NASHUA – Hundreds gathered at Conway Arena on Thursday night for the second Nashua Police Athletic League Awards dinner to listen to the words of its Man of the Year, renowned sportswriter Bob Ryan, and celebrate the local sports journalists, PAL athletes, coaches and volunteers that make the league so successful.

The Telegraph-sponsored event serves as the key fundraiser for PAL, whose purpose is to serve as a non-profit source of coaching and mentoring for youth athletes throughout the area.

“I am truly honored to be here as a former PAL member,” Ryan said, who emphasized the importance of this night for his fellow award-winners. “When I received that phone call I was truly excited.”

Ryan’s speech capped off the evening as he spoke of his childhood as a PAL member in his hometown of Trenton, N.J., his beginnings as a sportswriter and how he became a success as a writer at the Boston Globe for the past 44 years.

One key point Ryan focused on throughout his speech was the importance of developing a voice as a journalist.

“There is a misconception about sportswriters,” Ryan said of the expected objectivity of
sportswriters, which he considers stupid. “Every word that is used is your choice.

“Writers need the freedom to develop a point of view. Objectivity is a synonym for bland.”

What did Ryan see as the most important aspect of his ability to establish a successful career as a sportswriter for so long?

“You have to love sports,” he said.

With Ryan headlining the awards, active PAL members who were also honored include its two Coaches of the Year, Karen Long and Brendan Keegan.

Long led her Gate City Striders Sub-Bantams to the U8 cross country national championship, while her efforts as a leader and volunteer did not go unnoticed.

Keegan was also recognized as the founder of the PAL Force flag football program while leading his team to back-to-back undefeated seasons for the NHYFSA Flag Super Bowl championships.

Being honored as PAL Broadcast Journalists of the Year was the father-son tandem of Edward F. Lecius and Edward J. Lecius.

Edward F., the elder Lecius, spent 30 years as a broadcaster at WOTW as news and sports director, while becoming the voice of the Nashua High School football program before his passing in 1976, at age 59.

His son, Edward J., followed in the footsteps of his father, as he has called over 500 Nashua, Bishop Guertin and Merrimack high school sporting events in his career.

“If you’re going to be successful and live here, you have to be willing to give back,” Lecius said of being part of the Nashua community and learning from his father.

Junior PAL of the Year went to incoming eighth-grader Andrew Nunes, who has served as an active member at the PAL Youth Safe Haven for the past two years.

PAL Athletes of the Year include Tylee Thurber (girls cross country), Ryan Vermette (boys cross country), Lauren Grabeau (cheerleading), Greg Stanton (football) and Ronny Angeles (boxing).