Barbara Startup
Barbara Startup
Barb was both a coach and the athletic director at Avon High School. During her long and influential tenure, she led successful teams in volleyball, tennis, soccer, girls basketball and softball.
Her varsity teams at Avon combined to win 368 games, including eight Northwest Conference titles in softball. Her volleyball teams at Avon qualified for the CIAC tournament 12 times in 15 years and posted undefeated regular seasons in 1984 and 1985. Her basketball teams won two Northwest Conference titles in 1979 and 1980 and qualified for the state tournament 12 times in 14 years.
In 1988, she left Avon to be an assistant principal in Vernon. After a short stay there, Barbara spent six years as the coordinator of physical education, intramurals and athletics in Enfield before returning to Avon in 1995 as the director of Student Activities. In 1998, she was hired as the director of athletics in Glastonbury, a position she held until her retirement in 2007.
Startup spent 20 years as the CIAC tournament director for girls volleyball and was also the director for the State softball tournament for seven years. She also represented Connecticut athletics directors on numerous sport committees as well as served on the CIAC Board of Control during her career.
In addition to the impact she had as a teacher, administrator, athletic director and coach, Startup was also recognized as an exceptional volleyball official at the high school and collegiate level, working multiple CIAC championship games as well as Division II and Division III collegiate tournaments. She was also a member of the National High School Federation (NHSF) volleyball rules committee. Barbara trained volleyball officials, served as president of the Board of High School and College Officials, and was eventually inducted into the Connecticut Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2011.
Barbara was also honored with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrator Association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2004, and in 2019, Barbara was inducted in the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) / Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Hall of Honor to recognize individuals who have made significant long-term contributions to CAS and the CIAC.