Scholastic Roundup: Neuberger returns to his roots

April 23, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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Barry Neuberger has returned to his Brooklyn roots – and is quite happy about it.

The Wingate High grad joins Yeshiva of Flatbush as Athletic Director for both the Elementary and High School, effective August.

In his new role, Barry will develop our athletics program and all of our sports teams to continue to raise the level of play of our student-athletes as well as increase student student commitment to our athletics programs, according to a statement released by Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Rothman, Executive Director.

As part of his development of the athletics program, he will supervise and mentor the coaching staff to continue to elevate the quality of coaching and instruction. In addition, he will oversee the public relations and branding of the program.

Neuberger most recently served as Assistant Athletics Director for Development and Student-Athlete Recruitment at Yeshiva University. Prior to Yeshiva, he was Associate Athletics Director for Sports Marketing at Columbia University.

He’s enjoyed a long-standing history of basketball in the Jewish community, dating back to his time as Director of Basketball at Camp Raleigh, Head Coach of Basketball at Manhattan’s Solomon Schechter School, and most recently as Director of Athletics at Camp Seneca Lake. Neuberger earned his BA in accounting, finance and management from Pace University.

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Spencer Ross admits he never had the privilege of meeting Prince Phillip. “I never met him,” said the New Utrecht grad who was the first play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn Nets, when they were dubbed, the New Jersey Americans. “But I always considered him to be a cool dude.”

Prince Phillip recently passed at the age of 99, and was married to the Queen of England for 73 years.

Ross says he knows one person who got to know the Duke of Edinburgh. Her name – Muriel Grossfeld.

She was U.S. Gymnastics champ and a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1956 – also competed in 1960 and ’64 –a three-time Olympian.

Grossfeld was her married name. The wife of legendary gymnastic coach Abie Grossfeld who developed a sports dynasty at tiny Southern Connecticut University. Abie just celebrated birthday number 87 – he competed and/or coached seven different U.S. Olympic teams.

Two of his athletes were good enough to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in 1980 – they never competed. “That was the year we boycotted the games,” Ross reminds. “I vividly remember their names – Wallace Miller and Mario Mccutcheon.”

They were both African-Americans – in a sport that has not seen much male success over the years.

And they were both from The Bronx – not exactly a hot-bed for the sport. “They were coached by man who became my friend and broadcasting colleague in the early years of HBO,” said Ross. “His name, John Traetta at DeWitt Clinton High School.”

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John later went on to great success forming a company named High Bar Productions.

Do you remember when each morning ESPN began the day with an hour-long workout show? That was John’s brainchild.

Back to Prince Phillip – and Muriel Grossfeld.

“We worked together during the 1994 Olympics in Los Angeles and immediately developed a friendship,” Ross said. “The subject came around to those Olympic Games in 1956 held in Melbourne, Australia over dinner one night.

“That’s where she told me she had met Prince Phillip. He had watched her perform and took a liking to this then 16-year-old athlete,” he said.

So much so that he contacted U.S. authorities and asked if he might invite her to dinner aboard the Royal Yacht. They, of course, agreed and a car was waiting for her at the Olympic Village – and Muriel spent three evenings dining and talking with Britain’s formal representative to the games, Prince Phillip.

They kept up a correspondence through the years, Ross remembered.

“So that’s how I got to know, or at least got some personal info about Prince Phillip,” Ross said, “sadly, just learned Muriel passed away in January at the age of 80.”

Spencer Ross had a basketball scholarship to Florida State University after graduating New Utrecht High School. His Hall of Fame broadcasting career saw him calling play-by-play for every professional New York Metropolitan area sports franchise, including the Yankees, Nets and Knicks – and Boston Celtics in the NBA – in the NHL the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and New York Rangers and in the NFL the Giants and Jets. He also called Racing from Yonkers and Roosevelt with Stan Bergstein on WOR-TV Channel 9.

Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio national talk show host. Previously, he was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may be reached at: [email protected].