The Y 2010 Volleyball Hall of Fame Inductees

CONTACT
Mamie Moore, YMCA of the USA
Phone: 312-419-8325
E-Mail: mamie.moore@ymca.net

CHICAGO (May 2, 2011) – On Friday, May 27, the Y will celebrate the history of volleyball at its annual Volleyball Hall of Fame Luncheon, recognizing YMCA leaders and legends for the significant contributions that they have made to the sport. Inductees into the 2010 Hall of Fame class are the late Harry Batchelor, Tom Slaymaker, John O’Donnell, the Pittsburg Family YMCA in Kansas and the YMCA of Greater Tulsa in Oklahoma. The celebration – a gathering of champions – will be hosted by YMCA of the USA, the leading nonprofit for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

“We are pleased to honor these outstanding individuals and Ys for shaping the history of volleyball,” said Neil Nicoll, president and CEO of YMCA of the USA, the resource office for the nation’s 2,687 Ys nationwide. “Through each of their contributions as players, coaches, officials and champions, they helped inspire many people to reach their full potential in a game they loved to play, and shaped the path for others.”

The YMCA’s Volleyball Hall of Fame was established in 1995 in celebration of the sport’s 100th anniversary in the Y. In 1895, volleyball was invented at the Holyoke YMCA in Massachusetts by William Morgan, a YMCA 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. Volleyball’s 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, 85 individuals and 25 Ys have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. YMCA 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 Y’s Hall of Fame.

2010 YMCA Volleyball Hall of Fame Inductees:
The late Harry Batchelor is a former volleyball coach from the Pittsburgh Central YMCA who led his team to numerous championships and spearheaded the grassroots growth of volleyball on a national and international scale. An early advocate of volleyball, Batchelor was born in Canajoharie, N.Y., and attended Springfield College in Massachusetts. While at Springfield, he met volleyball inventor and YMCA instructor William Morgan and became enamored with the intricacies of the then newly-invented sport. After a year in college, Batchelor took a job as physical education director at the YMCA in Wilmerding, Pa., but left the Y during World War II to serve at Camp Lee. While there, he oversaw recreational facilities for American soldiers, incorporating volleyball in his recreational training. Following the war Batchelor returned to the Y and had immediate success with the Pittsburgh Central YMCA as three-peat champions, emerging as a dominant volleyball force in Western Pennsylvania.

Tom Slaymaker is a volleyball veteran who played with YMCA teams throughout Kansas and Missouri for more than 23 years. Slaymaker was born in Kansas City, Mo. and played volleyball for two years at the University of Kansas and one year at Penn State. He was named a USA Volleyball Collegiate All-American at both schools. Slaymaker also served as an official for 20 consecutive USA Volleyball National Championships, serving as first referee for two Men’s Open and two Women’s Open finals. In addition, he served as chair of the Referees Commission for seven years and as its assistant for six years. His successful career as a player and official earned him many accolades from USA Volleyball.

John O’Donnell is a former volleyball player from the Holyoke YMCA in Massachusetts whose passion for volleyball spans more than 60 years. The Holyoke native was first exposed to volleyball while in the Navy and after his military service, he began playing with the Y in various volleyball leagues and tournaments, including the 1959 YMCA Senior Men’s Championship Team. O’Donnell also served as an official for USA Volleyball and officiated games throughout New England, Mass., including those at the Holyoke Y. He had a memorable and enjoyable career as a certified national official with a short stint in coaching. He had a high regard for the game and the rules, which was evident in his ritual of reading the Rule Book before every game. O’Donnell is remembered for his sharp eye in officiating a volleyball match and indisputable knowledge of the game rules.

The Pittsburg Family YMCA is most notable for developing successful women volleyball players through its popular women’s volleyball program. For the past seven years, the Y has sponsored a “Club” volleyball program with more than 500 young women aged 12 to 18. The program helps to develop girls into quality volleyball players, while teaching important character values. The Y also has a program for more than 400 fifth and sixth graders. Thousands of women have completed the program since its inception, making women’s volleyball a top program at the Pittsburg Family YMCA to date.

The YMCA of Greater Tulsa has been a mainstay in volleyball in Oklahoma for more than 40 years, and has made several contributions to the history of volleyball. Among them include producing three national referees, four national scorekeepers and many leaders for USA Volleyball. Volleyball began at the Tulsa Y in the early 1950s with a men’s team that represented the Y in tournaments in the Oklahoma area. Shortly afterwards two women’s team, a junior girls’ team and a second men’s team were formed. All teams competed in USA Volleyball regional tournaments in Wichita, Dallas, Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Topeka and Houston, helping the Y to maintain a competitive volleyball program for adults and juniors until 1986.

The Hall of Fame luncheon will be held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, 400 North Olive Street in Dallas, Texas, at 1 p.m. For more information, please contact Dick Jones at 614-436-5711.

About the Y
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,687 Ys engage 21 million men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. ymca.net.

Tags: USA Volleyball, YMCA