Island to honor the greatest with Hall of Fame

By mid April 2013, expect to see the initial step in a Shelter Island Sports Hall of Fame take shape as individual athletes, teams, coaches and others with significant contributions to sports programs are honored.

Jim Colligan, who is among a group of special Shelter Island School Board committee members spearheading the effort, described the process and objective to the Board board members on Monday, November 19, explaining that those who are honored must have completed high school at least 10 years before becoming eligible.

In addition to their achievements in high school, a nine-member selection committee will consider candidates’ post-graduate achievements; the character of those chosen so that they represent role models; and outside activities that may reflect on the merit of a candidate. Mr. Colligan expects the initial inductees will be a highly acclaimed group the community will all agree merit the honor of being the initial inductees. Not only will selection committee members choose the inductees, but they will accepting nominations from the community.

There will also be honorary members whose selection as deserving athletes in the community may not have been manifested during their high school years. He pointed to two-time Olympian Amanda Clark, noting that when she was in high school, Shelter Island didn’t have a sailing team.

Pictures of the athletes, teams, coaches and others will be on display outside the Shelter High School gymnasium and each picture will include information about the specific achievements that merited Hall of Fame selection, Mr. Colligan said.

Students won’t be involved in the selection process, except as community members with the right to nominate candidates, because it’s likely to be difficult for them to bring a 10-year prospective to the table, Superintendent Michael Hynes said. But they can contribute by helping to design the display, he said.