Bill > K00710

This resolution honors Melissa D'Antonio O'Rourke, a distinguished multi-sport athlete from Rome Free Academy (RFA), for her exceptional achievements in athletics, particularly field hockey, and her subsequent career as an educator and coach. The resolution highlights her outstanding accomplishments, including being a three-time Onondaga High School League All-Star goalkeeper who set a school record with 199 saves in 1988, earning a scholarship to Miami University (Ohio), where she continued to excel by setting the school's career save percentage record and earning academic honors. After graduation, she became a goalkeepers coach at Central Michigan University and later returned to Rome, where she worked as a physical education and health teacher and volunteer coach. The resolution emphasizes her coaching success, including leading RFA to field hockey and golf sectional championships and developing multiple state champions in alpine skiing. The document celebrates her induction into the Rome Sports Hall of Fame on July 27, 2025, recognizing her not only as an exceptional athlete but also as a dedicated mentor who has positively impacted her community through her leadership, sportsmanship, and commitment to developing young athletes both on and off the field.

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/K710