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I'd like to take a moment to thank the
many individuals and businesses who have helped us in organizing, implementing
and funding our 2005 Summer Basketball Program. We ran three leagues concurrently
this season, and enrolled nearly 150 participants, along with a host of
volunteers who generously donated their time as coaches, assistants and helpers.
Twenty-two neighborhood businesses and residents joined in the effort as team
sponsors. This truly was a community effort, and the reward was watching our
neighborhood kids participating in a safe, competitive and fun summer recreation
program. My sincerest thanks to everyone who has contributed to this
effort.
Clint Burton
League Coordinator
OUR HATS OFF TO:
Our Citiparks Partners:
First, special thanks to the staff members
at the Recreation Center, who did much to facilitate the program, especially
Director Michelle Underwood, who was instrumental in sharing her leadership and
experience. Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation Mike Radley helped with
the refurbishing of the basketball court, along with Public Works Supervisor
John Russo. Citiparks Area Supervisor Jim Krashna made sure we had the necessary
equipment available to host the games.
Our Team Sponsors:
A-Boss Opticians
Antonio's Pizzeria
Boulevard Ice Cream
Brookline Medicine Shoppe
Chrislynn Energy Services
Community Bank
Conditioned Air, Inc.
Cookie Lee Jewelry
DeBor Funeral Home
Down-Low Clothing
Fancy Nancy's
Hideaway Mini Mart
IL Padrino Deli
J & J Landscaping
Keystone Rehabilitation
Todd Kollinger (Kollinger Concrete)
Rudy Lopez (Rudy's)
Moonlite Cafe
National City Bank
Pittsburgh Metropolitan Magazine
Pizzarella
Violet Bouquet Flower Shop
Our Volunteer Coaches:
Maeve Gallagher, Bridget Buskirk, Dan Noszka, Kali Casper, Les Funteio, Rob Heinrich,
Sean Stein, Darrelle Mott, Milan Tyler, Sam Erwin and Nate Mosey.
Filling in from time to time were Denny Bowersox, Kevin Smith, A.J. Tinney,
Jim Cyphers, Jeff Kmiecik, Matt McGraw and Jim McGraw.
I can't say enough about the role that
our volunteer coaches played in this basketball program. They worked with their
players and helped to mold them into functional basketball teams. They taught
their young players new skills and the value of teamwork. The difference in the
quality of play from Game 1 until the playoffs was astounding, and it was a
pleasure to see both the individual player development and the way the kids
interacted so positively with their coaches. A lot of responsibility was
delegated to these fine individuals and they did not let us down. In fact,
they rose to the challenge and did a fantastic job as both role models and
mentors.
Our Volunteer Helpers:
Andrew Moore, Maureen McNeill, Shelby Casper, Frank Kalsek, Matt McGraw,
Brandon Schnupp, Ashlee Albright, Nate Tunell, Matt Newman, James
Zeiler, Timmy Albright, Vince Gaultieri, Frank Marshall, Patrick Hamilton,
and I'm sure there are some others who I've forgotten to mention. Sorry
folks!
These boys and girls were there to
help with the setup before the games and they were there to help put things away
when the day was done. They helped run the scoreboard and hung in there when the
going got tough. The keypad kept sticking, but they did their best under some
pressure to stay on top of the seconds when the games got close. We could not
have accomplished all that we did without these dedicated kids. A special pat
on the back to Maureen McNeill, a former Rec Center employee who returned to
work some of the girl's games before moving to Baltimore for a new teaching job.
Good luck Maureen!
Our Referees:
This year we tried something new. The
Recreation Center hosted a Referee Clinic for local boys and girls 15 years of
age and older, then provided on-the-job training. These individuals worked all
of the 14-Under games and did a wonderful job in an atmosphere that at times
bordered on the frenetic. They handled the pressure and made the calls. Sure,
they missed a few, but nobody's perfect. All things considered, they are in line
for a well-deserved round of applause. They definitely earned their Certificate
of Achievement!
Congratulations to Bo Hodgkiss, Doug
Sullivan, John Barley, Jim McGraw, Jahi Mott, Matt McGraw, Eric Alioto,
and Les Funteio. Special thanks to Bill O'Malley, who worked several games
as an on-court instructor/referee.
For our 17-Under games, we enlisted
PIAA-certified referees, and they did a great job in keeping things in order and
creating a stable environment for the older boys to showcase their talents.
From the PIAA: Jack Barley, Tim Loughrin,
Michael Fahey, John Jenkins, Dave Dittler, Bruce Buskirk, Brian Rumski, Rob
Thiebaud, Lisa Forman and Tom Briarcheck.
Finally, I'll share with you one
memorable moment from the 2005 season that sticks out so vividly in my mind.
In four years of running these leagues, I've seen a lot of great plays and
heart-stopping action, but on July 28 I saw something that I most definitely
will never forget. In a girl's game, the players were attempting to get the
ball to one particular player so that she could score her first points of the
season. A pass was thrown to her which went awry and ended up in the hands of
an opponent, Linsey McElroy. Rather than take the ball upcourt, Linsey stopped
in her tracks. She handed the ball back to her wide-eyed opponent, who promptly
found her spot and put the ball in the hoop for her first two points. It was so
spontaneous, and just too cool. This simple act of kindness stands out as a
perfect example of what this is all about. Simply put, kids coming together to
play together and have fun together. It's not all about winning and losing. It's
all about kids playing and having fun. Linsey's selfless act gave a fellow player
and a new friend a chance to have her own moment of glory.
Go Linsey!
Thanks Again Everyone! ... Clint
On a more somber note,
only two months after leading his Boys 17-Under team to the final round of
the playoffs, on October 9, 2005, David Dixon, our League MVP, was killed in
a tragic car accident on Bigelow Boulevard. I had known David since he signed
up for our basketball league back in the Winter of 2002-2003. Always polite and
a bit on the quiet side, this well-mannered young man consistently amazed me with
his maturity and his athletic skills. He was like lightning on the basketball
court and sure could put on a show. It was a pleasure to have known David
and it is with certainty that when we gaze into the heavens, David Dixon's
eternal light is shining down upon us...Clint
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