Gioia-YMCA Youth BBall League Teams Are Champs

Novice Championship winners: Back Row: Coaches Peter Garcia, Gary Garcia, Elvis Reyes; third row: Jorge Portero, Aquell Martin; second row: Kristupas Stonys, Samuel Garcia, Steven Szwejkowski, Nicholas Reyes, Caleb Bowen, Christopher Reyes; first row: Christopher Gonzales, Jamal Keeling.

The third season of the Gioia-YMCA AllStars Youth Basketball League ended on Saturday, April 8 with a victory. After improving all season the Yellowjackets beat the previously undefeated Lakers in an overtime thriller, 26-25, to capture the Novice Division Championship. Caleb Bowen led the way for the Yellowjackets with 12 points, while Captain Samuel Garcia chipped in both offensively and defensively.

Coaches Peter and Gary Garcia both said that it was a "real team effort" with many players making significant contributions and making big plays on both ends of the floor.

In the Bantam Division, the Lions beat the Dragons, 42-34, to win the championship. The Lions were led by their mid-season pick-up, Darryl Adams. After he fouled out of the game, the real hero was Derlwayne Hudson, who led the team with 21 points. Coach Eli Linthicum seemed to make all the right moves and said the team wanted to win and just kept pulling for each other. The Dragons' coach said, "We played tough and I am proud of my team, but today we just couldn't get over the hump."

Aquell Martin (c.) goes for the rebound in the Yellowjackets win in the Novice Championship Game.

The championship games were followed by a Bantam Division All-Star game in which the Crybabies beat the Whiners 29-26. The Crybabies were led by Raymond Allen and Thomas Hourigan, who each had six points. The Whiners were led by Darryl Adams (8 points) and Matthew Gonzalez (6 points). The All-Star game was followed by a coaches' game in which many of the coaches and a few parents got an opportunity to show their stuff. Players and parents both enjoyed the day's festivities and are looking forward to next season.

The basketball league currently serves 100 children, ages 7 to 13, in two divisions with the help of more than 20 volunteers. The teams practiced once a week and all children got an opportunity to participate in each game. Game play took place on Saturdays at I.S. 204 through the generosity of the HANAC-Astoria Beacon Program. P.S. 112 also provided practice time for the teams.

Bantam Championship winners: Back Row: Coaches Canchig, Eli Linthicum; Standing: Marco Cores, George Faison, Jonathan Bermeo, Darryl Adams, Chelsea Canchig; Christian Martinez; kneeling: Malcolm Figueroa, Tyrone Mathis, Derlwayne Hudson

Gioia-YMCA Sports Programs are a partnership between City Councilmember Eric Gioia and the Long Island City YMCA. It focuses on serving children in the Long Island City area, especially those from Queensbridge and Ravenswood. The four-year old partnership is strong and provides positive, values-based sports programs to almost 400 children each year in basketball and baseball. Efforts are currently underway to add a soccer program.

For more information about the upcoming Summer Baseball League or the other sports programs, or would like to become a volunteer,

call Thomas Sylvester, LIC YMCAsports director,

at 718-392-7932, ext. 239, or e-mail tsylvester@ymcanyc.org.

The Long Island City YMCA is part of the YMCA of Greater New York. The YMCA of Greater New York is comprised of 19 branches and more than 150 facility and program sites in all five boroughs, as well as three camps and two conference centers upstate. The 150-year-old non-profit organization serves 164,000 youth and 220,000 adults each year with a continuum of lowand no-cost programs that foster growth in spirit, mind and body. It is part of an international consortium of YMCAs in 130 countries.

Anthony Keller jumps high for the rebound in the All-Star Game.

The YMCA of Greater New York is a community service organization which promotes positive values through programs that build the spirit, mind, and body, welcoming all people with a focus on youth, since 1852.