COACH LUCILLE KYVALLOS RECEIVES THE LAPCHICK AWARD

The Joe Lapchick Character Award Foundation is a foundation committed to encouraging and promoting good character in the sport of basketball.  Each November the foundation recognizes a group of iconic basketball figures, from all levels of men’s and women’s basketball, who have demonstrated honorable character throughout their careers much like the legendary Coach Joe Lapchick, who coached St. Johns and the New York Knicks.

On Friday November 20, Cathy Andruzzi, a former Queens College basketball player, stepped up to the podium to introduce former coach Lucille Kyvallos.  The occasion was having Coach Lucille Kyvallos receive the much deserved Lapchick Character award.

“It is a wonderful honor for me to present to you and tell you about our great coach Lucille Kyvallos.  Lucille Kyvallos’ story is about an individuals’ love for the game of basketball.  A story of not only a great coach but also a great basketball player…a story of a woman of integrity and character.

Born and raised in Astoria, Queens, young Lucille started playing basketball with the boys in the school yard at age 14.  However, her walk to the school yard was much different than yours and mine.

In 1946 it was not considered appropriate for a girl to walk through the neighborhoods of Astoria with a basketball under her arm. So as not to be denied the opportunity to play the game she loved, young Lucille used her mother’s sewing machine to make a drawstring bag for her basketball so that it would be hidden from the public.

By the time Lucille (who they called ‘Big Lulu’) was 17 years old she was one of the best basketball players in NYC.  In the late 40’s Bryant High School did not have a girls basketball team so she played for several recreational teams. Comprised of young girls who loved the game of basketball, they would travel around playing in gyms throughout NYC.  On weekends they played against men’s teams. She also played in the Old Madison Square Garden location with her Queens Rustics team.

In 1951, she headed to college, first attending NYU.  While there she took a job coaching the Cathedral H.S. girls basketball team where her team went 37-4.

Coach Kyvallos transferred to Springfield College to study Phys Ed.  Although Springfield did not have a women’s basketball team, she wouldn’t be denied playing so she played on a company sponsored industrial league team in Springfield.

In those days Springfield frowned upon their female students playing sports. If caught she could have been booted out of school.  Lucille Kyvallos would have someone go with her to the game and stand by the door of the gym.  If someone from the college would come by, they would tell her and she would leave the floor.

Nasmith Basketball Hall of Famer and former Springfield Assistant Director and Coach Ed Steitz once said Kyvallos was the best basketball player, male or female, who ever came to Springfield College. 

Graduating from Springfield, she taught high school for a few years and headed to Indiana University to get her masters, choosing Indiana for their specialty in Motor Learning. She was hungry to learn about the scientific principles of a player’s movement on the basketball court including how to cut, timing of movements and the effectiveness of jump stops vs. lay-ups. 

After coaching at West Chester State in 1962 with a record of 52-2, she joined the faculty of Queens College and became the head women’s basketball coach.  In only three years coach Kvyallos had built another nationally recognized program and in 1971 Queens College was invited to play in the National Invitational Women’s Tournament in North Carolina.

Now on a mission to compete at the highest level and never having that experience, she wanted to prove women, if given the opportunity, could develop those skills.  She believed that women should have the opportunity to strive to be their greatest and prove that females could be competitive athletic performers.

Seeing an opportunity to put Queens College and NYC on the national map, coach Kyvallos and Queens College submitted a bid and were awarded to host the 1973 AIAW National Championship.  In March of 1973, 16 college teams from all over the country would converge on the Flushing campus and history would be made. Our Queens College team would advance to the Championship game in front of a packed standing room only crowd to play defending National Champions Immaculata.

It was an electric feeling that my teammates and I will never forget.  Journalists like Dick Schaap were there at Fitzgerald Gym to watch the game, one that advanced the game of college women’s basketball nationally. 

The game caught the eye of Rob Franklyn, an executive at Madison Square Garden and invited Coach Kyvallos to play a game at the Garden, saying that she could pick the team.  Ecstatic and knowing the significance of this game, she needed a fitting opponent and chose Immaculata College.

On February 22, 1975 in front of 11,500 spectators Queens College played Immaculata in the first women’s college game to be played at the garden.  This past January MSG celebrated the 40^th  Anniversary of this historic game with a re-match of the Immaculata vs. Q.C. game.

Queens College continued to be a dominating force in women’s basketball from 1971-79 and was ranked in the top 10 in the country without the aid of athletic scholarships.  In 1977 Coach Kyvallos was selected as the head coach for the USA Women’s Basketball competing in the World University Games in Bulgaria, winning the Silver Medal.

