Coach Cupp Day Celebrates a Legend
Ron Cuppernull took his rightful place with Huntington High School's coaching immortals when the tennis court complex was named in his honor on Coach Cupp Day last Saturday.
Mr. Cuppernull passed away suddenly at home last fall. He was 77 years old and still leading a very active life. His loss continues to be mourned by the Blue Devil athletic community, as well as by his many friends and family members.
Coach Cupp Day began early in the morning with a doubles tournament organized by current Huntington head coach Jamie Fishlow. Nearly 50 players turned out for the tournament, which featured lively play.
Superintendent James W. Polansky and several Huntington School Board members joined high school players, coaches and Mr. Cuppernull's sons and their spouses for the official naming ceremony on a day filled with sunshine; a perfect day for tennis.
Mr. Fishlow spoke about the first time he met Mr. Cuppernull in 1988 and the friendship the two forged over the years. "He was a mentor, but most of all a friend," Mr. Fishlow said. After retiring from coaching in 1999, Mr. Cuppernull was a frequent visitor to the court complex, checking in on how the team was doing and inquiring about the top players.
"We all looked forward to seeing his green Jeep pull up," Mr. Fishlow said. "He would bring his chair and sit and watch and take it all in." Mr. Fishlow initially coached the boys' junior varsity before Mr. Cuppernull asked him to add the JV girls' team to his portfolio.
Mr. Fishlow and Georgia D. McCarthy, Huntington's district director of athletics provided testimony to the impact that Mr. Cuppernull had on the athletic program, school district and community. Mrs. McCarthy presented a handsome plaque to the Cuppernull family. A blue and white sign has been erected over the court complex entrance on Holdsworth Drive proclaiming it Coach Cuppernull Courts.
Booster's Fund Bronze Plaque
The Huntington Booster Club is funding a bronze plaque engraved in memory of Mr. Cuppernull. It will be affixed to a boulder to be placed near the tennis court complex entrance as a permanent memorial to a man who gave so much of his time and knowledge to the youth of the community.
"We are so grateful for the Huntington Booster Club's generous donation of a bronze plaque in honor of Ron Cuppernull," Mrs. McCarthy said. "The Booster Club has provided the Blue Devil athletic program with invaluable support over the past six years and all of us appreciate its efforts on behalf of this community's young people."
Coach Cupp Day also saw Karen Cadorette of Huntington Indoor Tennis present a two-week summer camp scholarship to Jack Flores, a Woodhull Intermediate School fifth grader in honor of the Blue Devil coach.
Huntington Indoor Tennis intends to present the Coach Cupp scholarship each year to a male or female Huntington School District student in grades 5-8 who is "already dedicated to or willing to be dedicated to the sport of tennis and who is committed to school work and shows good character."
A native of Oswego, New York, Mr. Cuppernull earned an undergraduate degree at Brockport State before moving to Long Island and spending three decades on the Huntington faculty. He amassed 445 victories in 44 varsity seasons spanning 33 years as a head coach. He retired in 1990 as a Huntington School District physical education teacher after a 34-year career, but continued to coach varsity boy's tennis.
Cupp's Impressive Record
Mr. Cuppernull coached the Huntington boys' varsity team for 19 seasons, winning 190 meets and the county team title in 1987. He guided Gaby Shami to the county individual championship in 1990. The Blue Devil legend also coached the girls' varsity team at Huntington for eleven seasons before stepping down following the 1989 campaign.
His 1981 team won the Suffolk crown and three times his players won individual county titles including Sandra Birch (1981) and two-time champion Carolyn Daley (1987 and 1989). Birch went on to win two NCAA team championships at Stanford University. Mr. Cuppernull's girl's teams at Huntington won 129 meets during those eleven years. Prior to coming to the Blue Devil program, Mr. Cuppernull won 126 meets in fourteen years at Cold Spring Harbor High School.
Remembering Judd Cavalier & Ryan Kelly
The Huntington High School tennis courts were dedicated in memory of former Blue Devil players Judd Cavalier and Ryan Kelly in October 2004. Mr. Cavalier, a 1993 Huntington graduate, was killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center where he worked for Sandler O'Neill Partners. Mr. Kelly died in a one car accident on New York Avenue in December 2001 while a senior at Huntington High School.
The tennis court complex was completely reconstructed in the summer of 2004 with a mix of district and private funds. A total of $78,000 generated from the Ryan Kelly/Judd Cavalier Memorial Tennis Classic held in September 2003 was donated to the district for the project.
The renovation project included the complete removal of the crumbling old courts, including gravel and poor soil underneath them, and deteriorated fencing. New fill material was installed along with a new gravel base, new asphalt layers, a four coat color system, net posts and a twelve foot high chain link fence.
The project also included installation of spectator bleachers, player benches, windscreens, landscaping and dedication plaques in honor of Mr. Cavalier and Mr. Kelly.
The Huntington community opened its arms to the Ryan Kelly/Judd Cavalier Tennis Classic, with dozens of local businesses and families sponsoring the event. Festivities kicked-off at a gala Friday night reception at the Huntington Crescent Club. Mr. Cuppernull was the guest-of-honor.