By the age of 13, around 70% of athletes have dropped out of their childhood sport according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Morgan students showed their dedication to putting this statistic behind them when they signed up to participate in Clinton’s Park and Rec Basketball program. Each high schooler has a different way of participating, but they all have the same “why?”; To impact younger basketball players who are gaining a love for a sport the high schoolers are in love with.
Over the years, Morgan students have been known for helping to coach, ref, and score younger athletes’ basketball games for Clinton’s Park and Rec Program. This year, 18 Morgan students are participating, the majority of which participate on Morgan’s basketball teams as well. Club President for Clinton Travel Basketball and a Volunteer Director for Park and Rec Basketball, Erick Teuner, has been involved in leading Clinton’s Park and Rec Basketball program for roughly 10 years. As a volunteer director of the program, Teuner actively works to schedule game times, organize teams, and fundraise. He sees the high school students make a huge impact on the future Morgan athletes
Teuner shared that “The high school coaches bring a “game 7” energy to every Saturday and it’s contagious.”
He expressed how seeing the high schoolers get the players “fired up” each week is amazing. “Their love for basketball spills over to the kids and ultimately will encourage some of these players to continue playing through high school.”
Below is a list of all 18 Morgan students who spend their free time influencing younger athletes in hopes that one day, they will take advantage of the same opportunity.
Addy Reed – Scorer’s table
Gwen Madura – Scorer’s table
Emma Teuner – Scorer’s table and referee
Xzavion Clark – Scorer’s table and referee
Emma Holecz – Referee
Lily Luciani – Coach and scorer’s table
Maddy Grenon – Coach and scorer’s table
Alana Zirlis – Coach
Cora Dunham – Coach
Michael Dwake – Coach
Dylan Cinquino – Coach
Griffin Ranaudo – Coach
Cole Donnelly – Coach
Luke Mccomisky – Coach
Hunter Mancini – Coach
Nick Manza – Coach
Nathan Miller – Coach
Wyatt Luke – Coach
This year, Clinton Park and Rec basketball had 140 young athletes sign up to play Park and Rec Basketball. Each level of play is broken into teams based on grade and gender. There are 6 teams for grades 1st and 2nd, and grades 3rd through 8th all have 8 teams, 4 boys teams and 4 girls teams. Games take place on Saturdays from 8-2 at Joel, Eliot, and Morgan with a 30-minute practice and a 30-minute game following.
Seniors, Alana Zirlis and Lili Luciani coach the current 3rd and 4th-grade girl’s team. Zirlis and Luciani are both captains of the Morgan girls basketball team and enjoy volunteering their time to help the younger players enjoy the sport that they both love. Their Park and Rec season started on December 7th and will play their championship game on March 8th.
Zirlis coaches because “coaching gives [her] the opportunity to teach and help kids with the game.”
She finds her same love for the game in the young girls that are on her team. Her favorite memory so far from her experience as a coach is from last year when her team “struggled a lot at the beginning of their game” but came back and won their first game in overtime by two points. She loved this moment because “it was just great to see how happy and excited everyone was.”
Having this experience, however, is time-consuming and takes a lot of extra planning. These 17 Morgan students, many of whom have jobs, homework, and play on teams themselves, choose to spend their open hours inspiring and encouraging these younger basketball players. Whether it is one or four hours these students are spending with the program, it is a huge commitment that Morgan students are more than happy to make.
Despite the time commitment, Zirlis and Luciani will continue to train their team hard to “learn and have fun from the experience.” Alana ended by saying that she wants her team “to come out to the game with a winning mindset.”
Senior captain of the boys’ basketball team, Luke McComiskey, coaches 7th and 8th grade boys alongside his teammate Cole Donnelly. This is their first year coaching together but McComisky’s second year as a part of the program. McComiskey says that as a member of the Morgan basketball team, he “represents more than just playing basketball. It is important that [the team] get involved in our communities by doing small stuff
like this.”
During the 30-minute practice before the games, Luke focuses on “what [he] would want to be taught as a 7th or 8th grader. Such as small fundamental skills and how to interact with other teammates.” This trains the athletes to learn what a tougher basketball competition looks and feels like.
McComiskey shared that his favorite memory from last winter was “receiving little cards from the players, thanking us for coaching them and showing their gratitude. ” Both McComiskey and Donnelly will continue to work hands-on with their team to teach them new skills and “try and make all of our players better by the end of the season and have a fun experience at the same time.”
Sophomore, Emma Teuner, is also a member of the girls’ basketball team, and she referees 3rd and 4th grade games. Teuner said she wanted to be a ref because “it is fun for her.” She also expressed how she hopes she “can bring [the kids] a positive experience that encourages them to keep playing.”
Refereeing is a different role than coaching because it does not have as much one-on-one impact. Emma Teuner shows her experience and knowledge through her refereeing along with her time and dedication to the sport.
Emma Teuner volunteers her time every Saturday during the winter season, which has been since last winter. She works to make a connection with the younger players who are finding their love for the sport, as she once did through the same program. She wanted to participate in youth basketball because she wanted to make an impact on the younger athletes’ careers. She “wants to make sure the kids enjoy basketball, and [she] hopes that [her] attitude towards them makes them feel encouraged.”
The director of the program, Teuner stated that the referees do a tremendous amount of work for the younger kids. “Each whistle is accompanied by an explanation to the player of why the whistle was blown.” Emma Turner’s role may not be one-on-one interaction with each player on a team, but it is crucial to the athletes’ careers and building their enjoyment of the sport.
Teuner shared that the program “didn’t introduce high schoolers as coaches until our return from Covid.” After having a difficult time finding volunteers, boy’s basketball Coach Rossi expressed the idea of reaching out to Morgan athletes. Teuner stressed that “without their help,
we would have struggled to support the 3rd and 4th grade division.”
Teuner closed with “I think it’s cool that our youth players can walk into Morgan boys or girls on a Tuesday or Friday night and watch high school players that ref their teams or coach their games. It’s all about supporting each other.”
