Connecticut
Women's Basketball
 Hall Of Fame

2001 Inductee Biographies

Pamela Childs – High School Coach
Legend. Pioneer. Institution. These are just some of the words used to describe   Pam Childs upon her retirement from her position as the Putnam High School girl's varsity basketball coach in 1999. Childs began the program some 30 years earlier, in   1969, at a time when the Quinebaug Valley Conference didn't recognize organized girl's basketball. This was simply unacceptable to Coach Childs, who was very involved in athletics during her high school and college years, so she, along with two of her contemporaries from Putnam Catholic and Woodstock Academy formed what they call the "Ladies QVC." Eventually, the league's athletic directors recognized them and Coach Childs went on to lead her teams to 411 victories.  Included in those victories, were eight QVC championships, five appearances in   the Connecticut Class S state tournament semifinals, and two trips to the state   championship game. She also enjoyed a two-year, 44 game regular season win streak spanning more than 2 years, from December 5, 1978 to December 27, 1980.         

Personal awards and honors also came her way. Coach Childs was twice named the Norwich Bulletin Coach of the Year. She was selected to coach in the Connecticut   High School Coaches Association girls' senior all-star game as well as being requested numerous times to coach Rotary and Lions' clubs all-star teams. In 1994 she was recognized for her achievements by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association when she was chosen the Connecticut Girls Basketball Coach of the Year. In 2000,she was the recipient of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference's Basketball Merit Award.

Among her favorite memories she lists some unforgettable upset victories, the   play of her 1993 team in the state semi-finals which she considers the best game ever played by a Putnam girls team, and tonight's induction into the Hall of Fame; but her fondest memories of all lie in the cards, notes and letters she continues to receive from former players.

Carol Robertson – Referee
Carol Robertson, in her own words, "just loved playing" the game of basketball. Unfortunately for Carol, as with many others here tonight, there were no female athletic programs offered when she attended high school, so she settled for playing in local recreational regional leagues. Not until she graduated from Milford High School and attended the University of Bridgeport did she get her chance to play for her school team, yet even then it was a very limited schedule.            

It was through her involvement in the town of Milford's recreation leagues that    she became interested in officiating. It was there that lifelong friend, Pat Mascia taught her how to officiate and gave her a start by inviting Carol to help referee the rec league games right alongside of her. Eventually Carol earned her officials' rating and went on to a successful career as one of Connecticut's most respected officials. From her start as a recreation league ref, she advanced to refereeing high school games and on to college games and tournaments. Highlights of her career include officiating the AIAW Regional    tournament in New York and the AIAW national tournament in Boston. 

Long after her playing days were over, she continued her involvement in    basketball and other sports in many ways. She coached basketball at Bethel High School beginning in the late 1960's and continued through the 70's. She officiated high school volleyball, softball and field hockey. As if she wasn't already busy enough, she also coached softball and field hockey, spending 15 years guiding the Bethel field hockey team. Carol also spent many hours teaching officiating to others and encouraging them to go on to earn their ratings. Her advice to young players, coaches and referees would be to enjoy how far women's basketball has come but to keep striving for total equality with the men's game.

.George M. DeMaio Jr. - Honorary
Not all Hall of Fame inductees are 'all everything" superstars. There will be no   litany of statistics or awards for this next inductee. No scoring or rebounding records, no "double doubles" or "triple doubles." No Final Four appearances or last-second shots to win the big game and send the fans into a frenzy. In fact, this inductee lists his biggest thrill in basketball as watching both his sons play in high school.  So what is so special about George Demaio, Jr., affectionately known as "The   Coach," that has earned him an induction into the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame? It is his constant and unrelenting support that he has selflessly given the sport.         

As sports director for WELI radio, DeMaio has made it a priority to acknowledge   the accomplishments of girls and women in sports throughout Connecticut. He has led the way in publicly recognizing that the female athlete works just as hard as her male counterpart and should be given the same credit and recognition in the media.  It is important to note that 'The Coach' didn't suddenly jump on the bandwagon   with the success of the UConn women's basketball team. For more than 18 years, he has followed girls and women's sports and has reported the scores, stats and human-interest side of the games on his early morning radio show.         

The Coach' doesn't just scan the daily sports section to get his stories. He attends as many games as possible and takes the time to meet and get to know the players, coaches and officials in order to understand and report on every angle of the game.   Beginning at 5:30am each weekday morning, he gives his reports live before heading -off to his job as an eighth-grade teacher at Joseph Melillo Middle School in East Haven.   After school he's off to a gym or athletic field to do what he loves - take in some more games and prepare for the next morning, giving on-air mention to as many players as   possible. On Saturday, "the coach" has his own show - The Saturday Morning Sports Show from 5:30am - 8:00am, where he talks sports and interviews players and coaches from all over the  state.

Women and girls involved in sports in Connecticut are indeed fortunate to have "The Coach" on their team.

Jennifer Rizzotti – College Coach
Hundreds of thousands of words have been written about Jen Rizzotti and her  athletic career at the University of Connecticut. Ten come to mind immediately. Brilliant.  Accomplished. Skillful. Knowledgeable. Exceptional. Talented. Best. ALL-American Leader, and perhaps most important of all likeable. It is no coincidence that when stung together, the first letter of each word spells  basketball." There simply is not enough room here to list the all of the awards and honors Jen has received, but if you want to get a more thorough idea of the extent of her accomplishments, as well as the fine reputation that m made her so well known, simply  go to the Internet, A recent search on Yahoo! produced a remarkable 293 web pages of  information!         

