BRATTLEBORO — Football has been a lifelong passion for Grady Vigneau. In his playing days for Brattleboro Union High School and the University of New Hampshire, he battled in the trenches, standing up strong for his teammates, and creating opportunities for the offense to progress down the field. It's been that way in his life off the gridiron as well — first as a coach, then as a founder and leader of sports camps for aspiring high school and college athletes, and now as a mentor for youth and adults as head of a large YMCA organization in Massachusetts.
"I believe in encouragement," Vigneau says. "I don't believe in putting people down. The greatest gift that I can have as a leader is to earn influence, and that's what my goal is.
I don't want to be a dictator or a hands-on mathematical educator. I want to influence kids, I want to inspire them to inspire." He will likely use that platform again Saturday when he serves as master of ceremonies for the annual BHS/BUHS Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet at the Post 5 American Legion Hall.
There are 11 inductees in this year’s class, including: Paul Beebe (1961), Everett Dunklee (1964), Jacob Ellis (2012), John Galanes (1985), Kathy Georgina (1992), Jeff Kerylow (1978), Chris Millerick (1988), Neil Ravenna (1981), Kevin Sprague (1992), Heath Squires (1994) and Brigid Thies (2004). "I've done these banquets two or three times, and I love it," said Vigneau, a member of the inaugural Hall of Fame class of 2020. "Coming back and b.
