Kathleen Delaney Smith, Massachusetts- 1998
Joy Kisling has devoted 45 years to advancing opportunities for girls and women in sports, building a legacy that has forever shaped athletics in Connecticut. A graduate of Pace University, Kisling co-founded the Bethel Softball Association in 1979, ensuring that young girls had a place to play organized sports – an opportunity she herself never had growing up. For the next three decades, she coached in the Bethel Softball Association and the Danbury Women’s League, helping to instill a love for the game. Her impact reached beyond the diamond as well, serving on the Coaching Accountability Committee for Bethel Parks & Recreation and co-managing ASA State Tournament teams that competed at the state, regional, and even national levels.
An athlete in her own right, Kisling continued to compete throughout her adult life. She played in the “Over 50 Senior Softball League,” where she captured a gold medal in 2005, and for nearly 40 years was instrumental in keeping women active in a coed pickup volleyball league by organizing and ensuring female participation. Whether as a coach, player, or organizer, Kisling was always seeking ways to make sure women had a place in sports and that athletics remained accessible to people of all ages.
Her extraordinary dedication has been recognized with numerous honors. In 2003, Bethel dedicated a field in her name, a tribute to her many decades of service. She was honored with the Secretary of the State of Connecticut Public Service Award, the Old Timers Athletic Association Special Award, and most recently, induction into the ASA Connecticut Hall of Fame in 2021. These accolades speak to her reputation as a true legend in the Connecticut sports world, someone whose vision and advocacy have left a lasting impact.
For Kisling, however, her greatest award has always been more personal: the opportunity to coach her daughter Kris in T-ball, then to play alongside her on teams for many years towards the end of her own playing career. Those experiences reflect what has driven her entire career – the joy of building community through sports and creating spaces where women and girls could thrive. Joy Kisling’s legacy is one of passion, perseverance, and progress, and her induction into the New Agenda-Northeast Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute to a lifetime of opening doors for others.