The Y Recognizes YMCA Volleyball Hall of Fame Inductees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2010
The Y Recognizes 2009 YMCA Volleyball Hall of Fame Inductees
CHICAGO, Date YMCA of the USA will host its annual YMCA Volleyball Hall of Fame Luncheon Celebration on Friday, May 28, 2010. Five men and two YMCAs will be honored for significant contributions they have made to the development of volleyball at the Y. This years Hall of Fame inductees are the late Rene Biourd, the late Delmer Eggert, the late Judge Calvin McGregor, Harry Bradbury, Charles McCracken, the PNC YMCA in Pittsburgh, and the Plainfield Area YMCA in New Jersey.
Were pleased to honor these five outstanding sportsmen and Ys that have made tremendous contributions to the history of volleyball, said Neil Nicoll, President and CEO of YMCA of the USA, the resource office for the nations 2,687 Ys nationwide.
The YMCA Volleyball Hall of Fame was established in 1995 in celebration of the sports 100th anniversary in the Y. In 1895, volleyball was invented at the Holyoke YMCA in Massachusetts by William Morgan, a Y instructor who felt that the popular sport of basketball was too strenuous for businessmen. Morgan blended elements of basketball, tennis and handball into the game and called it mintonette.
In 1896 the sport was renamed "volleyball" to better describe how the ball went back and forth over the net. Volleyballs popularity quickly spread around the globe and through the efforts of Harold T. Friermood, director of Physical Education at YMCA of the USA, volleyball became an official Olympic team sport in 1964. Today, nearly 1,000 Ys nationwide offer volleyball programs for kids and adults.
To date, 82 individuals and 22 Ys have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Y memorabilia and historical data can be found in the National Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Mass. Efforts are underway to establish a permanent site for the Ys Hall of Fame.
The luncheon will be held at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, 340 North Third Street in Arizona, at 1 p.m. For more information, please contact Dick Jones at 614-436-5711.
2009 YMCA Volleyball Hall of Fame Inductees:
Rene Biourd (deceased) was introduced to volleyball when he began to play with the Grand Central YMCA in New York, which later led to coaching. Born in France in 1913, Biourd helped prepare many beginning volleyball players by compiling information based on popular textbooks and his own experience from clinics he attended. These efforts were rewarded with an appointment to the United States Olympic Volleyball Committee. In 1974, USA Volleyball honored Biourd with the George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award.
Delmer Eggert (deceased) spent seven years playing for volleyball teams at the Y. Born in 1907, the Iowa native played volleyball for the Davenport YMCA from 1925-1927 and for the Columbus team in Ohio from 1927-1932. Throughout his volleyball career, Eggert coached, taught clinics and organized tournaments as the physical director for Ys in five cities: St. Petersburg, Fla.; Little Rock, Ark.; New Orleans, La.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Philadelphia, Penn. Eggert also served as chairman of the Championship Committee for the USA Volleyball Championships in 1958. In 1962, USA Volleyball honored him with the George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award.
Judge Calvin McGregor (deceased) played volleyball throughout his childhood, and produced many All-American volleyball players in his day. In 1956, McGregor coached and led the first Hawaii mens team to the YMCA and USA Volleyball National Championships in Seattle, Wash. McGregor also brought many mens and womens teams to the national championships where they consistently finished near the top. USA Volleyball honored McGregor with the George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award in 1966 and the Wilbur H. Peck Referee Emeritus Award in 1977.
Charles McCracken has always had a love for the Y. McCracken began his volleyball career as a fitness director at the Richmond YMCA, where he conducted volleyball programs and leagues. Later, he was executive director of the Guilford College Community YMCA, where he also served as assistant volleyball coach from 1990-1991. In 1976, McCracken was named to the All-Tournament Championship Team at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Volleyball Championships. In 1989, he received the Leader in Volleyball Award for the Carolina Region. He was honored by the Junior Olympics and in 2004, and received the George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award from USA Volleyball. Today, McCracken continues to offer volleyball camps for a number of Ys in the Carolina area.
Harry Bradbury was introduced to volleyball by his father, a physical director at his local Y. Born in Hamilton, Ohio, Bradbury was instrumental in elevating volleyball while assistant physical director for the Dayton Central YMCA from 1954-1958. During his tenure, Bradbury managed the volleyball program and varsity team and was a national referee at the USA Volleyball National Championships in Memphis in 1957. From 1958-1962 Bradbury served as physical director at the Louisville Downtown YMCA in Kentucky. He later returned to the Dayton YMCA as physical director and assistant executive director and retired in 1986.
The PNC YMCA (formerly the Pittsburgh Downtown YMCA) volleyball team is arguably one of the greatest dynasties in volleyball, winning five straight national championships. The team dominated Y volleyball during the 1920s and produced numerous All-American players. The success of the team is credited to the guidance of its head coach Harry Batchelor, who not only led his Y squad to numerous national championship titles, but also played a leading role in the grassroots growth of volleyball nationally and internationally. In addition to its accolades, the Pittsburgh team was awarded the C.C. Robbins International YMCA Volleyball Trophy for five consecutive years from 1922-1926.
The Plainfield Area YMCA is responsible for helping to organize the Northern New Jersey Volleyball League during the early 1950s. The Y, which opened in 1867, became instrumental in volleyball during the 1930s and 1940s when it organized a businessmens volleyball league. Shortly afterwards, it launched the ACMY Program (YMCA spelled backwards) to attract high school male athletes to volleyball. Around this time, the Ys physical director met a volleyball enthusiast, and they began recruiting players through ACMY for the varsity team. The Plainfield Area YMCA volleyball team won many tournaments; however, its most important legacy is its contribution to the future of volleyball almost every player that came through the Ys program has given back to the sport in some fashion.
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About YMCAs: The nation's 2,687 YMCAs serve 21 million people each year, including more than 9 million children under the age of 18. YMCAs respond to critical social needs by drawing on their collective strength as one of America's largest not-for-profit community service organizations. Through a variety of programs and services focused on the holistic development of children and youth, family strengthening, and health and well-being for all, YMCAs unite men, women and children of all ages, faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. From urban areas to small towns, YMCAs have proudly served America's communities for nearly 160 years by building healthy spirit, mind and body for all. Visit www.ymca.net to find your local YMCA.