Jack March brought big-time tennis to Cleveland by promoting the World Pro Championships from 1959 through 1964. They were staged at the Shaker Racquet Club, Cleveland Skating Club, Lakewood Park and the old Cleveland Arena. John’s tournaments opened the door for Davis Cup matches in Cleveland by proving that Cleveland was a major league tennis town.
A product of Rhodes High School and Ohio State University, Don McCafferty later served as assistant football coach at Kent State and with the Baltimore Colts of the NFL. As rookie head coach of the Colts, he turned around a faltering team and led them to a win in Super Bowl V. From Baltimore, Don moved over to the Detroit Lions but tragically died the following year, cutting short an exceptional coaching career.
As Athletic Director of the CYO of Cleveland from 1972 to 1985, Richard Hyland doubled the number of programs during his tenure. An innovator, he introduced free substitution for baseball and softball (later adopted nationally), girl’s soccer, cross-country and co-ed hockey. He was instrumental in the development of the CYO Coaches Certification Program, the first of his kind in the U.S. Dick also served as Secretary of the Cleveland Baseball Foundation.
After a successful career as a gymnast with the American Turners, Swiss Turner Gymnastic Society, and Kent State University, Joe Gura launched into a coaching career spanning, at present, 13 years. Thirty-eight of his club gymnasts have competed in national gymnastic championships, producing three national champions. At Magnificat High School. he led the team to state titles in 1991 and 1992.
A member of the East Tech and John Carroll Halls of Fame, Peter Amico went on to coach football, basketball and baseball for 25 years. He has officiated both football (45 yrs) and basketball (47 yrs) at the junior high school, high school and college levels. A rules interpreter of football and basketball rules for 25 years, Peter has received appreciation awards from The Cleveland Touchdown Club and The Basketball Coach’s Association.
While a student at East Technical High School in 1953, Sherlie Herford Rainey became the National AAU Champion in the Standing Broad Jump with an 8′-11″ leap. Winning the championship 3 out of 4 times, in 1958 she set a new American record of 9′-½”. She was voted the Outstanding Female Athlete in the 1957 K of C Track Meet and garnered AAU All-American Honors in 1955, 1957 and 1958. A graduate of Cleveland State University, Sherlie served as Mayor of Woodmere Village from 1980 to 1989.
David Dickenson played on and captained the University of Virginia tennis team and in 1962 moved to Cleveland. He became the Greater Cleveland Men’s Champion in 1962, 1963 and 1964, and the Ohio State Claycourt Champion in 1962. He coached the Northeastern Ohio Junior Davis Cup Team in 1963 and 1964. David won the National 50’s Claycourt Championship in 1989 and has played in numerous national and international tennis competitions. He and his wife Francis are a nationally ranked senior mixed doubles team.
Born in Pennsylvania, Ralph Caraffi came to Cleveland in 1925 to play soccer for the American Hungarians and scored three goals in his first appearance to signal what was to be an exceptional career spanning several years. His team reached the Western Finals of the National Challenge Cup two out of three years, won the Ohio State Cup competition in 1926, 1927 and 1929, and was National Runner-Up in 1930. Ralph was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1959.
A native greater Clevelander, Glenn Mills began participating in competitive swimming even before he went to school. In high school he set a National Record in the 100 yard breastroke. In 1980 he won the Senior National Championship, establishing a new national record, and won the U.S.A. Olympic Trials that year to qualify for the USA Team. In 1983, representing the University of Alabama, he won the NCAA 200 yard breastroke title.
Born and raised in Greater Cleveland, Kris Kirchner rose through the swimming ranks of local and regional competition. A gold medalist in the Pan American and World Student Games, he won the NCAA Sprint title in 1981 representing the University of Texas. He was a member of the 1980 USA Olympic Team and successfully participated in a number of international competitions. Kris currently is head swimming coach at Indiana University.