Even before becoming a leading figure in Southern Tier high school athletics for 40 years, Ernie Lalley exemplified the best qualities of a student-athlete while at Cortland in the early 1930’s.
The Binghamton, N.Y., native competed in track, soccer, lacrosse, football, baseball and basketball at Cortland. Lalley was sports editor of the school newspaper, advertising manager of the yearbook, junior class president, secretary of both Beta Phi Epsilon fraternity and the Interfraternity Council, associate editor of the campus literary magazine, student manager of athletics and chairman of the Injury Fund Committee.
“The teaching philosophy of Dr. Frances Moench, Carl Davis and Fred Holloway was based on extended participation and the acquiring of skills,” recalled Lalley about Cortland. “The teaching of athletic skills was a prominent part of every physical education class. These skills were then transferred to intramural and inter-scholastic participation. All three instructors stressed the use of students as organizers and teachers.”
Lalley graduated with his health and physical education license from Cortland in 1933 and earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia Teacher’s College in 1936. He earned a master’s degree from New York University School of Education in 1943.
From 1933 to 1935, Lalley taught and coached at Cincinnatus (N.Y.) Central School. In 1936, he moved to Binghamton North High School where he would, starting the following year, serve as director of athletics until 1959. In addition, Lalley coached junior varsity football between 1937-52, volleyball from 1947-59, baseball for two seasons, and golf and tennis for five seasons each.
Lalley shifted to Binghamton Central School in 1959, remaining there as senior guidance counselor and senior class advisor until he retired in 1970. Lalley came out of retirement for one year to fill in as a guidance counselor in Chenango Valley High School.
Elected to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Section Four Hall of Fame, Lalley was an active member of the NYSPHAA football, soccer, basketball and baseball officiating chapters. The Southern Tier Conference Athletic League secretary from 1947 to 1966, Lalley was the league representative to Section Four. He was Section Four president between 1950-53, track chairman from 1937-40, and volleyball chairman from 1947-56.
A former examiner for the American Red Cross, Lalley served as New York State softball chairman from 1946-62 and has been a staff member of the Hillcrest Free Library. He has written articles for Scholastic Coach, Athletic Journal and Coach & Athlete. His fiction has been published in Collegiate Quarterly, Action Sports and Columbia Magazine.
Lalley worked extensively in summer camps between 1932 and 1946. He began at Camp Crone in Cortland, was head counselor at Grand Isle Camp in South Hero, Vt., taught the camp leadership course at Cortland, and was program director for the Binghamton YMCA Camp Arrowhead.
Lalley and his wife, DeEtta, have five children.
UPDATE: Lalley passed away in 1993.
