Age is nothing more than a number to Albertson resident Rosalia Gioia.
Even at 84 years old, Gioia said, she has no plans to stop being a sports official, a passion of hers since 1952.
“As long as God has given me the health, I will continue officiating,” she said.
Gioia has been coaching and officiating sports games for more than 60 years, including girl’s basketball, volleyball, field hockey, lacrosse and softball at various levels of play.
On Sept. 31, Gioia’s decades of dedication were recognized when she was inducted into the Nassau County High School Athletic Hall of Fame at a ceremony at Crest Hollow Country Club.
Along with 27 other Nassau County residents, Gioia was honored for her outstanding service and leadership for the high school interscholastic programs for the boys and girls in Nassau County.
There are more than 1,000 officials on Long Island, Gioia said, and she felt extremely fortunate to be one of the few chosen for induction.
“Being recognized by my peers was a great honor,” Gioia said. “To get picked out of that elite group was very important.” It was extremely rewarding and heartwarming to be recognized in my own backyard”
Gioia’s induction into the Nassau County High School Athletic Fame is only the most recent of Gioia’s hall of fame accomplishments.
She has also been inducted into the U.S. National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, the Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame, the Nassau County Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Hunter College Distinguished Alumnae Hall of Fame, the Hunter College Athletic Hall of Fame and the New Hyde Park Memorial High School Hall of Fame.
Gioia was one of the original staff members when New Hyde Park Memorial High School opened in 1956.
During her 37 year tenure at New Hyde Park Memorial, Gioia coached girl’s field hockey, lacrosse, basketball tennis and volleyball.
She was also the girl’s athletic director, chairmen of the physical education department, a teacher and an administrator.
Gioia was even selected as a reserve player for U.S. Women’s National Lacrosse Team in 1966.
Despite her many accolades, Gioia said that becoming a member of the Nassau County High School Athletic Hall of Fame is one of her proudest achievements.
“(It is) pretty high up there next to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame,” she said. “It was extremely rewarding and heartwarming to be recognized in my own backyard. The community recognized my devotion so that others can play the game.”
Born in Brooklyn, Gioia was a physical education major at Hunter College.
During her time there, Gioia said, she saw officiating as professional path.
Title IX, the historic law that allowed for equal gender participation in college sports, had not yet been passed. Female athletes were not offered college scholarships while Gioia was in school.
Her start in officiating came in local Catholic Youth Organization games.
Those games evolved into Catholic high school sports for girls, which Gioia described as being “very competitive.”
After that, Gioia began officiating a many of the sports she played as a girl, including field hockey, lacrosse, volleyball and softball.
She has also officiated tournaments on both the national and international level in field hockey and lacrosse, her two favorite sports.
“Sports have given me identity,” Gioia said. “[Sports] have been a vehicle for me to serve as a role model for young girls. [They] can see that a women can officiate, play very competitively and take a leadership role.”
Competition is still a major part of Gioia’s life.
She runs track and plays softball in senior competition to stay fit to officiate hockey and lacrosse.
“Officiating is unselfish,” Gioia said. “It has always been a service to me, not a job. I’m not the best official in the world, but I’ve had a successful career. I’ve always left a game with a satisfying feeling.”
Even though officials are not always as revered or adored as players, Gioia said, they play a vital role in the sports world.
“Officials are important and we need to recognize them too,” she said. “You can’t play the game without us.”
