Ruth Hewston had a love for athletics her entire life and started teaching sports, including volleyball, to children at the town park and recreation summer programs while she was still in high school.
Ruth carried this love into her teaching career by earning a degree in Physical Education at Southern Connecticut State College, currently Southern Connecticut State University. Shortly after beginning her teaching career at Bristol Eastern High School, she would also begin her coaching career. Ruth coached for a decade where she made lifelong friendships and fostered the love of volleyball, teaching and coaching; including Coral Richardson a Connecticut Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame (CWVBHF) 2023 inductee. Coral would continue to influence Ruth for many years after high school, sharing their passion for coaching and officiating. She began officiating girls’ volleyball in 1982 and continued for 40 years.
Along with her career in coaching and officiating girls’ volleyball, Ruth also played a major role in the development of the boys’ volleyball program from a club to an officially sanctioned Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) high school sport, and would become the leagues assignor for more than 40 years. Blessed to create lifelong friendships with Heather Kursman, Shirley Breuer, CWVBHF Class of 2016, Liz Alling, Brian Hurlock, and along with many others.
In addition, Ruth volunteered with the Special Olympics and Unified Sports. She was honored to be selected as an official for the World Special Olympics held in New Haven, Connecticut in 1995. Ruth was the recipient of the Michael’s Jewelers Unified Sports Cup Friends of Unified Sports, as well as the 2024 Boys’ Volleyball Official of the year.