LATHAM – The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) has announced the inductees for its Class of 2018 Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame, launched in 2002, is sponsored by Pupil Benefits Plan, Inc. and Crown Awards.
Persio “Andy” Capellan (Coach, Section I), Charles Engel (Coach, Section III), Tracey Fuchs (Athlete, Section XI), Ben Nelson (Administrator, Section IV), Heidi Mann Vittengl (Athlete, Section II), Mary Abigail “Abby” Wambach (Athlete, Section V) were chosen through a two-level selection process involving a screening committee and a selection committee.
Nelson, a native of Bainbridge-Guilford, is one of the most highly respected administrators in New York State and has made significant contributions as an administrator and high school coach in Section IV.
A five-sport letterman in baseball, basketball, track, volleyball and football, and graduate of B-G in 1958, Ben continued his basketball career playing at Trinity Pawling, Colgate, and Louisiana University. He also spent a year in Hannover, Germany as a player-coach for a Division II team as well.
After his playing career, Ben first began contributing to youth and high school athletics during the summers at Camp Dudley, where he’s been a coach or administrator for over six decades, and as a multi-sport coach at Oxford Academy, where he was also a math teacher.
At Oxford, he led the boys varsity basketball team, cross country team, and track and field team to several Class C Sectional Championships and Pioneer League Championships. He then achieved the same feat with the varsity girls team.
His success in administration began in 1988 when he took over as Athletic Director at Oxford after Al Doyle left to become NYSPHSAA’s first Executive Director. Then in 1998, he ascended to the Section IV Executive Director position overseeing the operations of the section on a day-to-day basis. Ben is currently the longest serving Executive Director in NYS.
In that role, he has helped significantly improve Section IV’s finances and has been the catalyst for bringing numerous NYSPHSAA State Championship events to the Section including boys basketball, baseball, field hockey, boys soccer, outdoor track and cross country.
In addition, Ben has been a part of exemplary programs in the areas of sports safety, academics and sportsmanship in the section. He presently serves NYSPHSAA on numerous committees including its Boys Basketball State Committee.
In 2014, Nelson was elected into the Section IV Hall of Fame and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY) Hall of Fame. He is currently the BCANY Assistant Executive Director and has served on the organization’s Board since its inception.
Nelson has additionally received both the Otis Sennett Award of Excellence and Distinguished Service Awards from the NYS Athletic Administrators Association, and was honored with the Golden Apple Award, Camp Dudley Man of the Year Award and Southern Tier Basketball Officials Dedication Award.
Nominations were endorsed by each inductee’s member section of the Association – a preliminary requirement in the nomination process – before going on to the NYSPHSAA Screening Committee for consideration first, then finally to the Selection Committee.
Nominations can be submitted to a section office by anyone. The NYSPHSAA Hall of Fame is mirrored after the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) program which recognizes individuals in the categories of athlete, coach, official, administrator and related contributor.
Nelson and the rest of 2018 NYSPHSAA Hall of Fame Class will be inducted on Wednesday, July 25 at 6 p.m. at High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid, NY. Tickets for the Hall of Fame banquet are on sale to the public and may be purchased by calling Sandy Schanck at the NYSPHSAA Office, 518-690-0771, or by emailing sschanck@nysphsaa.org. Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, July 18.