2nd Annual Show Your Sports Fundraiser

The 2nd Annual Show Your S’port event will be held Friday, May 4 starting at 7 p.m. at the Newburyport Senior/Community Center. The event is presented by the Newburyport Parks Conservancy and honors local coaches while raising funds for the 24 city parks and athletic fields.

This year the event will honor three well-known coaches: Michael Barry, the driving force behind the Newburyport Pioneer League for more than 30 years; Kevin Lucy, former NHS head basketball coach; and Neil Reardon, multi-sport NHS coach for more than 30 years.

Last year’s event raised $47,196 which funded new dugouts at Richie Eaton Baseball Field, field maintenance equipment including an infield groomer, ball field mower, ball lining equipment, irrigation installation and repairs and sports equipment needed by the NHS athletic department. The event honored Ed Gaudiano, Tim Foley, and Don Hennigar. In addition to highlighting this year’s honorees, funds raised this year will again benefit Newburyport’s athletic fields and facilities through the Newburyport Parks Conservancy.

Mike Barry has been a coach, manager, umpire, or member of the board of Pioneer League for more than 30 years. He also acted as league registrar and scheduler, a time consuming and thankless job, for most of his years with the league. Mike has also been the most generous donor to the Diamond Dreams program contributing his time and energy and financial support. Mike did it all out of love for the game of baseball even though he had no kids of his own in the league. Fellow league members call him "the glue that kept the Pioneer League running smoothly."

A basketball coaching legend, Kevin Lucy, NHS class of 1967, was NHS Head Basketball Coach from 1979-2000, recorded 252 Wins and won five CAL titles. In 2000, Lucy led the Clippers to the only state championship in the 58-year history of the program and was named the CAL Coach of the Year. Coach Lucy built his strong boys basketball program working with elementary and middle school kids at his winter and summer basketball camps. Lucy was inducted into the NHS Wall of Fame in 2006. Lucy was also All NEC Football and Basketball, NEC Hoop Leading Scorer 1966, Class B Football All-Star, Class B Football Champions 1966, and All KCAC Football and 1970 NAIA All-American Ottawa University

Neil Reardon, NHS class of 1969, was NHS Girls Basketball Coach from 1983-2009 and won eight Cape Ann League titles, was a three time North Finalist, and an Eastern MA Finalist. His most dominant stretch was during 1998-2004 as Head Girls Basketball Coach winning 63 straight CAL games and seven straight CAL titles making him the basketball coach with the most all time wins. He was inducted into the NHS Wall of Fame in 2007, coached JV Boys Basketball 1977-1982, Girls Tennis 1983-1990, and Boys Tennis 1991-2009. Reardon was also a Newburyport teacher 1977-2009 and Molin Award recipient in 2007. Coach Reardon helped build the girls basketball program by running camps and working with elementary and middle school kids for over 25 years.