NEWS FROM THE INSTITUTE

8/30/2010

COXSACKIE -- The Coxsackie Flag Football League has scheduled a youth coaching certification course with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute at 6:30 p.m. today, according to a release from the institute.

The course will be held at the Greene County IDA Building on Mansion Street in Coxsackie and will last approximately 2.5 hours. Tom Reinisch, former athletic director at Hudson Valley Community College, will be the SUNY Youth Sports Institute Instructor.

Vic Luccio, president of Coxsackie the Flag Football League, has made the youth coaching certification course mandatory for all head coaches in the league. Luccio is also encouraging all assistant coaches to attend the course. In addition to the flag football coaches, all Coxsackie community sports leaders have been encouraged to get certified with the flag football coaches Wednesday evening.

The SUNY Youth Sports Institute expects to add 15-plus coaches to its list of over 5,425 certified members this Wednesday. Those interested in becoming a SUNY Youth Sports Certified Coach can register online at the cost of $20 by visiting www.youthsportsny.org/eregistration.html.

The SUNY Youth Sports Institute has been chartered by the State University of New York to assist local communities in creating sustainable and positive sports environments for children throughout New York State.  The Institute's seven module coaching certification curriculum addresses topics of serious concern for coaches; adult volunteers; and health, education and youth advocates. The course offers training and certification in a set of minimum standards to non-school youth coaches across all youth sports.

8/30/2010

Red Hook, N.Y. - Rich Schiafo, president of the Red Hook Pop Warner Football and Cheer Association, has coordinated a youth coaching certification course with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute.  The course has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 31st and will be held at the Red Hook Firehouse on Firehouse Lane.  The course is set to begin at 7:00pm and will last approximately 2.5 hours.  SUNY Youth Sports Institute Instructor Paul Clune is going to be the trainer teaching Tuesday evening's course.

The Red Hook Pop Warner Football and Cheer Association is a part of the Mid-Hudson Conference which has mandated their coaches to receive a SUNY Youth Sports Institute Youth Coaching Certification.  The Mid-Hudson conference is expecting to certify over 100 coaches in three training dates in August not including the Red Hook Association's course.  In addition to the Red Hook Pop Warner Football and Cheer Association other local youth coaches are encouraged to attend including local Little League coaches.    

The SUNY Youth Sports Institute expects to add 15+ coaches to its list of over 5,425 certified members on Tuesday.  If you are interested in becoming a SUNY Youth Sports Certified Coach you can register online for this course at the cost of $20 or find future training dates at http://www.youthsportsny.org/eregistration.html.

8/27/2010

Guilderland, NY - The Guilderland Public Library, located at 2228 Western Avenue will play host to the SUNY Youth Sports Institute's youth coaching certification course.  The course has been scheduled by Jamie Bonavita, president of Guilderland Youth Soccer, and is set for August 29th at 3:00pm.  All Guilderland Youth Soccer coaches have been asked to meet approximately 30 minutes before the course begins.  The course will last approximately 2.5 hours and will be taught by Bethlehem High School Soccer Coach and SUNY Youth Sports Institute Instructor Tom Rogan. 

Bonavita feels this SUNY program will "help our coaches connect with the kids better."  Bonavita also said she feels the course should help their coaches remember that "the players are just kids and they need to be coached as children rather than adults." 

The SUNY Youth Sports Institute expects to add over 30 coaches to its list of over 5,425 certified members this Sunday.  If you are interested in becoming a SUNY Youth Sports Certified Coach you can register online for this course at the cost of $20 or find future training dates at http://www.youthsportsny.org/eregistration.html.

Non-school youth athletics could not survive without volunteers. Every year recreation and youth sports directors are faced with the challenge of filling volunteer positions with knowledgeable, effective personnel. Many have voiced concerns about overtaxing their volunteers' valuable time with mandatory training/certification in adolescent development, youth coaching, safety and health, sport psychology, etc. A recent study conducted by the SUNY Youth Sports Institute (Spring 2010) suggests these concerns are unfounded.

While forty percent (40.5%) of the study's participants explained that their choice of not mandating some form of coaching certification is based upon a fear of losing coaches, less than three percent (2.5%) actually had a coach leave due to a mandatory training requirement. The results of the study suggest that the primary reason coaches vacate their volunteer roles is that their children "graduate" from the program.

Elmira, N.Y. - The Elmira Small Fry Football and Cheerleading Association boasts a rich tradition with past participants such as Heisman Trophy winner and number one overall NFL draft pick in 1962, Ernie Davis.  Despite having a tradition stronger than most youth sport associations, football commissioner Vance Stroman is always looking for ways to continue building the quality of Elmira Small Fry.  Because of this, Stroman and Elmira Small Fry Football and Cheerleading are looking to the SUNY Youth Sports Institute to provide their coaches with a "youth" specific coaching certification on Saturday, August 21st at the Elmira YMCA located on Pennsylvania Avenue.  The course, which will be instructed by SUNY Youth Sport Institute Trainer, Bob Lowden, is set to begin at 2:00pm and last approximately 2.5 hours.      

