Betsy C. Cussen, Massachusetts – 2002

Each year for the last 30 years, Betsy has coached skiing; additionally, she coached tennis and softball. She co-founded and coached in the local Bill Koch Youth Ski League and has been working with the ski league for over ten years.

Her league and board affiliations include the Mass. Bay West High School Ski League (president 1996-2002) and the Wachusett High School League in tennis and softball.

Win/loss records for her teams are not available because of the time and era during which she coached. Although she never held a rating, she was in great demand as an official. As an advocate, she frequently stepped in and served as a coach for a girls’ team because the team would have been dropped if she had not cared. She also encouraged her alpine skiers to do cross country skiing – and they usually became hooked by it.

Tournament involvement includes coaching teams who participated in MIAA Cross Country State Ski meets. She has served as a finish line official at MIAA Cross Country State Ski meets for several years. Last year she served as the MIAA State Alpine Ski Championship Tournament Director. The Boston Globe cited her for her development of a computer program which produced prompt and accurate results.

“I am both awed and honored at being considered for the Women’s Hall of Fame. I was a teacher by profession and an athlete by avocation and coaching seemed a natural extension. The playing field is a wonderful place to teach valuable lessons in self-control, team play, cooperation and sportsmanship. Therefore, when a gym class needed a teacher or a team needed a coach I would volunteer. And here I am, 30+ years later, still at it.”