High School Volleyballtag:weblogs.newsday.com,2009:/sports/highschool/volleyball/blog//3322008-10-23T02:13:20ZMovable Type 3.36Maturity Trumps Angst At Bay Shoretag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/volleyball/blog//332.1374972008-10-22T23:07:16Z2008-10-23T02:13:20ZBY CHRIS MASCARO There we were on the floor of the Bay Shore gym – 13 girls volleyball players, a female coach and myself – talking about breast cancer, one of the more personal diseases a woman (or man) can...Chris MascaroBY CHRIS MASCARO
There we were on the floor of the Bay Shore gym – 13 girls volleyball players, a female coach and myself – talking about breast cancer, one of the more personal diseases a woman (or man) can be diagnosed with.
It's one thing for a group of teenage girls to hold a fundraiser for breast cancer (which they did this past Friday as part of the "Dig Pink Week" in Suffolk County). But it's completely another for girls so young to be so mature when talking about such a sensitive area of their body.
"I was going to be careful about it anyway," said Sarah Stein, whose great-grandmother and mother were each diagnosed with breast cancer. "But you have to be even more aware when it's in your family."
Initially, Sarah’s mother, Wendy, was hesitant to talk about the disease. But now she is open about it – advocating annual mammograms and a healthy lifestyle, including plenty of exercise. She even crocheted 13 pink scarves that the girls gave out to the female coach or teacher of their choice that has meant the most to them. The idea of the scarves is to remind the women each winter (when they put on the scarf for the first time) that it’s time for a mammogram.
Bay Shore coach Stasia DeBonis noted that, in addition to mammograms, her players are of the age where they need to make regular gynecologist visits as well, to check for such things as cervical cancer.
"There are seniors on the team looking at colleges," said captain Alyssa Leonard. "We need to start realizing that this is the real world."
A world in which breast cancer has become far too common. Four of the 13 girls on Bay Shore's team had family members diagnosed with the disease, so the fundraising certainly hit home.
But the girls remained upbeat and aggressive (as did the parents). The girls had a bake sale, wore pink warm-ups, blew up pink balloons, secured donations to be raffled off, and rallied support from the entire school. Leonard's mother even made Christmas ornaments with touches of pink in them as a raffle.
It was all in the name of fighting a horrible and incredibly humbling disease for women. One that these girls are taking a mature approach to preventing.
**For more information on Dig Pink, or to donate, visit this site. Donations can be made through the month of October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The web page says that the goal for donations is $18,000. As of Wednesday evening, they were nearly $14,000 shy of that mark.
So get your wallets out and donate!
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Sophomore Leadershiptag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/volleyball/blog//332.1334262008-10-07T23:14:23Z2008-10-16T15:14:21ZTalk about a phrase you don't hear everyday. Half Hollow Hills coach Craig Berini, now in his seventh year, graduated more than a few seniors from last year's team. But all of a sudden Half Hollow Hills has a 9-0...Admin
Talk about a phrase you don't hear everyday.
Half Hollow Hills coach Craig Berini, now in his seventh year, graduated more than a few seniors from last year's team.
But all of a sudden Half Hollow Hills has a 9-0 record, thanks in part to a 15-kill, nine-block performance from Hills sophomore Chris Kaimis today in a 3-0 drubbing of Commack.
Teammates Vic Tuminelli added seven kills and six aces, and Matt Stupore had 41 assists. But Berini says its been the calming presence of Kaimis that has been the hallmark of Hills' success this year.
Kaimis and Co. will have its hands full with matches in the next week and a half against Smithtown East and the aforementioned Lindenhurst on Oct. 16.
Falcone leads Lindenhursttag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/volleyball/blog//332.1333972008-10-07T21:19:32Z2008-10-16T15:14:21ZLindenhurst was a mediocre team at best last year. This year they've got a lot of seniors. And a 6-8 hitter named Greg Falcone. Falcone's 18 kills and 11 digs were a big part of the reason why undefeated Lindy...Admin
Lindenhurst was a mediocre team at best last year.
This year they've got a lot of seniors. And a 6-8 hitter named Greg Falcone.
Falcone's 18 kills and 11 digs were a big part of the reason why undefeated Lindy (8-0) was able to unseat previously undefated Smithtown, 3-1, last week by a score 22-25, 25-16, 25-15, 25-20.
Falcone is being heavily recruited, and is said to be looking closely at NYU. He was named Most Valuable Player at the Lindenhurst Invitational Tournament
Lindy's next biggest test, says first assistant coach Angelo Cioffaletti, is its Oct. 16 matchup with Hills West.
On their stark turnaround in just one year, Cioffaletti said that after losing in the early round of last year playoffs, that "We pretty much got right to work."
Lindenhurst plays at Center Moriches today, Oct. 7, at 6:15 p.m.
Meet Kimberley Martintag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/volleyball/blog//332.1357442008-10-01T15:12:55Z2008-10-16T15:14:21ZKimberley A. Martin spent the past year working as a local sports reporter at The Record (Hackensack, N.J.), covering everything from high school fencing to The New York City marathon to New York Jets practice. She received her B.A. from...Admin
Kimberley A. Martin spent the past year working as a local sports reporter at The Record (Hackensack, N.J.), covering everything from high school fencing to The New York City marathon to New York Jets practice. She received her B.A. from Wesleyan University in 2003 and her master's from Syracuse University in 2006. Prior to grad school, she worked at an investment management firm in Midtown Manhattan. Kimberley is also a native New Yorker and a huge Yankees fan.
