Trophies will inaugurate Jackson sports traditions
Legendary wrestling coach Bernie Reider honored by board
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

Bernie Reider

JACKSON - Board of Education members said thank you to Bernie Reider and honored his 40 years of service to the Jackson School District during a recent meeting.

At the board's Oct. 16 meeting Reider received a standing ovation in recognition of his accomplishments over four decades. Board members told him that a plaque bearing his name will be placed in a wing of Jackson Memorial High School.

"This wing of Jackson Memorial High School is named for School is named for Bernard "Bernie" Reider, who dedicated 40 years to the Jackson School District from 1963 to 2003," board member Michael Hanlon said, reading from the plaque. "As a mathematics teacher, guidance counselor, coach, athletic director, vice principal and principal at JMHS and Director of Community Service for the district, Mr. Reider gave the students and staff of Jackson his heart and soul."

Hanlon said Reider's love for his students, his passion for coaching and athletics, especially wrestling, his inspiring spirit and energy and his unwavering support of students and athletes even after his retirement will always be remembered.

"The halls of Jackson Memorial High School were blessed with Bernie Reider for 40 years," Hanlon said. "The Jackson Board of Education in turn is proud to have this wing of the school bear his name forever."

Reider is Jackson Memorial's legendary wrestling coach. He guided individuals and teams to a multitude of state championships and other accomplishments.

Reider then shared the details about some of the latest awards he has donated to the district.

"When Jackson Liberty High School was in its formulation stages, my wife, Karen, and I talked over the possibility of presenting two trophies to the two high schools," Reider said. "We were doing this to establish some kind of a tradition for both schools."

Reider said Jackson Memorial has a lot of tradition in its athletic fields.

"Those traditions didn't come easy and didn't come fast," he said "There was a little piece here and a little piece there. Now, 45 years later, we have a lot of tradition at Jackson Memorial."

Jackson Liberty, on the other hand, is just in its infancy, he said.

"Their traditions are just getting started," Reider said of the 3-year-old high school. "So Karen and I are going to give these two trophies to the athletic departments of the two schools with the hope that it will be another tradition for one school and help establish some tradition at Jackson Liberty High School."

At the same time, he said, the trophies will honor two men who collectively gave about 50 years of service to the athletic department at Jackson Memorial as a coach in some cases and an athletic director in other cases.

"One of the awards is fairly cut and dry," Reider said. "It will go to the winner of the annual Thanksgiving day or Thanksgiving eve football game."

The award will be known as the Don Connor Award and the trophy will remain in the possession of the winning school for the ensuing year.

"The award is presented in the memory of the late Donald F. Connor, teacher, coach and athletic director with the Jackson School District from 1961 to 1987," Reider said. "Mr. Connor was widely know and well respected in the athletic community throughout the Shore Conference, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) and the National Federation of High School Athletic Directors."

Reider said when Connor began his tenure as Jackson Memorial's athletic director in 1966 the Jaguars fielded fewer than 10 teams. Under Connor's guidance that number had grown to 33 teams at the time of his death in October 1987.

Reider said Conner was dedicated to his job and respected by the athletes.

A second trophy to be known as the Ralph G. Carretta Cup, donated by Reider, will be awarded annually to the high school in Jackson that achieves the greatest success in varsity sports as determined by a set of established criteria.

"This will recognize either Jackson Liberty or Jackson Memorial for their students' collective efforts in athletics and will remain in the possession of the recipient school for the remainder of the ensuing school year," Reider said.

"The award is in honor of Ralph G. Carretta, who served the Jackson schools with distinction beginning in 1981. He was a teacher, a coach and an assistant principal before being appointed in 1994 as district director of athletics, a position he held until his retirement in 2007," Reider said.

Under Carretta's leadership many Jackson Memorial teams excelled at the highest levels of competition in the Shore Conference and the NJISIAA, he said.

One of Carretta's final projects before his retirement was the organization and inauguration of the Jackson Liberty athletic program.

"This trophy in Ralph Carretta's name can be given each season or at the end of the year," Reider said. "I will let the athletic departments, the coaches and the Board of Education decide the best way to do this."