Danbury’s Ricky Shook receives Gold Key from state sportswriters

Danbury High wrestling coach Ricky Shook received a Gold Key from the Connecticut Sports Writers’ Allinace Sunday — the first wrestling-only coach to be recognized with a Gold Key. He is standing next to a painting of the program cover. More photos

SOUTHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2021 – As comfortable as Ricky Shook is on the wrestling mat helping guide the fortunes of his Danbury High wrestlers, he is pretty smooth on the banquet circuit too.

It comes with the territory. Danbury has been the dominant wrestling program in the state for a generation now with multiple CIAC Class LL and State Open championships along with three of the last four New England championships.

Organizations love to honor success and, for a few moments, bask in the achievements of champions.

In the wrestling community, Shook’s success is no secret and he has been recognized for his program’s accomplishments on multiple occasions. He was inducted into the Connecticut chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2013, named to the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018 and named to the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2016.

On Sunday, Shook broke some new ground when he was awarded a Gold Key from the Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance at their 79th annual banquet. He isn’t the first wrestling coach to receive a Gold Key from the organization but he is the first wrestling-only coach to be honored.

Two West Hartford coaches, Hall’s Frank Robinson (2001) and Conard’s Bob McKee (2004), were previously honored with a Gold Key but both men coached multiple sports, primarily football.

The Gold Key is presented to men and women who have made noteworthy contributions to athletics in Connecticut and it is regarded as the most prestigious sports award in the state. The Alliance has been presenting the award since 1940.

Shook joined a group that includes:

• President George H.W. Bush, honored for his election to the presidency and his play with the Yale baseball team in the 1940s
• Hall of Fame hockey players Gordie Howe, Ron Francis and Brian Leetch
• UConn coaching legends Geno Auriemma (women’s basketball), Jim Calhoun (men’s basketball) and Joe Morrone (men’s soccer)
• Marathon legend Bill Rodgers, who grew up in Newington
• Hall of Fame player and broadcaster Rebecca Lobo
• World champion boxer Marlon Starling from Hartford
• Two-time World Cup champion soccer player Kristine Lilly, who grew up in Wilton

Shook wasn’t aware of the Gold Key award before he received a Coach of the Year award from the Alliance in 2008. He smiled and was a bit humble when looking at the list of previous Gold Key recipients.

Danbury’s Ricky Shook at Sunday’s Gold Key banquet in Southington. More photos

But it all it took was asking him a single question about his Danbury High wrestling family to bring a sense of calm and familiarity back to his face.

“Everyone asks me why we are so good,” he said with a smile.

It’s not about him, he said.

“It’s a program more than a team,” Shook said. “Everyone talks about the Danbury High team and it’s not that. It’s a program Mike Morris started it. John Nimock made us better. Actually, Morris says he started it, Nimock made us good and I made us famous.”

He smiled. Morris didn’t start the Danbury High program. It got its start in the late 1960s but it really began to get successful when he coached the team from 1979-91. Under Nimock (1992-99), the program picked up speed and started regularly winning Class LL and State Open titles. Shook took over in November 1999, after 11 years as an assistant coach in the program.

“There are so many people involved,” he said.

There is the Danbury Youth Wrestling Association that has Danbury wrestlers competing in elementary school and at the middle school level. Nearly every coach in the organization has been coached by either Morris, Nimock or Shook.

“So, they only know one way,” Shook said. “It’s not my way. It is our way.

“Literally, we still go by the same curriculum that we’ve had since I came back to Danbury,” he said. He rejoined the program as a coach after graduating from Central Connecticut State University where he wrestled under Hall of Fame coach Ken Destefanis, with a degree in Management.

“It’s the same curriculum with (some) adds. We haven’t subtracted anything, and we actually go to old school stuff when we need to.”

The goals are strikingly similar each year. Improve during the season and win a state championship at the high school level. “The little guys (at the elementary and middle school level) know that,” Shook said. “The high school guys go down and help the little guys, so its more of family than a team.”

Shook has former players coaching in college and has had numerous wrestlers compete in college. Right now, he has three of his former wrestlers competing at the Division I level with nationally-ranked North Carolina State.

Shook praised his wife, Kim, for giving him the time and opportunity to coach wrestling all of these years. “My wife is the one that took care of our kids,” he said. “I have to thank her because she put up with all of the days I was missing during the winter.”

He also praised Danbury High athletic director Chip Salvestrini for his assistance through the years. “No one likes their athletic director as much as I do. He does a great job and puts up with me,” Shook said.

Shook was honored with Cookie Bromage (Enfield field hockey), Joe Grippo (Morgan girls volleyball and girls basketball) and Lou Milardo (Hale-Ray softball), who were recognized with Gold Key awards. Gold Key recipient Angela Tammaro (Greenwich Academy field hockey and lacrosse) wasn’t able to attend.

The event was postponed four times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally scheduled to be held in April 2019. Alliance president Tim Jensen stretched out his arms and let out a celebratory roar when the banquet began after 18 months of delays in holding the banquet.

Another member of the wrestling community was honored at the Gold Key banquet on Sunday.

Enfield’s Ben Aleks, left, and Danbury’s Ricky Shook at Sunday’s Gold Key banquet in Southington. Aleks received a Good Sport Award from the Alliance for his work to build a wrestling room for two Enfield programs. More photos

Enfield’s Ben Aleks received the John Wentworth Good Sport award for his help in creating a wrestling room for the Enfield High and Enfield Eagles youth wrestling program.

Aleks spearheaded the effort to construct a dedicated wrestling room for the Enfield High program at the former Fermi High building. He contributed time, energy and financial resources to convert an old band room into practice center for the high school and youth wrestling programs.

In December 2019, it was named the Ben Aleks Wrestling Center in his honor.

Aleks wrestled at Cathedral High in Springfield, Mass., and returned to coach there from 1969-78 before becoming the head coach at Fermi High for 11 years (1983-94). Since retiring from Fermi, he has stayed involved in wrestling as a volunteer assistant, first with the Fermi and now Enfield High School, for the past 25 years. He was also instrumental in helping revive the Enfield Eagles youth wrestling program, which had been dormant for nearly 30 years.

The Good Sport award is presented to individuals who unselfishly devote their time and energy to the promotion of athletics for youngsters of all ages.

Bob Bromage, Gold Key honoree Cookie Bromage and Ben Aleks at Sunday’s Gold Key banquet in Southington. Cookie Bromage started the field hockey program at Enfield High and coached the team for 52 years. More photos

Previous Gold Key recipients