Barbara Startup, Connecticut – 2000
Barbara is the Director of Athletics at Avon High School in Avon, Connecticut. She has coached high school volleyball (15 years), basketball (15 years), and softball (5 years). She has also officiated volleyball for 30 years.
Barbara’s league/board affiliations include the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors, the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, the Connecticut High School coaches Association, and the Connecticut High School Board of Volleyball Officials.
Barbara holds a national rating in volleyball from the National Association for Girls and Women in sport and is an active member of the Connecticut High School Volleyball Association. She does not have win/loss records for her teams, but her volleyball teams had only one season when they finished under .500. Her basketball teams had only three seasons when they finished under .500. She is a member of the Committee for Advancing Women in Sport.
Her championship/post-season tournament involvement includes serving as coach for the State Volleyball League Champions for 11 years. Her teams qualified for the State Volleyball Tournament 11 years and advanced to the quarterfinals and semifinal rounds. Her basketball teams qualified for the State Tournament 8 years, and advanced to the quarterfinal rounds. She has officiated at numerous high school state tournament finals and division II and III tournaments.
She has been named the Athletic Director or the Year (1998) by the National Council of Secondary School Athletic Directors, was recognized by the Connecticut High School Coaching Association as the Outstanding Volleyball Coach in 1987. The Connecticut Affiliated Board of Volleyball Officials awarded her the Professional Service Award in 1997 and she received the Professional Service Award from the Connecticut Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance in 1992. In 1993, she received the Volleyball Professional Service Award.
Barbara has been affiliated and worked with many professional associations including: the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors, the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, the Connecticut Affiliated Board of High School and College Volleyball Officials, the Connecticut Basketball Officiating Board, and the Connecticut Softball Officiating Board. As a part of her involvement with these organizations, she was actively involved with advancing the role of girls and women in sport.