Judy Samaha, Connecticut – 2005
Judith is currently Director of Athletics at Mark T. Sheehan High School, Wallingford, Connecticut. She has coached field hockey, softball, and basketball at the interscholastic, collegiate and recreation levels. She has been involved in officiating field hockey, softball, and basketball. As an advocate, she worked to get equal pay for women coaches in the seventies and also worked to bring the girls’ athletic program in Wallingford to the same level as the boys’. As an athletic director, she feels that it is her responsibility to ensure that all student-athletes are treated equally. In her many roles as teacher-coach-official-administrator, Judith has been an active and strong advocate for women’s sport.
Her league/board affiliations include: the Housatonic League (1969-1994), the Southern Connecticut Conference (1995-present), the Connecticut Board of Field Hockey Officials (1980-1991), the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport – C.A.B.O. (1969-1983), and the founder of the New Haven Board of Umpires (1989-1991).
Judith holds state ratings in field hockey and basketball. She has also officiated at varsity softball games. Her coaching records are: high school field hockey (1970-1999) 71-24-12; high school softball 290-60; and collegiate softball 148-83.
Many organizations have recognized the efforts of Judith as she advocated for girls’ and women’s sport: 1975 – softball Coach of the Year by the Connecticut Coaches Association; 1978 – Outstanding Girls’ Basketball Official by the New Haven Top-Off club; 1983 – Sportsmanship Award from the Connecticut Collegiate Softball Officials; 1984 – Outstanding Field Hockey Coach Award from the Connecticut Field Hockey Coaches Association; 1985 – Softball Coach of the Year by the NECC; 1991 – Outstanding Official by the Connecticut women’s Basketball Hall of Fame; 1995 – Induction into the Top-Off Club Hall of Fame; 1998 – YWCA women’s Leadership Award; 2001 – induction into the Danbury Old Timers’ Hall of Fame; 2003 – induction into the Connecticut High School Softball Hall of Fame; 2004 – Connecticut High School Coaches Association Athletic Director of the Year; 2005 – honored by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Council for outstanding service to girls’ basketball.