Friends, family and the Hamburg community braved the frigid January temperatures to witness New Tripoli resident Bill Tritt’s induction into the high school’s hall of fame.

Nominated by Hamburg high school’s athletic director, Aaron Menapace, the event acknowledged Tritt’s long and storied career as the high school’s tennis coach.

“I nominated Bill Tritt who coached a total of 40 seasons,” Menapace said. “He holds the all-time school record for total wins.”

“I’ve known Bill Tritt to be a fantastic man of integrity,” he continued. “He’s a person of character, a person of extreme competence. He knows tennis inside out.”

“Bill is really one of my all-time favorite persons,” Menapace said. “He still comes to school and shoots baskets. We spent hours talking in my office. Good friends.”

The feeling was mutual as Tritt accepted the award.

“It’s an honor and a privilege,” he said. “Coaching here was one of the highlights of my life. I enjoyed every bit of it.”

“The kids that I coached were absolutely remarkable,” he continued. “I’m thankful for the support of the athletic department and the staff for the support that I asked for.”

In reflecting on his years as a coach, Tritt praised the school district.

“I felt free to coach the way I wanted to coach,” he said. “I was more interested in having a good tennis team than I was in having one or two good players.”

The induction is yet another recognition for Tritt who has been named Hamburg Area Coach of the Year numerous times.

In 2011, the United States Tennis Association named him Middle States High School Coach of the Year and in 2014, he was recognized as the Berks County Coach of the Year for girls’ tennis.

“You can be the best coach in the world but you’re not going to win if you don’t have good players,” said Tritt as he paid tribute to his players. “My job was to assist them in their development as players. The best way to get better at tennis is to play tennis.”

Tritt acknowledged his three assistant coaches, Shari Wilson, Janelle Roberts, and Kayla Morgan who helped him in this mission.

Wilson and her husband attended the induction.

“Bill and I were mixed doubles partners,” she said. “It was his final year, and he needed an assistant coach, so I immediately volunteered. I had never coached before, but he knew my game.”

“I never saw a coach that gave them so much time,” Wilson said. “Often some of his players would come and play with us.”

“What I realized was how he developed the team. Before the season, off season, he made them the players that they were. He devoted a lot of love and time. He built the program.”

Parents of some of the players also came out to celebrate the coach.

“We’re here to support Bill,” Lauren Shebby said. “Our daughter played all four years of her high school career at Hamburg. We loved watching her play and grow.”

Her daughter is now in med school, studying at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Tritt’s daughter, Sarah Tritt Young, inherited her father’s love of the game.

“He was always supportive and drove me to all my tournaments,” she said, “but if I wanted to quit I could.”

“[My dad] was very pragmatic, supportive and realistic, never sugar coating a situation,” she added. “At Texas State, I got full ride on tennis. While I was at college, he was really important to me.”

“Since he was a great athlete himself, he was a great support.”

Besides Tritt, Erica Lutz ‘17 and Carrie (Wilhelm) Price ‘00 were also inducted into Hamburg’s 2025-2026 hall of fame.

A celebratory dinner was served in the high school cafeteria before the induction that took place Jan. 30 at halftime of the varsity boys basketball game between Hamburg and Fleetwood.