As the AIAW folded and the NCAA took over in 1982, QC did not have the funding to recruit and compete at the level that she had established, the great players from NY were being recruited and offered scholarships by schools all over the country.  Queens did not have dorms, budgets facilities and other resources to compete.

Coach Kyvallos retired from coaching the game she loved, in her 12 years at QC where she compiled a career record of 239-77 and was inducted into the NYC Basketball HOF, West Chester College HOF and QC Athletics HOF.

Our 1972-73 team was the first women’s team to be inducted into the NYC Basketball HOF and QC Athletics HOF. This Spring we will be honoring Coach and naming the main court in Fitzgerald Gymnasium at QC The Lucille Kyvallos Court. 

For those of us that had the opportunity to play for Coach, we learned more than X’s and O’s.  We learned about life. We learned about how to compete. We learned to reach for the sky and challenge ourselves.  And we learned the importance of team, integrity and character. 

Coach Kyvallos led by example.  She never backed down or played it safe. She fought to give us every opportunity in basketball she never had.  And we are grateful for her.

In ending I would like to share this last story with you. When I was going through Coach Kyvallos’ archives I came across some amazing stories about her life that I never knew, many of which I shared today.  One stood out among them.  On Feb. 26, 1950, George Douvis, a sports writer for the Long Island Star wrote a piece, titled ‘Lucy Kyvallos Basketball Star’.  He wrote, ‘Lucy Kyvallos, a smiling 17-year-old Astoria lass, is rated one of the outstanding female players developed in New York City.  A real great player who should go places.  Remember the name Lucy Kyvallos.'  George Douvis was right.  Ladies and gentlemen please welcome ‘Big Lulu’ Coach Lucille Kyvallos.”

Former Queens College stars remember first women’s hoops game at MSG

Here is the edited article as it appears in the online edition of the Times Ledger

History was made on Feb. 22, 1975 when the Queens College women’s basketball was part of the first women’s hoops game at Madison Square Garden. The inaugural game against Immaculata may have been a 65-61 loss, but to coach Lucille Kyvallos, it was a win for women’s equality in sports.

History will repeat itself this Sunday when the two teams square off again at MSG as part of the Maggie Dixon Classic to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first game. The game will start at 10:30 a.m. and will be followed by the featured contest between St. John’s University and University of Connecticut at 1 p.m. Queens College is 7-2 overall and 4-0 in East Coast Conference play.

The Knights taking the court again at Madison Square Garden brings back fond memories to those who were there back in 1975. Donna Chait (Orender) remembers that day and the crowd of more than 12,000 like it was yesterday. She can still hear Helen Reddy singing “I Am Woman” and the sense of importance surrounding the game.

“That game was truly a milestone event in women’s basketball as well as all of sports,” said Orender, the former president of the WNBA. “To play in the mecca of basketball, to break the gender barrier if you will, was remarkable. The excitement around the game is something I will never forget.”

Teammate Gail Marquis went on to make her mark as a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic team that earned a silver medal. She also was a member of the first women’s professional basketball team, the New York Stars of the Women’s Basketball League, to call Madison Square Garden their home court and won a championship in 1980. Even with all she accomplished, playing on the Madison Square Garden floor with Queens College was the thrill of a lifetime.

“I was a teenager on the same court as some of my pro basketball favorites like Willis Reed, Walt Frazier and Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe,” Marquis said. “And as I was warming up, I did think about being a woman in a man’s world and taking a small step forward to make it equal for all of us.”

Sharon Manning went from player to eventual Queens College head coach in 1982, and from 1999-2002, she served as the head women’s basketball coach at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is currently the athletic director of the College of New Jersey. She, Maryann Jecewiz, and a few of their other former teammates plan on attending the game at Madison Square Garden Sunday. There will certainly be plenty of reminiscing going on.

The year after the inaugural game, Queens College played against Delta at Madison Square Garden. Margaret Wade, coach of Delta, and Rob Franklin, head of collegiate basketball at MSG, presented an award in recognition to Kyvallos for bringing women’s college basketball to MSG and to national recognition.

“I remember my first interview for a coaching position,” Jecewiz said. “The athletic director said to me ‘You played for Lucille Kyvallos. This position is yours if you want it.’ That is what an influence Kyvallos had.”

©2014 Community News Group

FORMER HEAD COACH LUCILLE KYVALLOS ON MSG EVENT

It will be 40 years since women’s basketball was first introduced at Madison Square Garden as the commemorative event will occur on Jan.4^th.   Head Coach Lucille Kyvallos lead the Queens College 1975 team to this historic day.  How did it all occur?

