Youngsters, coaches glad they chose CYO

CYO, which stands for Catholic Youth Organization, is, in the words of coach Jim Layton from Immaculate Conception parish in Glenville, "an opportunity to play basketball." The program particularly affects boys and girls who are just entering the teenage years

"We get kids that may not be at a level to play at the school traveling team," Mr. Layton said. "Although it's a competitive game and CYO is a competitive league, everyone realizes it's just a game."

Teaming up

"It's good to know that I can have an influence on a kid's life," he said. "You're not just learning basketball; you're learning respect. You need more than one person to win a game. In life, you need other people to help you. You have to work together to work as a team."

Mr. Layton recalls his own days in the Syracuse CYO leagues and credits the organization for rescuing him from a potentially dangerous situation in his early teen years.

"When I was that age, I used to hang around with a bad group. What CYO offered me was a chance to change my attitude and the way I looked at things," he said.

CYO, Mr. Layton continued, offers teenagers something they desperately need: affirmation and support. "There's someone that cares about you as an individual, someone who wants to see you stay out of trouble and do well in school and become a good person -- not just on a basketball court -- but overall, really mold you into a young man or woman," explained Mr. Layton.

Basics

"CYO is more fundamentals," he said. "More shooting drills and layups instead of running."

Alex also plays for St. Gabriel's team. He calls CYO "fun" and enjoys a sports culture he calls more "laid-back" than the one he experiences at school.

"There's not as much pressure to win," he said, admitting that he enjoyed the fact that his CYO team at St. Gabriel played better than his school team. "It's fun just to be good. The parents don't yell as much," he said.

It's important for young teens like Alex and Gregory to know that winning isn't everything, according to Mr. Buchanan. "If they tried their hardest, they did what they could. It's all about the effort," he said.

In the game

"There's more pressure on the kids in more sports programs today," he explained. "I think they're too wired and try to go at too fast a pace instead of slowing down and enjoying themselves."

"Sometimes, the scoreboard doesn't show how good we played," Mr. Buchanan said, noting that he liked to tell his boys that what makes a good team isn't a winning streak, but "coming up and doing better than last time. As long as they're trying hard enough, I'm not going to argue if they win or if they lose."

(11-21-02) [[In-content Ad]]