Hamden Hall Announces Inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame Honorees

Hamden Hall Country Day School recently announced the premier inductees into the school’s inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame. 

State Sen. Leonard Fasano, New Haven Legal Assistance deputy director Alexis Highsmith Smith, local attorney Alphonse Ippolito, author and media personality Chris Kuselias, former Hamden Hall basketball coach David Beckerman, and the 1962-’63 basketball team will be honored for their contributions both on the field and in the community at the Athletic Hall of Fame induction dinner on April 12, 2014. 

The four alumni recipients all went on to play college ball after standout academic and athletic careers at Hamden Hall and former coach David Beckerman accrued a record of 252 wins and 60 losses over his decade-long tenure at the school.  The 1962-’63 basketball team was the first team in the school’s history to receive an invitation to play in a post-season tournament.

“This inaugural class truly reflects the values and standards of excellence representative of a Hamden Hall education,” said Head of School Bob Izzo.  “The four individuals were stellar students and athletes, coach Beckerman and his record are legendary, and the 1963 basketball team established a legacy for our entire athletic program.”

Hamden Hall established the Athletic Hall of Fame to acknowledge and celebrate exceptional coaches, players, teams, and supporters of the school’s premier athletic program. 

Fasano, who graduated from Hamden Hall in 1977, is a past parent and former trustee at Hamden Hall.  He is also the president and founder of Fasano, Ippolito and Lee L.L.C.  While earning his bachelor of science degree at Yale University, Fasano played halfback for the Yale Varsity football program under legendary coach Carmen Cozza.

“Playing football at Hamden Hall was a dream come true for me as a teenage boy, and the experience taught me the importance of teamwork, leadership, and being part of something bigger than myself.  I am deeply grateful to be inducted into the new Athletic Hall of Fame,” said Fasano.

Smith set a school soccer record in 1996 and was co-captain of the Varsity Girls’ Soccer team and Girls’ Varsity Basketball team during her senior year at Hamden Hall.  She went on to Duke University and was a member and captain of the Duke Women’s Varsity Soccer team as well as a four-year Varsity letter winner.  She went on to earn her Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in 2005 and currently serves as a director on the Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology (Conncat) board. 

“I am so humbled to be considered as an inductee into the Hamden Hall Athletic Hall of Fame.  Hamden Hall carries such a rich tradition of producing talented students, responsible citizens, and strong leaders.  I have tried to embody that tradition throughout my life,” said Highsmith Smith.

Ippolito is a Hamden Hall past parent and former trustee and is an attorney at Fasano, Ippolito & Lee L.L.C.  He graduated cum laude in 1979 from Harvard College with a degree in applied mathematics – economics and from the Boston University School of Law in 1982.  While at Harvard, Al played freshman football in 1975 and then lettered in Varsity in 1977 and 1978. 

“There have been many good athletes who came before me and certainly after me so this was unexpected.  I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play early and often with extraordinary support from family, coaches, and teammates,” said Ippolito.

As a social entrepreneur, Kuselias is the founder of Career T.E.A.M. and is on a mission to assist one million Americans find gainful employment through his campaign, The Great American Career Calling.  Kuselias, a current Hamden Hall parent, was Hamden Hall’s first Division I Baseball Scholarship player and played at the University of Connecticut, where he earned a degree in finance.  Additionally, Kuselias was named as an alternate for the 1984 Pre-Olympic Baseball Team. 

“I am honored to be recognized by Hamden Hall, a community of friends and associates who have always been, and will always be, a major part of my life,” Kuselias said.

Beckerman is Hamden Hall’s former Varsity Basketball coach and a past grandparent at the school.  He is also founder and chairman of the board, Acorn Group, and currently serves as the head coach of the Varsity Boys’ Basketball team at The Pine Crest School in Florida.  David coached basketball at Hamden Hall for more than a decade – from 1993 through 2004 – and amassed 10 consecutive years of 22 wins or more.  Also during that time, Hamden Hall won eight New England Championships including six consecutive wins from 1998 through 2004.  Hamden Hall also garnered six Fairchester Championships under Beckerman, who produced nearly 20 college-bound players during his tenure. 

“The success of any coach comes from his players.  I was blessed with so many great student-athletes who understood the mission both in the classroom and on the basketball court,” said Beckerman.

Hamden Hall’s 1962-1963 Varsity Basketball team went 16-0 during its regular season and earned the squad the coveted title of Tri-County League Champions.  The team also earned a berth in the New England Prep School Basketball Tournament – a first for Hamden Hall in its then 50-year history.