Jen started every game during her four-year career, 135 straight, and in the  process tied Jamelle Elliott for first in number of games played. She set Husky records for single-season assists (222), single-season steals (112), career assists (637), and career steals (349). She was instrumental in leading UConn to two Final Four appearances  including UConn's undefeated 35-0 National Championship season in 1995. She was named the Associated Press Player of the Year; she was the Wade Trophy winner as the sport's outstanding senior; and she was selected first team All-American by Kodak, Associated Press and UPI. She was also a GTE Academic All-American, Big East Player of the Year and she won the Francis Pomeroy Naismith Award as the nation's top player under 5-foot-6. For all of her accomplishments, she is one of the few female athletes to have ever graced the cover of Sports Illustrated  magazine. So just what does one do for an encore? For starters, she turned pro, starting for the, American Basketball League's New England Blizzard, and when that league folded, she was picked up by the then two-time WNBA champion Houston Rockets with whom  she continues to play. And when she was named head coach of the University of Hartford Women's Basketball team in 1999, she was the youngest Division I coach in the country.         

Jennifer Rizzotti truly personifies the advice she would offer to young players and that is to "give 100 percent effort and try to be the best at everything you do".

Elizabeth Chandler – High School Player
In the early 1980's, Branford High School won two Connecticut Class L State   Championships in girls' basketball. They enjoyed the same success in Connecticut Class M girls' volleyball. It is no coincidence that Beth Chandler was a key member of both teams. Tonight she is being honored for her considerable achievements on the basketball court. Beth grew up in a home where her father was a basketball coach and her brother organized pick up games at the only home in the neighborhood where there was a basketball hoop.... her own backyard. Needless to say, she got an early start at the game she grew to love.  As a star forward, Beth piled up some very impressive statistics. She reached the 1000-point plateau, finishing her career at 1,03l points in just three years of varsity play. She set a single season school record shooting 66% from the field and an almost inconceivable career record of 61% field goal success.         

Many well-deserved awards soon came her way. She was named to the Housatonic League ALL-Star Team, the Connecticut Class L AU-State Team and selected   a Converse High School ALL American. Her stellar play contributed to Branford High   School's number 5 national ranking in USA Today in 1983. The 3 year class president and National Honor Society member went on to a successful MVP career at Harvard University where she graduated cum laude with a degree in economics. She went on to play internationally in Salzburg, Austria where she averaged 20 points and 14 rebounds  per game for her championship team.  

Beth credits basketball with teaching her that through hard work and persistence   she could become successful at anything she tried. She also credits her family for always being encouraging and supportive, thus contributing to her many accomplishments. Her advice to young players is to have fun and to never lose sight that it is, after all a game to be enjoyed.

Cheryl Towne – High School Player
In 1960, long before Title IX, opportunities for women and girls in sports were limited, to say the least, Girls' basketball - if offered at all - was a different game than it is today. There were six players to a team and only two of them were allowed to cross center court. Media coverage was largely unheard of, and the only fans were usually parents if they were fortunate enough to get away from work. Statistics, other than the score, were not kept with any regularity. After all why would a girl need to know her stats? It was during this time that a girl from a small high school in Northwest Connecticut began to show that girls could indeed play this game ... and play it superbly. Cheryl Towne was that outstanding player and Wamogo Regional High School (named for the towns of Warren, Morris and Goshen) was the school that benefited from her considerable talent.

Although exact statistics were not kept, Towne averaged 10- 1 5 points per game her freshman and sophomore years and improved to 15-20 points per game her junior and senior years. Those numbers are solid enough, but when you consider how low-scoring most games were, they become extremely impressive. Towne led Wamogo, one of the smallest high schools in the state, to two Berkshire League Championships. She was a league all-star and in 1963, her senior year, she was selected the B.L. Female Athlete of the Year. Towne went on to play at Michigan State University, where she graduated with a degree in physical education   Towne, nicknamed "Muff," acquired a love for the game from watching her father  -and brothers play, and has since participated in every facet of the game, including    coaching and officiating. Remarkably, she earned her officials' rating while in high school and would officiate the JV games, and then change her uniform and play in the varsity games.

Cheryl was a true pioneer of the game and an outstanding role model to those young girls who continue to follow in her footsteps.

Jennifer Dayton – College Player
follow Jennifer Dayton is one of a rare group of gifted athletes who was able to successfully make her mark on not just one but two collegiate sports. In the early 1980's, she was a catcher on the Western Connecticut State University softball team and an exceptional guard on the basketball team. It is her abilities and contributions on the hardwood that have earned her induction into the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

When one thinks of a Hall of Fame athlete, thoughts usually turn to someone who probably started playing the game at a very young age, then gained a great deal of experience. honors and awards on the high school level before beginning a college career. One of the things that makes "J.D.'s" story so unusual and interesting is that prior to her hoops career at WCSU, she had only two years of experience at Naugatuck High School.

Just how does an athlete with such limited credentials go on to be a star guard, scoring 1,178 points, dishing out 364 assists, grabbing 350 rebounds and piling up 312 steals on the collegiate level? Jennifer unselfishly and modestly gives much of the credit to her college coach, Jody Rajcula. she names Coach Rajcula as the person who had the greatest influence in her career. She describes her as not only an outstanding coach, teacher and special friend to her, but as one of thos most responsible for helping Jennifer achieve her goals both on and off the court. Those achievenements have been many including playing semi-pro basketball in Australia and off the court earning degrees in criminal justice, education and a Masters in early childhood development.

Although Jennifer gives a great deal of credit to her coach, and to her Dad for originally sparking her interest in the game, upon reading her biography you discover that like most great athletes she has one intangible that just can't be taught. That attribute is attitude. In answer to the question, what piece of advice would you like to give to young players; she writes, "Anything is possible if you put your mind to it".