Coaching for Pizza: 42nd Annual Venturs County Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner

Sat.-Mon., June 6-8, 2026

This shaped up to be one of our busiest weekends in months, and indeed it was!

It was VC Sports Hall of Fame

Induction Dinner weekend

Our Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1983.

Each year, anywhere from five to seven new members are inducted into the Hall based on their ties to Ventura County sports world through their outstanding efforts as athletes, coaches, administrators, referees and media members.

Besides honoring these people for their career accomplishments, this dinner also recognizes 54 male and female Athletes of the Year from each of the 23 Ventura County high school, three community colleges and lone four year university.

Additionally, the Ventura County Star newspaper announces their male and female Ventura County Athletes of the Year at both the high school and collegiate levels.

The night's grand finale is the Hall's awarding of scholarship money to the two most deserving male and female scholar-athletes.

Besides being used as a beast of burden these past three days in helping to set up and then tear down the Padre Serra Center where our dinner is held, my main job is to be the speaker representing the Hall that announces each of the 27 Female high school and collegiate Athletes of the Year.

There is a lot of work that goes into holding this banquet but it is rewarding at the end of it all.

Here are our seven 2026 inductees:

Buena H.S.

Soccer

Simi Valley H.S.

Basketball Coach

Rio Mesa H.S.

Golf

Moorpark H.S.

Football, Basketball and Baseball

Buena H.S.

Basketball and Tennis

Oak Park H.S.

Basketball

Santa Clara H.S.

Basketball

With their induction, the Ventura County Hall of Fame now has 209 members.

The first order of business on Saturday morning was to haul 14 tables from Camarillo H.S. and all of the Hall of Fame plaques from their location at California Lutheran University to the Padre Serra Center.

Beast of burden time for about five of our VCSHF board members and spry Laurie Contreras as well.

Camaraderie is a good thing.

I found the shadows at the

Padre Serra Center to be . . .

. . . artsy photo ops

Let the set up BEGIN!

Tables for 340 people, please . . .

. . . getting there . . .

. . . the dining room was finally ready

Our 209 Hall of Fame plaques were

on display arounf the trees in

the Padre Serra Center courtyard

People were arriving in time

for cocktails

People of all ages were assembling

The reception was about over . . .

. . . time to find your seats

The food was excellent and the ceremonies went along smoothly. It was a GREAT night!

The ceremonies were finally over

and everyone was on their way home

All of the Hall's parts of the event were broken down and stored away awaiting our return on Monday morning to haul everything back to their permanent spots.

The Hall of Fame plaques were back

home at California Lutheran

University's Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center

Unfortunately, we can only display 35 of the 209 plaques at a time so monthly rotations are called for to honor everyone at least once annually.

This weekend left me thinking

about life's deepest conundrums . . .

. . . but not this one that

everyone knows to be true

While we were fully occupied with our Hall of Fame duties, American football was in full swing in Europe.

Italian DII Wild Card Game

The Padova Saints (7-2) had a hard

time defeating the Torino Reapers (3-6)

Italian DII Wild Card Game

The Trento Thunders (7-2) had an easy

time defeating the Cecina Trappers (4-5)

Italian DII Semifinals

June 20-21, 2026

Padova Saints (7-2) at

Milano Seamen (6-2)

Trento Thunders (7-2) at

Monza Daemons (8-0)

Cool Italian DII poster, I'm

LOVING both logos

Italian DIII Wild Card Game

The Verona Redskins (5-2) ended the

Varese Gorillas (5-2) magical season

Italian DIII Wild Card Game

No surprise here, the Piacenza Wolverines (6-1)

beat the Castelfranco Cavaliers (3-4)

Italian DIII Wild Card Game

A nail biter as Pisa TFU (5-2) outlasted

fiesty Palermo United (3-4)

Italian DIII Wild Card Game

This barnburner saw the Ravenna Chiefs (6-1)

sneak past the Roma Mavericks (3-4)

Italian DIII

Conference Semifinals

June 13-14, 2026

Northern Conference

Verona Redskins (5-2) at

Cagliari Crusaders (6-0)

Piacenza Wolverines (6-1) at

Trieste Muli (5-1)

Southern Conference

Pisa TFU (5-2) at

Formigine Honey Badgers (6-0)

Ravenna Chiefs (6-1) at

Bari Navy Seals (6-0)

Italian DI Playoffs start next

Saturday, June 13, 2026

with the two Wild Card Games

Ferrara Aquile (3-5) at

Torino Giaguari (5-3)

Legnano Frogs (5-3) at

Ancona Dolphins (5-3)

My Ace in the Hole!

The Central European Football

League Tournament continued

The CEFL's Semifinal Weekend

The two teams considered to be

the best from Italy and France

were meeting in one Semifinal game

France's Thonon-les-Bains Black Panthers

won a great game over Italy's

Firenze Guelfi

Switzerland's Calanda Broncos

dispensed of Poland's Warsaw Eagles

in the other CEFL semifinal game

The CEFL Bowl XX Championship Game

will take place on June 27, 2026

France's Thonon-les-Bains Black Panthers

vs.

Switzerland's Calanda Broncos

100% TRUE for me

The Dodgers took two out of three

from the Angels this weekend in

the Freeway Series

Thanks to some incredible plays like this one by second baseman Miguel Rojas.

The Toulon Canonniers are France's

2026 DIII National Champions

The Canonniers edged the Nantes Dockers, 8-6.

Hard to believe that it has now been 13 years since our beloved Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons won the 2013 French DIII crown.

This French DI Semifinal

shaped up to be a good one . . .

. . . and it was

The Cannes Iron Mask (11-0) over

Paris' La Courneuve Flash (8-3-1)

The Iron Mask await the winner of this coming weekend's other French DI Semifinal contest between the Thonon-les-Bains Black Panthers (10-1) and the Marsielle Blue Stars (7-4).