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hall of fame statue

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Kevin Cook
(914) 231-4564

hall of fame

Since 1968 the Westchester Sports Hall of Fame has honored more than 200 outstanding professional and amateur sportsmen and sportswomen, living or deceased, who have gained prominence in their fields and who have made substantial contributions to sports in Westchester County.
Nominations for consideration by the Hall of Fame Committee are solicited from the public.

Nominees are reviewed, and the committee selects those who best meet or exceed the criteria of the Hall of Fame. A prospective candidate must be at least 25 years old, and should be a person of integrity and good character who has gained prominence in either professional or amateur sports as a player, coach, manager, official, owner, sports media.

Individuals selected are inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame during the fall of each year. Each is presented with a Hall of Fame trophy and their name is inscribed on a plaque in the first-floor gallery at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

A wealth of outstanding people in Westchester are eligible for the Sports Hall of Fame. If you know someone you feel is qualified, please use the nomination form on the reverse side.

Nominations for the Hall of Fame committee are solicited from the public. The nominees are reviewed, and the committee selects those who best meet or exceed the Hall of Fame’s criteria.

The Sports Hall of Fame is sponsored by Westchester County Parks. For tickets to the awards dinner and more information about the Westchester County Sports Hall of Fame, please contact Kevin Cook at 914-231-4564 or kdc2@westchestergov.com.

Congratulations to our 2022 inductees!

 

Thomas Avezzano Sr.

Thomas Avezzano Sr. holds legendary status in Westchester County Golf.  He spent 65 years plus working at Sprain Lake Golf Course in Yonkers.  In 1975 he was named head pro.  Over those 65 plus years, he introduced countless people to golf by developing new players from all backgrounds and providing clinics and private lessons to all.  Tom has conducted junior golf camps and clinics for more than 25 years, and he hosted many programs at Sprain.  His contributions to growing the game exemplifies his dedication to the values and mission of the PGA.  He’s also one of the longest-tenured pros in the Met PGA and the National PGA.

Rick Beardsley

Ric Beardsley’s lacrosse career began at Lakeland High School in Shrub Oak.  This High School All-American made the Syracuse University D1 team, was the USA U19 team captain and world champion, spent two years playing Major League Lacrosse and four years with National League Lacrosse.  After playing professional, Ric entered the world of coaching.  His hard work and dedication as a varsity coach lead the Syracuse Christian Brothers Academy to a NYS Championship in 2017.  In 2021 he entered pro coaching with the Premiere Lacrosse League.  Since 2005, he has run lacrosse camps and clinics all over the US and has become one of the top trainers in the country.   

Frank Becerra

Frank Becerra, Jr. has been photographing high school, college and professional sports for the Journal News for over 40 years.  He has covered: Major League Baseball (including eight World Series); the National Football League (including three Super Bowls); the National Hockey League (including three Stanley Cup Finals); and the National Basketball Association (including numerous NBA Championships).  His many awards include: The National Press Photographers Association’s Region Two Photographer of the year in 1998 and 2021. 

Ron Berlingo

Ron Berlingo’s athletic career began as co-captain of the White Plains varsity football team.  A knee injury ended his football career at Springfield College in 1965.  He then became an amateur boxer and was selected to represent New England in the National Golden Gloves.  Ron was head football coach at Valhalla High School for thirteen years (1971-1977 & 1993-1998). During his coaching career Valhalla won four league titles (three were Section I titles), four bowl games and in 1996 Ron was selected as the Section I Coach of the Year and NYS Class D Coach of the Year.  In 1978 Ron was involved in professional boxing as an assistant to promoter Momentum Enterprises and as a manager and trainer. Ron’s most prominent boxers were heavyweights Renaldo” Mister” Snipes, Carl “The Truth” Williams and Tony “TNT” Grano. Snipes and Williams fought for the Heavyweight Championship of the World three times. Snipes in1981 and Williams in 1985 and 1989. Tony Grano won the NABF Heavyweight Championship in 2012. All three fought in the Westchester County Center and lived and trained in White Plains early in their careers. Snipes and Grano made their debut in the County Center. William’s 1984 main event in the County Center was for the largest purse in County Center’s history.