Hall of Fame
It’s been a year since she moved from Ventnor, N.J., to the Orlando area, and Eileen Herbig Berzanskis is still getting used to the surroundings.
Don’t get her wrong — there’s something to be said for living on a beautiful golf course in sunny Florida. But she can’t help looking around and wondering, Is this my life or The Discovery Channel?
"The alligators are everywhere," she declared. "They’ve eaten my husband’s golf balls. And the lizards are climbing the walls. And you should see the roadkill down here — big wild boars by the side of the road. It’s quite a different experience."
Berzanskis donned her pith helmet and moved to Florida so her husband and sons could golf year-round. "My two older boys play varsity in high school," she said, "and this gives them the opportunity to improve."
With enough improvement, their athletic careers might just measure up to Mom’s. Berzanskis was the first Cabrini woman to score 1,000 points in basketball, played a major role in its volleyball success and served as team captain in both sports.
In basketball, Berzanskis became the all-time leading scorer with 1,318 points. (She might still rule the roost if the three-pointer hadn’t emerged three months after her final game.) She was the complete package, leading the Cavs in scoring three times in four seasons while averaging 6.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
As a setter in volleyball, Berzanskis helped lead the Cavs to records of 14-4 (1982) and 16-5 (1984) — still the two best in team history.
When Berzanskis arrived from South Philly’s St. Maria Goretti High, the volleyball team had been successful in the just-for-fun era. Problem was, that era was about over. As women’s athletics grew more intense, in came an intense new coach in Gerry Szabo.
"All of a sudden we’d have six-hour practices," Berzanskis remembered. "My legs would be burning. But it was a great feeling being able to compete on a high level."
To help her sons compete academically, she home-schooled her two older boys until high school, and today she’s doing the same with 5-year-old John. She taught high school algebra and geometry for five years before starting a family.
"I loved playing and competing for Cabrini," said Berzanskis, who joins her family on the golf course. "I loved my relationships with friends and teammates. And I still enjoy playing sports and watching my children play."
