web1_TTL121815ToysForTots1.jpg

Bekins A-1 Movers joins Toys for Tots program to deliver more than 33,000 toys

Letter to the Editor: Thanks for supplying 275-plus gifts to area senior citizens

<p>The Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum consists of a rare group of individuals from the Wyoming Valley with a handful of men inducted in the previous 22 classes.</p><p>That group will grow by two in 2016 when a pair of wrestling lifers from the area will be inducted.</p><p>Frank Wadas and Ned McGinley were notified earlier this year they would be included as part of the nine-member class enshrined in the 2016 class April 24 at the Hershey Lodge.</p><p>Even though both are already members of other wrestling Halls of Fame, the current honor is recognizing their longevity in the sport with the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award. For these two, it couldn&#8217;t be more true as both have been involved in the sport for more than a century combined.</p><p>&#8220;Wrestling has always been a very important thing in my life and the life of my family,&#8221; McGinley said. &#8220;It&#8217;s that you have to have the passion for it. You have to have the love for it. So this is the perfect conclusion to that.&#8221;</p><p>Said Wadas about receiving the recognition: &#8220;You really feel a sense of accomplishment. It&#8217;s a nice thrill just to be even considered.&#8221;</p><p>Both started their wrestling careers on similar paths during the heyday of wrestling in the area, the 1950s and 1960s. The one common factor in both careers was Alan Husband, then assistant coach at Kingston High School when McGinley wrestled, who, a few years later, started the Dallas wrestling program where he was Wadas&#8217; head coach.</p><p>While the two have known each other for decades, the other common tie between them occurred nearly 50 years later when Wadas joined McGinley in the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Now, 11 years later, they bond once again.</p><p>After college, McGinley started the King&#8217;s College program and has served as head coach of the Monarchs for 47 years, including the current campaign. In that time, he&#8217;s piled up 439 career team wins to date.</p><p>Like McGinley, Wadas got into coaching right after college and led Tunkhannock for 32 years where he racked up 329 victories. He is still active in the sport, serving as an official for 40 years, being director of the Tunkhannock Kiwanis Tournament, serving as treasurer of the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association and being a member of PWCA Convention and Clinic Committee.</p><p>&#8220;Frank is one of those guys who is always there behind the scenes,&#8221; McGinley said about his counterpart. &#8220;He&#8217;s one of those guys that&#8217;s always doing something. He&#8217;s just a great ambassador.&#8221;</p><p>As a coach at Tunkhannock, Wadas is one of just five District 2 coaches to pass 300 career wins, trailing only Dana Balum, who amassed 461 victories at Coughlin.</p><p>&#8220;This is really an honor, but it&#8217;s reflecting that I&#8217;ve had a love for the sport and I&#8217;ve been able to do all this with my family support,&#8221; Wadas said. &#8220;(I was) able to commit to everything, a lot of things I love doing.&#8221;</p><p>Both new inductees were emotional when they learned the news of their inductions. McGinley will be alongside John Reese, his college coach at Wilkes, after being nominated by Bernie Nasser, a former wrestler on his very first team at King&#8217;s who was enshrined in the Connecticut Chapter as an official in 2013. Many people close to McGinley also sent in nominations without his knowledge to have him enshrined.</p><p>&#8220;My approach to all these things is if they happen, they happen. I&#8217;m not going to go out and chase after it,&#8221; McGinley said. &#8220;And, luckily, a lot of other people wanted to do it more than I, as far as the chasing is concerned. I&#8217;m just very happy it happened.</p><p>&#8220;As you come to the end of your career, you&#8217;re glad you meant something to people.&#8221;</p><p>One of the people who nominated Wadas was longtime friend Tony Iasiello, who coached Bethlehem Catholic for 38 years and was enshrined in 2006. Iasiello notified Wadas of his nomination in the summer before passing away at the age of 72.</p><p>&#8220;He was such a great guy and it&#8217;s one of those things where &#8212; I&#8217;m sure his wife&#8217;s gonna be there &#8212; but it would&#8217;ve been nice if he was there, too,&#8221; Wadas said.</p><p>At age 72, McGinley is still going strong as coach of the Monarchs, something Wadas admires.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s phenomenal. I think it&#8217;s great that he still has the enthusiasm and can keep doing that,&#8221; Wadas said. &#8220;Because it&#8217;s very difficult. It is a big-time commitment.&#8221;</p><p>Wadas knows all about commitment. In fact, both men do. That&#8217;s why they&#8217;re joining such an elite group.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_McGinley_Wadas.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">King&#8217;s College wrestling coach Ned McGinley, left, and former Tunkhannock wrestling coach Frank Wadas will join a rare group when they are inducted into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in April. The two were together recently to do video interviews for the ceremony to be held in Hershey. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_McGinley_Wadas.jpg</photo0><caption0>King&#8217;s College wrestling coach Ned McGinley, left, and former Tunkhannock wrestling coach Frank Wadas will join a rare group when they are inducted into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in April. The two were together recently to do video interviews for the ceremony to be held in Hershey. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Wrestling coaches to be inducted into highly-regarded Hall</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dave Rosengrant</p><p>drosengrant@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dave Rosengrant at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @tldrosengrant</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Frank Wadas and Ned McGinley will be inducted into Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum