The Hall of Fame, which is overseen by the Fairfield County Sports Commission, Inc., honors newly elected Hall of Famers with an induction ceremony at the Commission’s annual Sports Night awards dinner.
On October 17, 2005 the inaugural Hall of Fame inductions took place at the Fairfield County Sports Commission’s First Annual Sports Night.
With the creation of the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame, the area has one central location to honor those residents who excelled in sports in professional, amateur and service categories. Nominating and selection committees, comprised of members from the media, community and the Sports Commission, go through the balloting process each year to determine the inductees. Announcements from each years honorees, are selected from the entire Fairfield County area, not just from the 15 communities served by the Commission.
The Hall of Fame houses three wings: Jackie Robinson Professional, James O’Rourke Amateur and J. Walter Kennedy Community Service. Establishing a tribute to three of the most influential sports heroes of the past from the Fairfield County community allows the three wings to take the names of these legendary figures, who all called Fairfield County home.
“Naming the wings after sports legends from Fairfield County who have paved the path of our sports history in this area is the natural first step in establishing the foundation for the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame,” says Tom Chiappetta, Executive Director.
The Jackie Robinson Professional Wing is named after the legendary Brooklyn Dodger and Baseball Hall of Fame member, who lived in Stamford for most of his post-baseball life. The James O’Rourke Amateur Wing honors the Bridgeport baseball pioneer, who is also enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The J. Walter Kennedy Community Service Wing, recognizes the former NBA Commissioner, Basketball Hall of Famer and former Stamford mayor.
The Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame is housed at the University of Connecticut Stamford Campus in downtown Stamford. The Hall of Fame is open 6 days a week from 9am – 5 pm.
Breslow is currently in his ninth year in the Major Leagues and has become one of the top left-handed set-up relievers in baseball. He was a key member of the 2013 Boston Red Sox World Championship team, pitching in 10 post-season games and winning one in the AL Divisional Series. After a standout career at Yale where he was team captain, Breslow was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 26th round in 2002. He made his pro debut with the San Diego Padres in 2005. The Trumbull High graduate, who pitched the school to a Class LL state championship in 1998, also has pitched for Cleveland. Minnesota, Arizona and Oakland. He was second in the American League in appearances by a pitcher in both 2009 (77 games) and 2010 (75 games).
Domond was one of the state greatest girls basketball players, scoring 2,300 points in her four-year career at Central High, which is still 6th best all-time in Connecticut. She was a four-time all-state player and a Parade All American and one of the five players selected for the USA Today All-USA team in 1994. She led Central to a 27-0 undefeated season and a Class LL state title as a senior in 1994. Domond played for four years at the University of Iowa and as the starting point guard led the team in assists and steals as both a junior and senior (96-97, 97-98). She was the 19th pick of the 1998 WNBA draft as a second rounder for the New York Liberty. She was elected to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.
Connolly is touted by many as the greatest overall athlete to come out of Norwalk. He was a five-sport high school star, with football being his ultimate focus. He played football at Boston College for legendary coach Frank Leahy and was a key player as a sophomore in BC’s undefeated 1940 national championship football team and played in two bowl games. He also played hockey and baseball at BC and turned pro briefly in the All-America Football conference for the Brooklyn Dodgers before an injury curtailed his playing career. Connolly, who is a member of the Boston College Hall of Fame, then went on to become a successful high school and college football coach and administrator. He passed away in 2006.
Chacurian was a longtime college and amateur team soccer coach and a youth soccer leader throughout the state, as well as being a standout player. He coached at the collegiate level for 10 years at Southern Connecticut as an assistant and then worked for five years at Yale for both the men’s and women’s programs. After serving as a men’s assistant for six years (1983-88) at the University of Bridgeport, he became the head women’s coach at the start of that program for 5 years. Chico also managed the nationally-known Vasco da Gama amateur team in Bridgeport from 1974-80. Chacurian was a legendary player in Argentina before coming to the U.S. to become a U.S. National Team player (1953-54). He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame (1992), also CT Soccer HOF (1999).
Laureno was a longtime baseball, basketball and football official for over 40 years, as well as a highly successful youth coach in Stamford. He was one of the founders of Stamford’s Babe Ruth league baseball and led his teams to seven World Series appearances, winning the first three Babe Ruth national titles from 1952-54. His teams won 45 straight games in New England Babe Ruth tourney. Laureno was inducted into the Babe Ruth League Hall of Fame (1975). He also coached the Stamford Boys and Girls Club to two state titles in his five years leading that program. Sharkey, who was also one of the founders of the Shoreline League, the premier softball league in the county, was elected to the CT ASA softball Hall of Fame in 2003. He passed away in 1987.
Roos retired in 2012 after 40 years of coaching with the most victories of any hockey coach in the state with 536. During his long coaching career he shaped two of the state’s elite programs in Fairfield Prep and Notre Dame of Fairfield. In 1971 he became the first coach at Prep, where he won 265 games and four state titles in 19 seasons. Roos spent 21 years at Notre Dame starting in 1991 and helped the Lancers move from Division II to a DI annual competitor, winning a state championship in 1999 and adding another in 2006. He won a Gold Key in 2011 and is a member of both the CT State HS Coaches (2009) and Notre Dame High HOFs. The CIAC state hockey tournament is named for Roos.