Steve Poliachik is receiving the Career Achievement Award for tonight’s induction ceremonies. Poliachik has had an outstanding sports career. At Bennett he was involved in coaching Girls softball for 24 years from 1979-1982 compiling 182 wins, Girls basketball for 24 years from 1979-2002 compiling 163 wins and Girls volleyball for 18 years from 1985-2002 compiling 108 wins. In all three sports his teams had multiple invitations to the sectional playoffs.
Poliachik played organized baseball for 45 years in elementary school, Mckinley High School, Jacksonville University and UB. At McKinley he starred in three sports – baseball, football and basketball where he was All High in baseball as a pitcher and in football as a quarterback.
In 1962 he played on the American Legion DelBello team which won the U.S. Championships in Bismarck, North Dakota. Another highlight of his career also occurred in 1962 when he was invited to try out for the New York Yankees. The team felt that he would benefit more by attending Jacksonville University on a baseball scholarship. Shortly after he transferred to UB where he also played baseball.
Other noteworthy feats were pitching batting practice, filming hitters and charting pitchers for the Buffalo Bisons, appearing in a bit part in the movie “The Natural” which was filmed in Buffalo,and pitching batting practice in Old-Timer Games to such players as Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. He is also a member of the WNY Baseball Hall of Fame and Harvard Cup Football Hall of Fame.
Poliachik said, “I greatly appreciate the many awards and achievements that I have been honored with in my life. However, being inducted into the Bennett Sports Hall of Fame is a dream come true. Being involved in coaching at Bennett gave me the chance to be directly involved in coaching my two daughters, Kim and Kristen who are both members of the Bennett High School Sports Hall of Fame. The sacrifice of my wife will never be forgotten. She has always been there for me as I pursued the goals that I wished to attain.’