Melba Masse, Vermont – 2003
Melba is currently an administrative assistant in the Athletic Department at Essex High School. For twenty-five years, she was involved in coaching women’s sports – basketball for fifteen years, field hockey for eleven, softball for ten, as well as cheerleading. She has served on various state committees during her career, including the committee that organized, started, and ran the first state tournaments for girls in Vermont. Her involvement with girls’ sports has spanned 49 years.
Melba started the field hockey program at Essex High School and has a lifetime record of 96-40-21. She also started softball at Essex High School and her teams have posted over 100 wins. Her basketball teams have a lifetime record of 11- 54. All of her teams – basketball, field hockey and softball – have been involved in postseason play. Her basketball teams won 2 league championships and 1 state championship, and her softball teams won a league championship and 1 state championship.
She is the Executive Secretary for the Northern Vermont Athletic council, a league of 37 schools, and Executive Secretary of the Vermont Hockey League, which has 26 boys’ teams and 29 girls’ teams. She is on many DGWS committees, is a member of the Vermont State Athletic Directors Association, the Vermont Principals Association, and the National Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Melba has been recognized by many organizations for her contributions to women’s sports. She was inducted into the Johnson State College Athletic Hall of Fame, received the Northern Vermont Athletic Council Bob Pierce Award, the NIAAA State Award of Merit, two VSADA Distinguished Service Awards, a National Citation from the National Federation of High Schools, and was inducted into the Vermont Principals Association Hall of Fame.