in normal circumstances deals with intellect and an individual’s ability to solve complex problems.  Suzy wasn’t lacking in that department either—carrying a 4.0 GPA in high school and earning two Master’s degrees, one from Columbia and one from UC Berkely.  But Sports IQ is something else. 

                  The high Sports IQ athlete knows their sport, more than just the rules and the plays—they understand the intricacies of the game.  They “see” the game in a particular way.  They see the patterns that unfold within a defense, know how to alter their offensive choices based on those perceptions and use the opportunity that either a teammate or an opponent has created to their advantage.  

                  A setter, with High Sports IQ’s can recognize in a split second that an opposing middle blocker is shading a bit to the left, which causes the setter to change her plan for her outside hitter and put up a quick set while in mid-air.

                  Suzy was definitely that type of player.  She worked hard at all four of her sports and success followed.  She was a leader on the field as well as on the court and her teammates reaped the benefits.   

                  It is my pleasure to welcome Suzy Lahey to the Miller Place Athletic Hall of Fame.

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Suzy Speech:

Thank you Judy for such a lovely introduction. And congratulations to my fellow inductees. I am truly in awe of all the athletic talent and winning tradition that one small village on the North Shore of Long Island has produced over the years.

When I attended the hall of fame ceremony last year it felt like a real homecoming - surrounded by the athletes, coaches and teammates who I looked up to, who inspired me and who were pivotal in helping me become the person I am today. Because what I learned extends far beyond the athletic field. In Business School my final assignment was to define the type of leader I am by reflecting back on my life and what shaped me. My conclusion was that “I liked team wins most of all.” And for that I have everyone in this room to thank.

First, my coaches: What a legacy of athletic prowess at Miller Place and it all started with one man, Don Pranzo. Not only was he an “out of the box” thinker and inspirational teacher and coach himself, but as my dad put it, he also “hit the trifecta” by hiring the amazing women’s athletic coaching talent of Judy Stamatis, Pat McCarrick and Andy Porzio.

These coaches - and many many more – devoted countless hours on and off the field, connecting with me, not just as an athlete but as a individual, and helped me master important life lessons such as persistence, determination, honesty, integrity, making sacrifices for the good of the team, emotionally dealing with winning and losing, trusting your teammates and good sportsmanship.

They cared deeply – yes, even porzio during that practice when she stood 3 feet away and relentlessly pounded us with spikes for two hours straight - because they knew our potential, stretched our beliefs about what was possible and found a way to make us believe in ourselves. Believing in ourselves...what a remarkable gift we were given.

Next, my Teammates
Steve Jobs tells a story that he was often asked for autographs but almost always said "no” because he thought of his work at Apple as a team sport. Well I feel much the same. While I might be the one getting an award tonight, for me it has always been about the team. Would I have been such a good setter if I didn’t have Greta Janson to run well-timed quicks and shoots? Or have won my National Badminton titles without my doubles partners – Allison Romeo, Gary Kittredge and Hal Lyden? Or be celebrating our Field Hockey State Championship without the impenetrable Trish Szulewski in goal? No, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t. So thank you to my teammates who cared just as much, worked just as hard, committed themselves to achieving excellence and who most importantly, loved to have fun.

My brothers, Matt & Brian. Thank you for providing all the extra practice - shagging balls on the front lawn, playing horse in the cul-de-sac – and for never, ever letting a competitive moment pass us by.

And my parents who had the amazing foresight to buy a house in the 70's with a conversation pit which my brothers and I used as our built-in goal, a cathedral ceiling in the living room perfect for hitting badminton birdies and a red shag carpet throughout the house that was completely indestructible - no sport could take it down. Not surprisingly, I have empty walls and no coffee tables in my own home...the tradition continues, sports over interior decorating.

But more importantly, my parents instilled in me a love of game, the importance of working hard and a confidence in my own ability to achieve whatever I set my mind to.

My father Corky, my first and favorite coach, also taught me the importance of having a winning attitude. During little league drafts he never just picked the best players - he always looked for the ones with the best attitudes – knowing that how a team gelled was going to be key to its success. Wise advice that has stuck with me throughout my professional career.

He also taught me the importance of “respecting the streak” as he braved snowy conditions in Oneonta in shorts. And I’m glad he did because we won states that year.

And lastly thank you to the Miller Place community - what a magical place and what a magical time. I hope that all of our kids are lucky enough to grow up in such a tight knit, supportive community where having friends since nursery school is commonplace and a trip to the post office turns into a mini-reunion. Parenting is hard work and I absolutely believe it takes a village to raise children, and in my opinion there is no better village than ours. Miller Place.

In closing, thank you all from the bottom of my heart not just for this honor but also, as the famous saying goes, “for giving me the roots to know where home is and the wings to help me fly.”