National Wrestling Hall of Fame Inducts Local Wrestling Hero

Twenty-five year Massapequa resident Jerry Seckler has been chosen as a 1998 inductee into The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum.

The Lifetime Service Award program was designed to honor and recognize dedicated wrestling coaches and other individuals for their years of commitment to young people. This award acknowledges their tireless and dedicated efforts to develop the characteristics in young people that will allow them to succeed not just in wrestling but in life.

Jerry Seckler has been involved with wrestling virtually his entire life, as a wrestler, coach and contributor to the sport he loves so much. Starting as an eighth grader, he finished second in the Nassau County South Shore Championships. As a freshman wrestling for Valley Stream Central, he was undefeated in dual meets and placed second in the Long Island Championships. As a sophomore, he repeated as South Shore Champion and placed fifth in the National AAU Championships. In his junior year he was South Shore and Long Island Champion and also Senior Met Champion. His scholastic career was capped off by a National Prep School Championship and was selected outstanding Prep School wrestler in the nation. Wrestling for Penn State, he continued his successful career by going undefeated in dual meets as a junior and was a co-captain of Penn State's EIWA championship team.

Jerry began his coaching career in the Freeport school system in 1962 working with both the JV and varsity programs. In 1966 he was freshman coach at Columbia University. From 1967 though 1973, Jerry was the head coach of the Columbia varsity and, in 1972/73 was president of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association.

Jerry has always remained interested and committed to Long Island wrestling. In 1968 he instituted the Kid Wrestling Program for the Town of Hempstead and Town of Hempstead Summer Wrestling Tournament. Over the year, he has also directed the inter-collegiate double dual meet at Nassau Coliseum and two USA vs. Russia meets.

Jerry's latest contribution to Long Island wrestling has been the development of The Friends of Long Island Wrestling. The "Friends" is a not-for-profit organization that was developed several years ago, mainly through his efforts. As chairman of the organization, he's been instrumental in initiating and actively participating in all of the activities of the group. These include The Hall of Fame/Reunion Dinners, the Stop DWI: and Summer Wrestling Tournaments and the televising of the Nassau and Suffolk County High School Championships.

Mr. Seckler is currently the executive director of the Nassau County Office of Cultural Development, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the fine arts in Nassau County.