By Nicole Falco
Instead, use Dolich as an example of how a little hard work and passion can affect a life. On April 30 Andy Dolich, member of the South High School Class of 1965 and currently president of business operations for the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team, became the eighth recipient of his alma mater's Distinguished Alumni Award. Past recipients include Academy Award-winning producer Deborah Oppenheimer and former Congressman Ray McGrath.
Since 1993 South High School has been honoring successful alumni with a Distinguished Alumni Award. North and Central High Schools also honor successful graduates. The awards are given in conjunction with the Village of Valley Stream. In presenting the award the school and community get to pat themselves and the recipient on the back for a job well done and the recipients often deliver speeches that serve as motivation to the students lucky enough to hear them.
Nominated by Bernie O'Brien, South's former athletic director, Dolich told the students, "I am the poster child for your possibility."
"I wasn't the class valedictorian...I didn't play in the NBA...my parents were thousandaires [not millionaires]...but I did have a passion," Dolich said. "That passion was sports. I had a passion for enthusiasm and teamwork. That passion was nurtured - you probably don't believe it - right here."
Dolich played varsity basketball and soccer at South and was active in the Yorkers Club and Student Council. Dolich showed the students the warm-up jersey he wore as a student at South.
After graduating from South Dolich earned a bachelor's in government from American University and a master's degree in sports management from Ohio University. He began his career in 1971 working for the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team.
Dolich has come along way since 13 Forest Road, the house he grew up in. His career has taken him across the world, working for seven professional sports teams including the Oakland Athletics (the team that gave him the World Series ring in 1989), and to the head of his own sports business consulting firm, Dolich and Associates, from 1995-98.
After the awards ceremony, which was attended by students, teachers, school administrators, community leaders including Mayor Ed Cahill, Legislator Francis Becker and Councilman James Darcy, Dolich's brother Barry and his wife, Carol Logan Dolich, a classmate, Stuart Kandel, and former teachers Booker Gibson, Ed Schmidt and O'Brien, Dolich spent time with students enrolled in a sports and entertainment marketing class. He also promised those students free tickets to a Grizzlies' game if they travel to the Memphis area.
Dolich answered students' questions and one student, in particular, was eager to hear what he had to say. Tom Mercurio, a 2001 South graduate, asked the school's principal, Dr. Stephen Lando, if he could sit in on Dolich's talk. That same afternoon Mercurio had an appointment with St. John's University. Mercurio intends to transfer from Nassau Community College to St. John's where he wants to major in sports management.
Mercurio's mother, Pattie, who attended with her son, said she had been skeptical about her son's career choice until she had the opportunity to hear Dolich.
"If you have enough passion you can do whatever you want and I think I have that passion," Mercurio said after speaking with Dolich.
While the students learned a great deal from Dolich, he also learned something from them.
"As much as life changes, life stays the same," Dolich said.
Dolich lives in Memphis. He is married to Ellen and the couple has three children. Dolich's son is thinking about following in his father's footsteps and works for a minor league baseball team.
