Former Avon coach, administrator Barbara Startup inducted in Hall of Honor

CHESHIRE, April 11 – Former Avon High coach and athletic director Barbara Startup was one of 10 men and women to be inducted into the CAS/CIAC Hall of Honor on Thursday night.

Startup, Jerry Auclair, Bill Baron, Alan Bookman, John Daly, Jean Kenney Daly, Bob Ford, George Ford, Paul Hoey and Pat Llodra were recognized for their exceptional service to the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC).

This marks the fourth induction class for the CAS-CIAC Hall of Honor which was established to honor individuals who have made significant long-term contributions to CAS-CIAC. There have now been 32 individuals selected for this prestigious honor.

Startup spent 20 years as the CIAC tournament director for the girls volleyball and was the director for the softball tournament for seven years. She also represented the athletics directors on numerous sport committees as well as the CIAC Board of Control during her career as an administrator at Enfield, Avon, and Glastonbury.

Startup coached at Avon High for many years, leading the volleyball, girls basketball and softball teams. She also coached soccer and tennis.

Her varsity teams at Avon combined to win 368 games, including eight Northwest Conference titles in softball. Her volleyball teams at Avon qualified for the CIAC tournament 12 times in 15 years and posted undefeated regular seasons in 1984 and 1985. Her basketball teams won two Northwest Conference Division II titles in 1979 and 1980 and qualified for the state tournament 12 times in 14 years.

In 1988, she was hired as an assistant principal at Vernon Center Middle School. After a short stay in Vernon, she spent six years as the coordinator of physical education, intramurals and athletics in Enfield. In 1995, she returned to Avon as director of Student Activities.

In 1998, she was hired as the director of athletics in Glastonbury, a position she held until her retirement in 2007. In addition to her outstanding career as a teacher, administrator, athletic director and coach, Startup was also recognized as an exceptional volleyball official at the high school and collegiate level and was a member of the NFHS National Volleyball Rules Committee.

Startup was inducted in the Connecticut Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2011.