Get Involved

The heart and soul of the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation is its dedicated group of volunteers. The Foundation is always looking for individuals to help with all of its initiatives. Volunteer support is needed at the board, advisory committee and committee levels, as well as for specific events throughout the year. Any time you can lend is of great value, as well as any relationships you can extend. If you have 10 minutes, 10 hours or 10 days to volunteer, the Foundation wants to hear from you.

The FCSHOFYF views willing volunteers as its most valuable resource. Volunteers provide a broad source of expertise, talent, and manpower for the Sports Foundation. Volunteers will gain new skills, meet new people, make use of talents, explore career possibilities and gain personal satisfaction of making a difference in the Fairfield County sports community.

To register to be a volunteer or for more information about volunteering, please contact Executive Director, Tom Chiappetta by email at tomc@fairfieldcountysports.com or by phone at 203-251-8481 (office) or 203-984-4806 (cell).

The sole purpose of the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation is exclusively educational and charitable, within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code (IRC). Donate to support and participate in the mission of the Sports Foundation and the Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy. All donations are tax deductible. Donations can be made online through your Paypal account or credit card. Check donations can be mailed or dropped off to the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation office. Learn more about the Cohen Academy at www.chelseacohenfa.com.

If you would like to make a donation to the Sports Foundation and Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy click on donate button below.

Check donations can be sent to:

Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation
1 University Place
Stamford, CT 06901

For more information about Donations please contact Executive Director, Tom Chiappetta by email tomc@fairfieldcountysports.com or by phone 203-251-8481 (office) or 203-984-4806 (cell)

Corporate partnership packages with the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation are unique and customized to each partner. The Sports Foundation is eager to partner with your business or organization. Corporate partnerships provide valuable exposure to your business and position you as a leader in supporting the vitality and quality of life in Fairfield County.

Contact Executive Director, Tom Chiappetta by email at tomc@fairfieldcountysports.com or by phone at 203-251-8481 (office) or 203-984-4806 (cell), for more information about how you an invest in your community.

Get in the game! Want to know what’s happening in Fairfield County? Sign up for the Sports Foundation’s official Newsletter!

This newsletter will keep you in the game through a variety of information about the local sports scene, as well as informative and instructive articles from area experts. The newsletter will provide timely comments on the sports issues of the day, and keep you posted on all that’s happening and upcoming in the county.

There will also be an opportunity for all in the sports community to contribute. Guest columns, subscriber feedback and suggestions on content for the newsletter will be welcomed.

In order to provide you additional updates that are meaningful to you through our Newsletter, please fill out the form below.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME & YOUTH FOUNDATION OVERVIEW

The Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation is a 501c (3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting fitness and personal development through sports and an active, healthy lifestyle.

The FCSHOFYF, which is an all-volunteer organization except for the executive director position, is the one-stop resource for the sports communities in the county. The main focus of the Foundation is creating and supporting programs through its Chelsea Cohen Fitness Academy for fitness awareness education, focused primarily on the 110,000 school age youngsters in the 15 communities the Commission serves. Giving time, effort and money back to the county residents is the primary function of the Foundation.

Initiatives that the Sports Foundation have begun to support or develop include the creation of seminars and panels to educate children, parents and coaches about issues in the health and sports worlds and making the FCSHOFYF website a definitive source for residents to have access to information on leading a healthy lifestyle.

The FCSHOFYF also plays a support role in area sporting events in an effort to allow county residents to be active participants, volunteers and spectators.

Another key component of the Foundation is the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame, which is located at the University of Connecticut-Stamford Campus. The Hall of Fame, created in 2005, honors and recognizes the long, rich tradition of sports in the county, and those athletes, coaches, officials and community leaders who established that tradition. The Hall of Fame inductions are staged each year at the Commission’s annual Sports Night awards fundraising dinner in October.

The Foundation’s offices are at the University of Connecticut-Stamford Campus, 1 University Place in downtown Stamford. To learn more about the Foundation call its executive director Tom Chiappetta at 203-251-8481 or via email at tomc@fairfieldcountysports.com

The Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation offers internships throughout the year that focus on various events and projects. Due to the nature of the organization, our projects and events are rarely the same. The internship experience depends heavily on the current happenings of the Sports Foundation and, at times, the commitment of the intern to suggest and develop projects as he/she sees fit.

