Chicopee Comp to honor Kudzal again

Date: 11/25/2008

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



CHICOPEE It's a bright but freezing Thursday afternoon, but practice at Chicopee Comprehensive High School's new football team goes uninterrupted by the wind chill and Mitchell Kuzdal is smiling.

It's not that the retired educator loves cold weather he learned the day before the new field will be named after him. It will be used once this football season for the traditional Comp versus South Hadley game on Thanksgiving.

The previous football field had been named in his honor, but Kuzdal said this designation was particularly emotional for him because of the "magnitude of the complex."

The football field is a part of the new athletic grounds that include a softball field. The complex is on the location of the original Comp building.

Kuzdal had a long association with Chicopee education beginning with becoming a member of the faculty in 1953 at Chicopee High School. In 1962, he transferred to "the new school," he recalled with a smile, and taught business courses as well as being the faculty manager of the athletic program. Eventually he became chair of the business department.

As faculty manager of the athletic program, Kuzdal started all of the school sports with the exception of wrestling and volleyball.

In 1967 he was promoted to the position of vice principal and in 1979, he became principal. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 1995.

Mayor Michael Bissonnette said the school administration wanted to give senior members of the Comp football team the opportunity of playing one game their last on the new field. As Bissonnette spoke a number of workmen were finishing various parts of the facility.

"That's the reason everyone pulled together," he said. He added a particular thanks to Fontaine Brothers Construction for their help.

The game kicks off at 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

The game will provide school officials with a trial use of the field enabling them to prepare "a punch list now instead of waiting for next fall," the mayor explained.

Bissonnette, like the other people gathered on the field for the announcement, couldn't help but bounce a little on the field's artificial turf, which the mayor described as "state of the art."

"It's designed to prevent injuries and to last longer," Bissonnette said.

A formal dedication of the field will take place next year, Bissonnette added.

Kuzdal said he wanted to "express his appreciation to all the professional and non-professional staff" with whom he worked at Comp.