“In order to promote girls' and women's basketball  I brought the  AIAW National Women's Collegiate Basketball Championship to Queens College and the New York metropolitan area in 1973,” Kyvallos said. I calculated that this event would serve as a model and learning experience for girls' high schools and women's college basketball programs that were emerging at the time in the area.”

Sixteen teams from all regions of the United States qualified for a spot in this National Championship. Teams from as far west as California and as far south as Texas traveled to compete in this Championship.”

The media response was astonishing due to the work of our SID, Ed Jawarski.  Radio, television and newsprint, interviewed coaches and players, and covered games reporting and narrating the results of the games and the exciting level of competitiveness and performances of players and teams.”

Spectators filled the Queens College gymnasium during the course of the tournament games and there was standing room only for the final championship game between Queens College and Immaculata College. It was an exciting championship game with IC beating QC and becoming the 1973 AIAW National Women's Collegiate Basketball Champions.”

The following year in a regularly scheduled game Queens College beat the two-time National Champs, Immaculata College,  breaking their 2 1/2 year win streak. This monumental achievement was major news and quickly reached all corners of the country.”

Propelled by the excitement and interest in the 1973 AIAW National Women's Collegiate Basketball Championship and by the QC win over IC, MSG contacted me inviting Queens College to play in the famous arena and to select the opponent of their own choice.  I realized the national and historical significance of this opportunity to play in MSG, and, chose as

opponent Immaculata College.”

The day of the game QC and IC took the floor before close to 12,000 spectators. The lead changed hands continuously and the noise was deafening. At the end QC lost to IC by 5 points but the success of this game set the stage for several (I think 4) more years of women's collegiate basketball in MSG.”

The significance of this game in MSG, with the nation watching, was groundbreaking, historical in scope, and a tangible model for young girls and women to aspire. It paved the way, opened up new avenues for athletic programs and athletic development for girls and women to become skillful and disciplined in sport endeavors.”

And now 40 years later this event is celebrated as a groundbreaking occurrence in the history of women's collegiate basketball.”

Bet Naumovski, the present QC Women's Basketball coach will vie a game between QC and

Immaculata.  What is Kyvallos’ take on Bet?  “She is doing a great job and has lifted the standard of 

the program to a superior level of excellence.  Her current record of 7-2 and 4-0 in her conference is 

very impressive.  She did a great job last year and was selected coach of the year in her conference.”

The hype of QC’s team is the Rowland sisters, Madison and MacKenzie, who have been playing

basketball with each other since childhood.  They tend to score doubles-doubles in the games. 

Madison has gotten much kudos, although MacKenzie, the older one, doesn’t lag behind. 

Both are totally excited about being able to play at MSG.

Naumovski has been coaching basketball for about 17 years, four with this team.  “I am preparing just

like any other game,” said Bet. “The team is emotionally ready and not overexcited. I did have 

experience coaching a team at an arena in Toronto as well as having attended NY Liberty games. 

That’s about all in terms of large sports complexes.  Aside from exercising, there will be no practice 

time at MSG. We are all looking forward to this historic game and representing CUNY.”  

The game is part of the Maggie Dixon Classic and is a doubleheader with St. John's and UConn. Floor seats start at $20 and can be purchased by logging on to www.queensknights.com/msg.

QUEENS COLLEGE HALL OF FAME DINNER HIGHLIGHTS WOMEN

It was an evening of honoring at the Hall of Fame Dinner as the Queens College Athletic Department highlighted several women, most of whose history involved playing basketball.

With Darryl Jacobs, Men's Basketball Coach, running the show, each honoree was given an award presented by a spokesperson connected to their QC sports career as we were shown a  music infused slide show of photos and information.  There were three women being honored,  Eileen MacLellan;  Majorie Larney, and  Althea Gwyn, as well as the 1972-73 women's basketball team coached by Lucille Kyvallos.

Like a scene out of  "A League of Their Own", the dinner commenced with a cocktail hour of former athletes meeting their cohorts that dated as far back to the early 1970s and many who haven't set foot on the Queens College campus since they graduated.  Hugs, handshakes, cameras, iphones, cocktails,  hor d'eouvres and a buffet dinner lead the way to both honoring the male and female athletes as well as help raise funds for the Athletic Department to include having Kvyallos' name appear in the gym.

Eileen MacLellan gave a short “thank you” after her introduction.  MacLellan was an all-around athlete competing in basketball, swimming, volleyball and softball.  She was captain of the Queens College volleyball and softball teams, being named MVP of both sports, and ultimately earned the Silver Knight Award, given to the school's top female athlete.  

