FAITH, LOVE AND SWEAT

SPRING 2019

PARENTS AND FRIENDS HAVE TAKEN THEIR PLACES in bleachers or chairs. The girls or boys trot over anxiously to the team benches after their opening warmup, shaking off pre-game nerves. The referees confer briefly at midcourt. The pregame clock winds down, a horn sounds, but instead of taking the floor to start the game, the players, coaches and refs all gather beneath a signboard at one end of the gym. The coaches lead them in the sign of the cross, and they intone in unison:

Lord Jesus, let all gathered here today know that we do so in your name;

allow us to understand the true meaning of our participation

in this Catholic Youth Organization activity.

Make us aware of our responsibility to all concerned

so we may grow and develop in the full reality of Christian formation.

Grant us a personal acceptance of the dignity of all individuals.

Above all, let us, in all things, demonstrate a spirit of love and respect for all.

This scene happens hundreds of times each weekend in gyms around the Archdiocese of New York, with children from fourth through eighth grades – the bold, natural athletes and the quiet, hopeful learners. The prayer ends and all head to positions on the court or bench; the whistle blows, the referee tosses the ball for the tip-off. The game is on.

It was the Great Depression which gave rise to the founding of the Catholic Youth Organization, whose first chapter was instituted in Chicago in 1930. Grounded in Catholic social teachings, the program was designed to lead young people away from the unhealthy, amoral culture of the streets toward faith and physical health. In December 1936, John Cardinal Hayes announced the establishment of the CYO in New York. “We must be watchful shepherds,” he noted in encouraging every parish to start a CYO program. “All Catholic children – those in public as well as those in Catholic Schools – are our charges, yours and mine.”

CYO of the Archdiocese of New York – now a division of Catholic Charities Community Services – has undergone significant change since Cardinal Hayes inaugurated it some 82 years ago. The social events that once were part of the program have become the province of youth ministry groups. Today, the best-known CYO program is basketball, with 17,000 boys and girls playing in the winter season and an additional 2,300 in the new spring league.

During winter, hundreds of games are played each weekend across the archdiocese. The program, however, is not primarily focused on racking up wins or even on the development of basketball skills. Its main goal is to develop Christian values in players: fairness, honesty, respect, discipline, kindness and a spirit of loving competition. “Learning how to lose is just as important as learning how to win,” according to CYO New York’s statement of purpose, and “learning how to win graciously is more important than winning itself.”

“CYO is not just basketball,” says Father Joseph P. LaMorte, vicar general and chancellor of the Archdiocese of New York and a former pastor in Poughkeepsie and Garnerville. “In addition to teaching sportsmanship and fair play, its many programs build character and maturity. At the parishes in which I have served, I was always grateful for the presence of the CYO.”

The program’s values are not just taught on the court. “CYO promotes community by having players attend Mass together, collect food for the needy and prepare dinner at a local soup kitchen,” says John Hannaway, CYO coordinator at Sts. John and Paul Parish in Larchmont. “It shows that the Church and the parish are worthy focal points for our activities.”

Every Catholic child needs this sort of education, but not every child plays basketball. For this reason, CYO New York is going through some changes. “We’re taking our values and expanding our programs to allow other kids the opportunity to participate,” says Seth Peloso, interim director.

For children interested in running, the track programs currently serve 2,500 boys and girls in seven counties. “Our track and field archdiocesan championships take place at Carl Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island, and we have regional cross-country meets at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx,” Peloso says. “The teams have also competed at Walt Disney World in Orlando. We’re hoping to expand into more counties in the next couple of years.”

Since most racing events, unlike basketball, are individual, there’s no sitting on the bench; every kid gets to run and work on individual accomplishments while also being part of a team. “It doesn’t matter what place they finish,” writes Stefan Anikewich, the volunteer coach for CYO Track Club, whose team has runners from all over Westchester and the Bronx. “We always look for the real wins: enthusiasm, hard work, attention to running mechanics, achievable goals, teamwork, good sports-(woman/man)-ship, community awareness and using a TON of heart.”

Few are aware that CYO also has programs for volleyball (in Ulster  and Dutchess counties), bowling (on Staten Island), golf (in Ulster County and on Staten Island) and cheerleading (30 teams on Staten Island and in the Bronx). Beyond athletics, CYO sponsors Boy and Girl Scout troops, an annual art and essay contest, and chess programs in 30 schools.

“Chess is an area where we can expand our reach,” Peloso says. “Its benefits – the development of logic and strategy skills – are also critical skills in life.”

Peloso looks forward to a future serving more and more kids. “We’re now embarking on a plan to determine how best to serve youth in today’s society,” he says. With all the negative influences in our current tech-dominated culture, that’s good news for parents.