Nominations are now open for our next banquet scheduled for the first Saturday in May. If you feel you know an athlete or a team worthy of consideration for the Elyria Sports Hall of Fame, please download and print the form below, fill it out, and mail it to PO Box 1462, Elyria, Ohio 44036. Deadline for nominations is December 31. You must have your nomination postmarked by December 31 to be considered for the next Hall of Fame class. If you have any questions regarding the nomination process or what qualifications the Board of Trustees looks for, please ask by email at: tgebhardt@elyriasportshalloffame.org. You may also know someone who qualifies for the Distinguished Service award. The form for nomination is also at the bottom of this page.
Hall of Fame Eligibility
Enshrinee Selection
- Nominations for enshrinees shall be accepted from the general public on a form approved by the Elyria Sports Hall of Fame Validation Committee. Nominations to be considered for review by the validation committee will be closed on December 31st. The Validation Committee shall have the right to determine if there are any other qualified candidates who have not been nominated by the general public and shall nominate them.
- A candidate will not be considered for nomination until he or she is 12 years removed from the anniversary of their senior year of high school. Younger candidates will remain on file in a dormant status and will be considered once they have reached the required 12 years out of school. However, the Validation Committee reserves the right to waive the 12-year rule to present a candidate due to special extraordinary circumstances.
- Applicants must have a record of continuous good moral character.
- The Validation Committee will present a minimum of 10 individuals and possibly one or more teams on Election Night (February meeting). Five individuals will be elected. One or more teams may be elected.
- There will be four categories for consideration. All candidates must qualify under our criteria previously established for the Elyria Community.
- Athlete/Competitor Category. A candidate is well known for their exceptional athletic achievements as a competitor.
- Special Category. A candidate is well known for their exceptional accomplishments as a coach, athletic director, journalist, broadcaster, fan, booster, or any other endeavor pertaining to sports.
- Veteran Category. A candidate is well known for their exceptional accomplishments in either of the Athletic/Competitor or Special Categories and participated 40 or more years ago.
- Team Category. At the Validation Committee option, a minimum of one team will be presented at the February Election Night Meeting. High School State Championship teams will automatically be nominated for consideration upon the 12th anniversary of their accomplished season whether officially submitted or not. The accomplishments of those teams will be collected and compiled immediately by the Chairperson of the Validation Committee and kept in the dormant file until such time as it has reached the 12th anniversary of its championship season. It will be the responsibility of the Chairperson of the validation committee to contact the coach and/or participants to collect all valid information on such teams for future consideration. Either the general public or members of the ELYRIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME board must submit all other team nominations. The validation committee has the flexibility to present a special situation (track relay team, tennis doubles team etc.) where more than one team may be presented for consideration and nomination.
- Distinguished Sports Service Designation The Validation Committee may present a candidate or group of candidates for the Distinguished Sports Service Category. This category should be identified as a candidate who has been outstanding in a service related area including but not limited to outstanding service for the ELYRIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME, Youth sports (EX: Little League) coaching or volunteering, extraordinary trainer, supporter, fan or volunteer, coach or helper in some sports capacity including a collective group of individuals such as a booster club or organization that went above and beyond the normal. Please download and mail that nomination form to the PO Box indidated.
*Nominations
- Residents: Consideration will be given to city of Elyria residents, teams, groups and organizations who have participated in their respective sports activities in the city of Elyria or for the Elyria City Schools, Elyria Catholic High School, Elyria CYO, and any other chartered schools or activities in the city of Elyria.
- Non-residents: Consideration will also be given to non-Elyria residents, teams, groups and organizations who have participated in their respective sports activities inside the city of Elyria, Elyria City Schools, Elyria Catholic High School, Elyria CYO, and any other chartered schools in the city of Elyria.
- Other: Special consideration can be given to city of Elyria residents, teams, or groups who have brought special recognition to the city of Elyria for their contributions to sports. Provided their sports activity is not directly offered inside the city of Elyria, Elyria City Schools, Elyria Catholic High School, Elyria CYO, and any other chartered schools or activities in the city of Elyria.
- The person, team or group must have accomplished feats in or made contributions to sports, which accomplishments or contributions are of sufficient stature to merit permanent recognition by the citizens of the Elyria area.
- There will be no restrictions related to education, religion, nationality, race or sex.
Please note:
Nominations must be postmarked by December 31 of the current year to be considered for enshrinement at the banquet in May of the following year. Please submit only copies or scans of the information to be considered. Do not submit any original material that you consider a keepsake. We cannot return any of the items you submit for consideration. We may contact you with any questions regarding your nominee. Thank you in advance for your co-operation.
