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Mark Meachem has fond memories of playing CYO basketball at St. Paul's Church in Schenectady.

"I played for St. Paul's in the late '70s and early '80s," he said. "I was on some good teams, but I always remember my sixth-grade CYO team. We were the co-champs of the league and my coach, Mr. Paul, was someone I still consider the best coach I ever had. I learned more about defense through him and the other dads that year than I did in high school and beyond."

Now a professor at Domin-ican College in Orangeburg, N.Y., and the father of four boys, Mr. Meachem tries to emulate some of the same techniques his CYO coaches used when he coaches his own children.

Those involved in Catholic Youth Organization basketball - otherwise known as CYO - hope their young players will grow up like Mr. Meachem, with fond memories of life lessons learned on the court.

Stats
Currently, there are 182 CYO basketball teams in the Albany Diocese, under the direction of Ray Piscitelli. Approximately 3,500 to 4,000 young people play on these teams.

According to the National Catholic Youth Organization Sports, a division of the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry, CYO programs strive to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in the world today; to draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission and work of the Catholic faith community; and to foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.

Still playing
Mr. Piscitelli said that the mergers and closures of parishes in the Diocese through the Called to be Church process have resulted in fewer teams. However, the number of young people participating has remained somewhat consistent.

According to Mr. Piscitelli, there are a variety of CYO basketball programs in the Diocese. Some parishes offer an introductory program that teaches the basics of the game to children in grades three and four; other parishes offer teams for those in grades three and four.

There are also the traditional "biddy" girls' and boys' teams, made up of children in grades five and six, and "junior" girls' and boys' teams of seventh- and eighth-graders.

Ralph Provenza, principal of St. Brigid's School in Watervliet, said that many of his students play on CYO teams through Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Watervliet. St. Brigid's has teams for children in grade three through middle school.

"It's a great program," Mr. Provenza told The Evangelist. "The children learn about respecting others, even in losing. They learn to help each other. The program reinforces self-control and social skills. There are a lot of lessons."

CYO basketball places an emphasis on family, Mr. Provenza said; it's common for parents and grandparents to be at games, cheering on the children.

He also noted that "church comes first: There are no practices or playing when church is scheduled."

Bill Murphy, coordinator for CYO basketball for Albany County and a parishioner of Mater Christi in Albany, said there are now only six parishes in his county fielding CYO teams, due to closures and mergers, but the overall number of children participating remains the same and some parishes have multiple teams.

Mater Christi parish, for example, has 14 different CYO teams, from grades three and four to junior teams.

Mr. Murphy said that CYO programs are parish-based rather than school-based. Children can play on a CYO team if they are parishioners of the sponsoring parish or they attend the parish school.

Each team can also take up to five "non-affiliated" players, Mr. Murphy said, referring to children who don't attend the parish or school.

Immaculate Heart of Mary's teams, for instance, include some non-Catholics. "We're a Catholic school, but we're not filled with only Catholics," Mr. Provenza explained. "Just as you don't have to be Catholic to be enrolled in the school, you don't have to be enrolled in the school to play on the team."

Boost for Ben
Jeannie Orr's son, Ben, plays on St. Helen's CYO basketball team in Schenectady. Mrs. Orr attends Grace Fellowship Church in Latham, but said her son's affiliation with CYO basketball has given her a very positive perspective on Catholicism.

Ben began playing recreational basketball at age five; but one year, he had a coach on a secular team who took the game too seriously. "Ben didn't feel valued," Mrs. Orr recalled. "He told us he didn't want to play any more, and he had always loved basketball."

A friend encouraged Ben to try out for St. Helen's CYO team instead, as it was made up of many classmates.

"It was a friendly atmosphere," Mrs. Orr said of CYO. "He got his confidence back, he felt valued, and he made friends. He's been taught that it's valuable to try your best."


(01/28/10)



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