Meet Darren Sandstag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/volleyball/blog//332.1357432008-10-01T15:11:02Z2008-10-16T15:14:21ZDarren Sands was born in Manhasset, but moved to Boston at age 10. And yes, he is a Red Sox/Patriots/Celtics fan. Sands, 23, has been with Newsday since March 2007. He attended Hofstra where he worked for the student newspaper,...Admin
Darren Sands was born in Manhasset, but moved to Boston at age 10. And yes, he is a Red Sox/Patriots/Celtics fan. Sands, 23, has been with Newsday since March 2007. He attended Hofstra where he worked for the student newspaper, the Hofstra Chronicle. Sands moved back to Boston where he wrote for the Boston Globe's City Weekly section, and served a brief stint as a weekend news assistant on the city desk. When Sands isn't writing, reading, or hopelessly trying to lower his handicap, he catches up with friends and family, and plays tennis with the good folks at the tennis courts on 151st and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard. He resides in Harlem and, thanks to his girlfriend, is an adopted member of the Hokie Nation.
Meet Marcus Henrytag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/volleyball/blog//332.1357402008-10-01T15:07:16Z2008-10-16T15:14:21ZMarcus Henry began working for Newsday’s city edition in April 2003. He’s been a part of the Newsday high school/local college sports desk since then, covering both Long Island and New York City high schools. He has also covered the...Admin
Marcus Henry began working for Newsday’s city edition in April 2003. He’s been a part of the Newsday high school/local college sports desk since then, covering both Long Island and New York City high schools. He has also covered the WNBA’s New York Liberty the past two seasons. Prior to coming to Newsday he spent four years working for PA SportsTicker, a real time sports newswire service. Marcus has also freelanced for the New York Amsterdam News, College and Pro Football Weekly, and the National Sports Weekly.
Meet Joseph Staszewskitag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/volleyball/blog//332.1357382008-10-01T15:05:33Z2008-10-16T15:14:21ZJoseph Staszewski is a 23-year-old graduate of St. Francis Prep High School. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from St. John's University. While at St. John's, Staszewski held the position of sports editor and managing...Admin
Joseph Staszewski is a 23-year-old graduate of St. Francis Prep High School. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from St. John's University. While at St. John's, Staszewski held the position of sports editor and managing editor during his four years working at The Torch, the school's award-winning student newspaper. The Middle Village resident has also freelanced for the Queens Ledger, TimesLedger and Long Island Herald newspapers. Starting his second year at Newsday, Staszewski is a die-hard Mets and Jets fan, and a former high school basketball player and assistant coach.
Meet Marc Jimeneztag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/volleyball/blog//332.1357362008-10-01T15:03:39Z2008-10-16T15:14:21ZMarc Jimenez was born and raised in the Bronx, graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature and decided to try his hand at sportswriting in the fall of 2005. He covered high school...Admin
Marc Jimenez was born and raised in the Bronx, graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature and decided to try his hand at sportswriting in the fall of 2005. He covered high school and college sports for the Riverdale Press for six months and was a contributor to MLB.com for 18 months before joining Newsday in September 2007. Marc’s favorite sports moment was when the Yankees clinched the 1996 World Series.
Meet Chris Mascarotag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/volleyball/blog//332.1357292008-10-01T14:53:16Z2008-10-16T15:14:21ZChris Mascaro, 23, joined Newsday as a sportswriter in November 2007. He graduated from Cornell University in 2006, where he worked for The Cornell Daily Sun. He served as sports editor of The Sun as a junior. He also covered...Admin
Chris Mascaro, 23, joined Newsday as a sportswriter in November 2007. He graduated from Cornell University in 2006, where he worked for The Cornell Daily Sun. He served as sports editor of The Sun as a junior. He also covered Cornell's football team, as well as its nationally-ranked men's hockey and men's lacrosse teams. He wrote a bi-weekly column titled "He May Be Tall," which hit on national topics in addition to Cornell-related material. After graduation, he worked as a sportswriter for The Southampton Press, covering numerous varsity teams on the East End, the Moriches, and William Floyd.
Coaches love camraderie, competitiontag:weblogs.newsday.com,2008:/sports/highschool/volleyball/blog//332.1308642008-09-26T23:27:05Z2008-10-16T15:14:21ZRory Lawlor, Hicksville's girls head volleyball coach, has perhaps the best hitter in the entire conference. Bridget Mantello, she says, is as good as any player she's coached. Mantello knows at least one player on every team Hicksville plays. That's...Admin
Rory Lawlor, Hicksville's girls head volleyball coach, has perhaps the best hitter in the entire conference. Bridget Mantello, she says, is as good as any player she's coached.
Mantello knows at least one player on every team Hicksville plays.
That's because coaches share a cluster of local players that play volleyball year-round in club and traveling teams.
"Girls come to you with a lot more experience," Lawlor says. "They come to you very fit and ready to play. In the past that was something you had to focus on a lot more.
"The level of play has soared. The level of the athlete have soared. Girls are more serious now."
And then there's the familiarity. The hugs and kisses before matches. The laughs, the jokes, the memories.
Seaford coach Marie Jones has no problem with it.
Lately, the pre-game encounters have been much more frequent, Jones says.
"They're pretty [comfortable] with sportsmanship," she said. "I kinda like it when they know each other because I think the girls get more pumped to play against each other. "They might say, 'You know what, she got me once'," and decide to play that much harder, she said.