Laura Dermody (center) receives USA Wrestling Beach Person of the Year Award from U.S. Beach National Championships event directors John Leone and Lou Lombardo

Laura Dermody of Rochester, N.Y. was named the 2010 USA Wrestling Beach Person of the Year. This award is being presented by USA Wrestling's Developing Styles Program to a person who has made major contributions to Beach wrestling in the United States. 

The award was presented during the weekend of the U.S. Beach National Championships and World Team Trials in Rochester, N.Y., July 10-11.

Dermody has worked for three years as Operations Manager for the Monroe County Sports Commission, the organization which hosts the U.S. Beach National Championships and World Team Trials.

She has been an integral member of the Local Organizing Committee for the Beach Nationals, working alongside Event Directors Lou Lombardo, John Leone and Don Murray, the Team Titan Worldwide Wrestling Club and other Rochester-area wrestling leaders who organize and conduct the event. She has also worked closely with USA Wrestling’s national staff in the organization of the tournament.

Dermody is also actively involved in all of the other events going on during the weekend, which is called the Ontario Beach Sports and Music Festival. A number of different sports have been held alongside the Beach Wrestling Nationals during her tenure, including volleyball, jetski, skateboarding, pickleball and others.

“Our staff is small and it is all hands on deck,” said Dermody about the Ontario Beach Sports and Music Festival. “Everybody has had a hand in this event in some way.”

As part of her job, Dermody is actively involved in a variety of functions for numerous sports events held in the community, including many local, regional and national competitions which come to Monroe County.

She is a graduate of St. John Fisher College, with a degree in sports management. Dermody was a softball player in college.

“I really enjoy working with the Local Organizing Committee for the Beach Nationals,” said Dermody. “They are great guys who work year round on behalf of the kids. I love doing this. It doesn’t feel like work to me. They put on a first-class event. I am proud of being part of it.”

USA Wrestling Beach Person of the Year
2010 – Laura Dermody, Monroe County Sports Commission, Rochester, N.Y.
2009 - Lou Lombardo, Rochester, N.Y.