CATE'S SPOTLIGHT: It’s About Time… It’s About Team In Bristol!

Legacies can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people.

Bristol High School and all schools should successfully build and honor their storied traditions.

Throughout its history, BHS has moved from location to location throughout Bristol Borough, often receiving its name from the street it resided upon at the time. This trend continued until it officially became “Bristol High School” in 1922, after the annexation of the Harriman neighborhood into the borough.

The Harriman Village School, built in 1917 at the corner of Garfield Street and Wilson Avenue, eventually became what is now the current location of BHS with an additional wing built in 1926.

The three essential phases of a school’s legacy include creating a legacy for tomorrow, maintaining it today, and preserving its glorious past.

A legacy is a collage of countless memories, achievements, and milestones, an intricate mosaic that not only reflects the pride of students, faculty, and alumni but also serves as a beacon for future generations.

The foundation is laid brick by brick, moment by moment.

The preservation and promotion of a high school’s athletics history and tradition is of the utmost importance for any athletic department, connecting the past with the present. Recognizing a variety of athletic eras, while properly documenting the accomplishments and how each had a significant impact, should be a focus as oftentimes athletic members prove to be the best financial donors.

An opportunity for public recognition is the absolute best tie-in with alumni, allowing them to feel connected to current student-athletes and coaches, an important ingredient for success while showing athletes where they are now and illustrating how they have become successful.

Robert Nicholas Liberatore, Sr., BHS ‘57/ B.S Economics, Villanova ’61/ Advanced studies Business Management, U of PA Wharton School / IT, MIT Sloan School, the Founder/President of The Liberator Group, Global Business Development, is on a mission.

He is recognized and respected for his outstanding leadership ability and immutable character and he celebrates the school’s history with an enthusiastic passion.

Bob is an optimistic gentleman who seems ever enthusiastic about life and living, and he cherishes the influential mentoring he received from his guiding influence, Army Air Corps veteran, Captain Anthony “Chic” D’Angelo, BHS ’42.

“There can be little disagreement or question that the 1956-57 Warrior Team and its great coach “Chic” D’Angelo made BHS, the community, and Lower Bucks County proud to this very day,” he confirms.

On November 8, 1977, Anthony “Chic” D’Angelo passed away, on his 54th birthday, from a massive heart attack.

He was the architect, and director, and executed the implementation of the most successful Bristol Borough Youth basketball programs and facilities in the county.

“Please earnestly consider the ‘1955-56 BHS Basketball Team’ for induction into the BHS Athletic Hall of Fame, focusing upon its extraordinary achievements during that championship season and the ’55-’56 scholastic/league competitive era. This Team has been recognized throughout these many years in the Bristol Community and Bucks County as one of the finest teams to scholastically compete in Lower Bucks County League [LBCL], proudly sporting the BHS Warrior ‘red/gray’ uniforms.”

It appears profoundly puzzling that today, not one of the brilliant and innovative Coach’s enormously successful teams is represented in BHS-HOF. This Team or Coach ‘does not’ lack HOF legitimacy because it did not win a state championship. The team is worthy of BHOF lasting acclaim due to its significantly noted time-honored competitive accomplishments.

“There can be no legitimate or accurate legacy of BHS basketball without a ‘Chic’ Coached team being inducted on its absolute merits, and this is his most accomplished Team among many others. There can be little creditable discussions concerning the legacy and excellence of all past BHS Basketball teams, coaches, and players without the inclusion of this outstanding ’56-’57 Team in the BHS HOF.”

His suggestion is to look at team inductions to date, with no additional teams added in years. BHS has had 141 graduating classes, town of 9-12 thousand people, has but ‘six’ teams inducted. “Only ‘Two’ in Basketball, only ‘One’ coach, in a town and school noted for its basketball teams, coaches, and players, county-wide, for decades and to this day.”

He doesn’t need to get credit. He just wants to see things get done.

His passion for this endeavor knows no bounds: a man with a plan, and the discipline to make that successful plan work.

Bob Liberatore’s goal is to keep Coach Chic and the team’s legacy alive; such big shoes to fill!

Time passes much too quickly….