An 81-year-old assistant coach at Staples High School, Kelly will be one of five finalists for the volunteer honor when the USOC presents its annual National, Development and Volunteer Coach of the Year awards during the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Award luncheon, May 3 in Washington, D.C.

As part of the USOC program, USA Field Hockey and other U.S. Olympic and Pan American sports organizations selected their 2006 Coaches of the Year with finalists in each category selected by a panel of former coaches and officials. Joining Kelly in the Volunteer Coach of the Year category are fellow finalists Tom Barker (Victoria, Texas/USA Archery), Patrick Barry (Las Vegas, Nev./USA Boxing), Chuck Slaughter (Amarillo, Texas/U.S. Fencing) and Booker Woods (USA Track & Field).

With Kelly's selection, USA Field Hockey has produced USOC Coach of the Year finalists in each of the past two years and three times since 1998. Emmaus (Pa.) High School coach Sue Butz-Stavin (Fleetwood, Pa.) was named a USOC Developmental Coach of the Year finalist in 2005 while Moorestown High School assistant coach Bea Thomas (Moorestown, N.J) was a Developmental Coach finalist in 1998.

With the 81-year-old Kelly as a volunteer assistant, Staples High finished the 2006 season with a 10-7-1 record and qualified for the CIAC Class L State Tournament. During the season, he helped coach two Staples players to All-Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference honors in Brooke Donovan and Jocie Horelik. Donovan also earned Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State second team honors.

The retired Navy lieutenant began playing field hockey in Rye, N.Y. at the age of 14. He later helped found the Privateers international touring field hockey team that originated with members of the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. The team served to develop the sport worldwide and provided Kelly with the opportunity to compete internationally in places such as Belgium, England, Egypt, France, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Trinidad & Tobago. Kelly last appeared with the Privateers at the 1998 National Hockey Festival where the team won the Veteran’s Division title. He scored a goal in his final game at the age of 73.

In addition to his duties with the Staples team, Kelly serves as a volunteer at the Pequot Library and on the beautification committee of the Westport Garden Club.

“I’m paying back the sport,” Kelly said of his continued involvement in field hockey. “It gave me a lot.”

USA Field Hockey's 2006 Coaches of the Year also included USA women's National Team coach Lee Bodimeade (Virginia Beach, Va.) as the organization's National Coach of the Year and Wyoming Seminary head coach Karen Klassner (Kingston, Pa.) as Developmental Coach of the Year.

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