Marjorie Larney approached the podium saying, “One regret that I have is that I didn’t graduate Queens College, but the knowledge that I got was better than any institution that I did attend.  I was a runner and since there was no Title IX, I joined a track club that ran in Forest Park’s Victory Field. I later met a coach, John Brennan, who told me that he could teach me how to throw a javelin and competing in the Melbourne Olympics”

Larney won the US National Championships in not only the javelin but the discus and shot put,  as well as serving as the youngest javelin thrower ever. In the 1955 and 1959 Pan-American Games, she won silver in the javelin and a bronze in the discus.

Lucille Kyvallos introduced Althea Gwyn speaking about her personal efforts during the time that she coached her. “In 1974 I felt as if a meteor hit Queens College. I was coaching but it was Gail Marquis who recruited her. Althea was a student playing in Amityville. We did not have a budget and there were no dorms at Queens College. Our manager took her in her home. Althea played basketball for Queens College from 1974-1978.

“Althea was known for her scoring and rebounding and led the nation in rebounding for both men and women, collegiate and professional for two years in a row.  She was selected as a Kodak All-American in 1978.”  As Kyvallos spoke about Althea, boasting about her basketball career, it was clear how proud she was of her.

Gwyn shared about playing on several USA national teams and that at the end of her collegiate career, joining the Women's Professional Basketball League as the number one draft pick to represent the New York Stars. 

The highlight of the evening was having Donna Orender present to hand out the NCAA 40th Anniversary Award Team of Distinction to the 1972-73 Women's Basketball Team, the Lady Knights.  Donna, not only played under the coaching of Kyvallos, but is the former President of the WNBA.  Coached by the QC Hall of Famer, Kyvallos, and led on the court by future Olympian, Gail Marquis, the team posted a 22-5 record, averaged a margin of victory of 19.9 points, and advanced to the AIAW Championship and a #2 national ranking.

“I am so honored to do this,” said Orender. “When a team melds, it stirs your inner soul and motivates you in ways you couldn’t fathom until ‘it’ happens. As a coach, the gift of molding young athletes, their minds, their bodies, their spirits; whatever it takes to convince young women that they can draw more out of themselves is a gift that coach Kyvallos gave to Queens College and to all of us who played for her.

“We all remember her booming voice, that excessive whistle, and the short raps of a broomstick. But mostly the gift of getting many to believe in one.  These thirteen young women chose to play basketball when it was not the fashion for women to do.”

The roster included Gail Marquis, Debbie Mason, Cathy Andruzzi, Maggie Hilgenberg, Maryann Jecewiz, Shirley Johnson, Yvette Pierre, Judy Milewski, Barbara Riccardi, Nance Rullo, Judy Spinal, Maureen Steurer, Racheel Wells, Nancy Ross (manager) and Asst. Coach, Connie VanHousen, most of who attended the event.  For all their accomplishments during that season, they were the first women's team ever to be inducted into the New York City Hall of Fame.

James Muyskens, President of QC, made an appearance at the podium congratulating the honorees. Much thanks was given to China Leigh Jude, Asst. VP  and Athletic Director who put the event together. 

The above appeared in the 10/25 issue of the Times Ledger....the rest is my own comment.

The event would have gone a lot less drawn out if it weren't for the men.  They say women talk too much!!!  When the men were being honored, the presenter gabbed for about half an hour talking about his own kudos as well as his sports relationship with the honoree.  Then many of the male honorees would give a drawn out description of his own QC and after QC career.   It was as if the presenter felt that he, himself deserved an award!  Good grief....leave that ego at home, guys!!!!

There was a photographer at the event, Brian Ballweg.  He set it up to have the 1972-73 pose along with Donna Orlender.  I would have gotten the same photo if I was willing to stand up on a chair as he did.

(Front, Left to right going up and back)
Lucille Kyvallos
Donna Chait-Orender (presenter), Maryann Jecewiz, Debbie Mason,
Maggie Hilgenberg, Judy Spina
(Back row-5 across) Cathy Andruzzi, Nancy Rullo, Barbara Riccardi, Gail
Marquis, Yvette Pierre

So I don't omit that men were honored, here is a photo of all of the honorees.

(left to right) Front Row: Lucille Kyvallos (presenter), Marjorie Larney, Eileen MacLellan Back Row: Anthony Migliore, Geoffrey Maloney, Althea Gwynn, Roger Ratner, Joseph Gould

On a personal note I had Lucille Kyvallos as a gym teacher one semester and playing volleyball. 

The article itself has been published in the Times Ledger...edited, of course.

www.timesledger.com/stories/2013/43/qcbballhalloffame_all_2013_10_25_q.html