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Mary Louis Girls Are Back, Win
State Hoops Title
BY BERNIE BEGLANE
“There has not been one day when I wanted to stay home from work.”
Barbara Kelsall was speaking about her position…make that positions…as secretary to both Ray Nash, president of Bishop Ford H.S., and Frank Brancato, principal of the Park Slope school conducted by the Franciscan Brothers.
There is a third position involved… unofficially of course… since Ray also is the president of the Brooklyn-Queens CHSAA.
Which means that she handles all of Nash’s work in that endeavor.
And there also are some duties connected with the New York State CHSAA which is administered by Tom Murray of Cardinal Hayes H.S., the Bronx.
“I had been at Msgr. McClancy H.S., East Elmhurst, from 1985 until I went to Bishop Ford in July of 2001,” explained Barbara, a extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and lector in her parish, Our Lady of Fatima, Jackson Heights.
“Some people knew I wanted to make a change and told Ray, who set up the interview on a Friday.
“I had met Ray earlier through Charlie O’Donnell, then an athletic director at McClancy. The following Monday he called and told me the position was mine.”
All of which meant that the widowed mother of three (a fourth child is deceased) and grandmother of eight was remaining in Catholic education.
“I started out teaching at Immaculate Conception Elementary School (Astoria), moved to Blessed Sacrament (Jackson Heights) in 1976 and then to McClancy.
“Those in-between years I was raising my children.”
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Barbara Kelsall |
Nash was an outstanding basketball player at St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights, and is a member of the school’s Hall of Fame.
“I always loved basketball,” continued Barbara, “and my three sons, Bobby a graduate of St. Agnes H.S., Manhattan, who is named after his deceased father; Stephen (Archbishop Molloy, Briarwood), and Jim (McClancy) all played.
“Going to Bishop Ford meant that the work with CHSAA fell into my lap. Gradually, I came to know all the coaches and athletic directors.
“I handle their annual golf outing (Canyon Club, Armonk) and their insurance work and whatever else comes my way.”
Mrs. Kelsall, mindful of her long commute (she was able to walk to work when at McClancy), offered once again, “Dealing with all the coaches, and athletic directors, men and women, is a pleasure.
“All of them are wonderful people who respond quickly and politely when I contact them.
“As for my work at Bishop Ford, I must say that the students, staff and faculty are great. They make the bus and subway rides a true pleasure.”
Pee Wee Soccer Winners
St. Mel’s fourth-grade girls soccer team has reason to smile! These young girls captured the CYO’s Pee Wee diocesan championship, defeating a tough St. Luke’s squad, 2-1.
Rookie Champs
Our Lady of Hope Hornets – seventh-grade boys from Middle Village –
captured the diocesan Rookie title with a 6-2 win over defending champs St. Andrew Avellino, Flushing. The Hornets posted a 12-2 regular season record, with the only two loses to St. Andrew. In the playoffs, the new champs got by Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Bayside, and St. Luke’s, Whitestone. Team members included: Joe Byrnes, Christopher Hardardt, Bryan Zeni, Dimi Artale, Nicholas Manfre, Andrew Crimmins, Vincent Liarda, Ryan Hardardt, Michael Pidala, Patrick McCarthy and Thomas Suebert. They were coached by Chris Hardardt and Ignazio Artale.
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