Internship positions each term will consist of projects and tasks relating to Communications, Marketing, Event Management and Event/Sports Development. The intern program is not intended to be administrative, but on occasion, administrative tasks will need to be completed by all staff members. The goal of the internship program is to provide a meaningful and educational experience in the Sport Industry.

INTERNSHIP TERMS

Spring Term: January – April
Apply by: November 1

Summer Term: May – August
Apply by: March 15

Fall Term: September – December
Apply by: July 15

QUALIFICATIONS

The FCSHOFYF is looking for young people that are enthusiastic about contributing to an organization that is growing rapidly. Opportunities to be involved in sporting events, fitness-based programs, hospitality, Internet projects, interact with the media, project management and local community activities are available, among many other possible assignments.

Young men and women that are interested in sports, athletics and a healthy lifestyle, and have knowledge of the sports world, will receive a hands-on learning experience.

Excellent verbal and written skills, being detail oriented, highly organized and computer literacy is important. Internet knowledge is a plus, as is ability to do research.

POSSIBLE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

General administrative duties (filing, data entry, photo copying, answering phones, phone/email follow-up)
Assist with research for weekly newsletter
Maintain and update FCSHOFYF website
Maintain and update FCSHOFYF media kits
Assist on as-needed basis with special projects
Point person for management of specific events FCSHOFYF is involved with
Maintain FCSHOFYF files
Assist in preparation for FCSHOFYF meetings
Compile and maintain FCSHOFYF internal contact lists
Maintain and update FCSHOFYF media lists
Assist in video projects/production
Assist with Hall of Fame projects—gathering memorabilia, organizing displays
Write press releases
Create presentation documents
Assist in organizing Commission panels, speaking opportunities
Distribution of materials to media, board members, others
On site presence at FCSHOFYF events (press conferences, sports events, panels)
Research corporate giving to assist in fundraising efforts

INTERNSHIP STRUCTURE

All internships are unpaid.

The FCSHOFYF can work with intern candidates to meet standards (# of hours, schedule etc) set by each school for the intern to receive credit for the internship.

The FCSHOFYF is very flexible in its needs and can work with young people on an
as-available basis for students to gain valuable learning experiences in a non-credit setup.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Interested candidates should send a current copy of their resumé (with name, phone and email address), cover letter and references to:

Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation
Attn: Internship Program
1 University Place
Stamford, CT 06901

Or email to Executive Director Tom Chiappetta at tomc@fairfieldcountysports.com

Nominating and selection committees, comprised of members from the media, community and the Sports Foundation, go through the balloting process each year to determine Sports Night award winners. These include the Hall of Fame inductees, the Gonillo Local Media Award, 16 Sports Persons of the Year awards, and the Chelsea Cohen Courage award.

Suggestions for nominations can be made by the general public. Candidates must have been born, attended school, or achieved their sports accomplishment in Fairfield County in order to be considered for any award.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

JACKIE ROBINSON PROFESSIONAL WING

Eligible candidates must have been raised in Fairfield County (playing majority of their youth and/or high school sports here). Must have played or officiated in a minimum of two major league seasons, and listed as such as being on a professional roster in the appropriate league records books, or documented by the highest professional league level for their sports—no minor league experience eligible.

Those leagues include but not exclusive to: MLB, NBA, NHL, WNBA, MLS, AFL, PGA, LPGA, Champions Tour, ATP, WTA, MLL, MISL, NASCAR, Pro Boxing (also any defunct leagues such as ABA, USFL, WFL, WUSA, NASL etc.)

Also any athlete that played on a U.S. Olympic or National team is eligible for the professional wing. Not as an individual participant as an Olympian or national performer.

JAMES O’ROURKE AMATEUR WING

Is open to any amateur athlete that played a majority of their youth sports, high school or college career in Fairfield County. It is also open to those playing adult amateur sports for a minimum 5-year period.

This also includes athletes that performed as an individual (not as part of a team sport) as a U.S. Olympian or U.S. national performer, or as an Olympian or National performer for their native country.

J. WALTER KENNEDY COMMUNITY SERVICE WING

Candidates are those who have provided outstanding service to the sports community and live or lived in the county, including coaches, officials/umpires, recreation personnel, league commissioners/executives, longtime volunteers, sports benefactors, sports industry leaders and corporate sponsors. Candidates must have a minimum of 10 years of outstanding achievement in the county.

To nominate someone, please contact Executive Director Tom Chiappetta by email at tomc@fairfieldcountysports.com or by phone at 203-984-4806.