Former Sacred Heart AD Elected to Coaches Hall of Fame

HAMDEN, CT — The former athletic director at Sacred Heart Academy is one of 10 individuals who will be honored at the 40th annual Hall of Fame induction dinner of the Connecticut High School Coaches Association, according to an announcement from the CHSCA.

Elaine Biercevicz Piazza has been athletic director at Lyman Hall High School since 1995, overseeing 22 sports. Previously, she was AD at Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden from 1979-95, where she also coached basketball for 12 seasons.

As a physical education teacher at Seymour High School (1970-75), she initiated the girls basketball, softball and swimming teams, and as a junior at Shelton High School (Class of 1964), she influenced administration members to start a girls basketball team.

She was also a member of the legendary national champion Raybestos fast pitch softball team for five seasons (1966-70). She has served as president of the New Haven Tap-Off Club since 1979 and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2005.

Piazza was the 2015 Pathfinder Award recipient, and has been inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame (2015) and the New Agenda Hall of Fame (2013). She is also a member of the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (2012) and the ASA Softball Hall of Fame (2006).

Other honorees are:

• Barbara Hedden - Cheshire, Mercy
• Robert Mastroni - Bunnell
• Howie Hewitt - Maloney
• Rich Langer - Haddam-Killingworth
• Martin deLivron - Avon
• Edward Faulkner - Brien McMahon, Bassick
• Ricky Shook - Danbury
• Maj. Stephen Reich (dec.) - Shepaug Valley
• Rich Coppola - Fox 61

Tickets for the dinner are $46 and available in advance by contacting the CHSCA office at P.O. Box 632, Southington, CT 06487, or by calling 860-628-4122 or e-mailing John Fontana at jfontana01@snet.net. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Photo credit: CHSCA