THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 11, 1996 TAG: 9602100088
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER
CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Larry Piland, a longtime worker in the Churchland Baseball Association, has been selected as Sports Person of the Year for 1995 by the Portsmouth Sports Club.
In August Piland, 50, ended a two-year term as president of the organization, which conducts the Pony League program in the Churchland area. He has been affiliated with the association for 15 years and will continue to serve on its board of directors. He also is the league's liaison with the city Recreation Department.
For the past three years he has served on the transportation committee for the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.
A native of Portsmouth and 1963 graduate of Wilson High School, where he ran track and cross-country, Piland attended Old Dominion University. He is an electronics technician at SupShip in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
Piland and wife Judy are the parents of four - Greg, 26; Tim, 23; Mary, 16, and Joey, 14. They have one granddaughter, Ashlyn. Joey is currently playing in the Pony League.
Piland began his work in youth leagues as a coach in the Churchland Little League when Greg played.
``I didn't get involved into the running of the league until my sons started in the Pony League,'' said Piland. ``I say running the league. That means things like pushing a shovel or a rake or cutting the grass, too.''
Piland said he was ``very surprised'' by his selection as Sports Person of the Year. ``I am not a member of the Sports Club but I have attended the last three Jamborees. I'm aware of the outstanding list of recipients of this award and overwhelmed to be considered in the same vein with them.
``But it takes a whole bunch of people to operate a youth baseball program and it's only in behalf of all of them that I could accept this.''
The 50th annual Sports Club Jamboree is scheduled on March 6 at Holiday Inn-Portside. Featured speaker will be Donnie Shell, director of player relations for the Carolina Panthers in the National Football League. ILLUSTRATION: SPORTS PERSON OF THE YEAR
Larry Pilnad just ended a two-year term as president of the
Churchland Baseball Association.
PAST WINNERS
[For a copy of the list, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB