Earl L. Vandermeulen High School students had a glimpse into many historic athletic moments when they were visited by Mr. Chris Vaccaro, president of the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in the high school’s inaugural Hall of Fame sports history class.

With a video introduction from actor and Long Island resident Ralph Macchio, famed for the “Karate Kid” films and the “Cobra Kai” television series, the special visit touched on the many influential people in the field of athletics who have impacted thousands of student-athletes across Long Island. These include football quarterback Boomer Esiason, sportscasters Linda Cohn and Robert Costas, and Baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, among others.

The course, developed by social studies teacher Mr. Bryan Vaccaro, who is also Mr. Chris Vaccaro’s brother, will be augmented by lessons developed by the Hall of Fame staffers. Guest speakers will visit throughout the year in person or via Zoom to speak on opportunities related to sports history, research and media. The students will also become involved in researching local places of sporting significance and make recommendations to the Hall of Fame on where to place future historic markers.

Date Added: 9/12/2022