Editor's Desk: Let the Games Begin

By Michael F. Flach
Herald Editor
(From the issue of 12/5/02)

It may take a while to track down the parents of children who play CYO basketball. Beginning this Saturday, and continuing every weekend through the end of February, nearly every diocesan (and county) gym in Northern Virginia will be occupied from sunrise to sunset with aspiring Michael Jordan’s and Rebecca Lobo’s. The Northern Virginia Junior Catholic Youth Organization’s (NVJCYO) basketball season is officially underway.

NVJCYO has its roots in the late 1940s when youth boxing matches were held at Ft. Myer Army Base in Arlington. The events were organized by a few military men and parishioners of St. James Church in Falls Church. NVJCYO, which received its current name in 1959, now has 37 participating parishes. In addition to basketball, the organization also sponsors track meets, cheerleading, softball, baseball and tennis.

It is truly a labor of love for hundreds of volunteer coaches and parents. Without stalwart volunteers such as Greg Rayman, who has been involved in the program for 19 years, NVJCYO would not exist. Rayman played basketball and baseball for Blessed Sacrament Parish from 1959-62 and currently serves as the organization’s president. He is assisted this year by Carmine Borrelli (vice president), Donna Lucchesi (secretary), Ray Zdancewicz (treasurer), Larry Money (Diocesan Liaison) and Nick Lucchesi (program manager), all of whom have been involved in NVJCYO for decades.

The basketball program begins in fourth grade for both girls and boys. As many as 40 teams will compete at each grade level, with some schools having the maximum of two teams per grade. Some of the larger schools, such as St. James and St. Theresa, could easily field more additional teams if space permitted.

Excellent sportsmanship and instruction are the goals of the program, but the NVJCYO basketball season also provides an instant geography lesson for parents and players. What is the quickest and easiest way to get from St. Agnes School in Arlington to St. Mary School in Old Town? Where is All Saints School in Manassas and Holy Spirit School in Annandale?

Of course, you can’t forget the public school gyms added to the rotation. Good luck to the team from St. Timothy School in Chantilly when it attempts to find Jeb Stuart High School in Falls Church for the first time (hint: it’s down the street from Seven Corners Shopping Center). Give yourself plenty of time, especially now that the Christmas shopping season is in full gear.

Parents new to CYO life are shown little mercy. Of course they are given maps and directions to all the gyms. But the backstreets of Arlington can be a tricky maze when trying to shuttle fourth-graders to St. Agnes or St. Ann’s gyms. Pray it’s still light outside when the game is over so you don’t end up on Military Road or Spout Run.

Thanks to the generosity of pastors and parishioners, several new gyms have been added to the rotation in recent years. Queen of Apostles in Alexandria and St. William of York in Stafford are the newest. Coming soon (we hope) will be Corpus Christi in Falls Church.

For some teams, the basketball season stretches from late October to early March. That’s a lot of time spent watching a bouncing ball. But don’t feel sorry for yourself. You could have a child who participates in a year-round swim program. Try breathing chlorine for fours hours at a time.— M.F.F.

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