Stroman said he and the Elmira Small Fry Football and Cheerleading Association chose to set up a youth coaching certification with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute because, "it will give their coaches a chance to receive professional training which will increase their coaching knowledge and skill."  Stroman also said he "hopes the course will allow their coaches to be prepared as possible and teach their new coaches that Elmira Small Fry has everyone's best interest at heart."  Stroman feels that "Elmira Small Fry is great for the community of Elmira and he hopes coaches from other associations attend the course in order to extend the participation across the league."

The SUNY Youth Sports Institute expects to add over 20 coaches to its list of over 5,425 certified members on Saturday.  If you are interested in becoming a SUNY Youth Sports Certified Coach you can register online for this course at the cost of $20 or find future training dates at http://www.youthsportsny.org/eregistration.html.

Marlboro, N. Y. - Earlier this year, Marlboro Youth Football and Cheerleading president, John Marro, mandated all of the program's coaches to become SUNY Youth Sports Institute certified coaches.  In response to their mandated training, Marro scheduled a course with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute for the 31st of July.  This certification course took place at 9:00am in the Laborers Local #17 Training Center and was instructed by SUNY Youth Sports Institute trainer Don Presutti. 

The Marlboro Youth Football consists of seven different age groups ranging from five years of age to fourteen while Marlboro Youth Cheerleading has four age groups ranging from five years of age to fifteen.  Marlboro Youth Cheer coach, Cheryl Relyea, was one of one of fourteen coaches that attended the certification course.  Relyea she thought it was a "wonderful course and she found it very informative."  Relyea also mentioned "she really found the part of the course on dealing with parents especially useful." 

The SUNY Youth Sports Institute added fourteen coaches to its growing list of certified members on July 31st.  If you are interested in becoming a SUNY Youth Sports Certified Coach you can register online for future training dates for the cost of twenty dollars at http://www.youthsportsny.org/eregistration.html.

Yonkers, N. Y. - The North Yonkers Knights Youth Football League is back in action after a seven year layoff.  President of the Knights, Jerry Thompson, has been an example of great leadership by re-establishing the program and by getting his coaches certified with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute.  This certification course took place on July 21st and was attended by 36 youth coaches.  The event started at 6:30pm at Gorton High School which provided a great learning environment for all to listen and share insights on managing a youth sports program.  The course was instructed by the SUNY Youth Sports Institute's David Furfaro, who has been a football coach in Westchester County for many years.

Coaches who attended the July 21st Youth Coaching Certification Course left with positive feelings.  Coach Kevin Martin was one of the coaches happy with the certification course.  Martin said, "It was a very good course.  I especially liked how it stressed every kid getting a chance to play and how to coach fairly."  Coach Christopher Mazzarese agreed saying, "Everything about the course was good and I learned a lot about what is expected of me as a youth coach.  I really enjoyed myself and have recommended it to a few friends already."

All proceeds of this course were distributed to Westchester Community College.  If you are interested in becoming a SUNY Youth Sports Certified Coach you can register online for future training dates at http://www.youthsportsny.org/eregistration.html. 

Pulaski, N. Y. - On July 28th, in the quaint Village of Pulaski, approximately 165 parents gathered into the high school auditorium to attend a parents' education seminar put on by the SUNY Youth Sports Institute. The SUNY Youth Sports Institute's "Guiding Youth Sport Parents" course is a comprehensive seminar designed to teach parents how best to support their children while they participate in organized youth sports. The program was hosted by the Pulaski Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading Association which has seen incredible growth over the past two years, increasing enrollment from 75 children in 2008 to over 190 for this fall.

Jim Purdy, President of the Pulaski Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading Association and Secretary of the Greater Watertown Pop Warner Conference, helped coordinate the event. Purdy described the atmosphere as "very relaxed and cordial, providing a great learning environment." Purdy said that the parents who attended found the SUNY Youth Sports Institute Instructor, Tim Donovan, very professional and described the presentation as "top notch." Parents seemed to especially like the question and answer session at the conclusion of the course. Purdy said "the strong attendance really meant a lot to the league's volunteers and he was very happy to see everyone in the league from the parents to the league's administration enthusiastic about making their league the best it can be."

To find more information on the Pulaski Area Pop Warner you can visit their webpage at http://www.pulaskiareapopwarner.com. To learn more about the SUNY Youth Sports Institute's Parents Training visit http://www.youthsportsny.org/parents/.

Troy, N. Y. - The SUNY Youth Sports Institute certified 25 coaches at a course for the Capital District Youth Lacrosse League (CDYLL) on Tuesday, August 10th at Hudson Valley Community College's (HVCC) Fitzgibbons Health Technologies Center. John Olsen, President of CDYLL set up the course saying, "We look into every opportunity to make our program the best it can be. I like the idea that we are being taught and then certified by a credible, New York based organization."

The CDYLL has been in existence for 10 years and has 17 programs with over 1500 boys participating.  Coaches from 13 of the 17 youth lacrosse programs were represented at the event. Mike Devoe, a coach and Program Director of Bethlehem Lacrosse Club said the following about the course, "What an interesting and informative presentation you gave last night; the spirit and enthusiasm you exhibit makes it that much more enjoyable.  Great stories too.  I look forward to spreading what I learned." 

The SUNY Youth Sports Institute Director, Tim Donovan was the presenter for the first half of Tuesday evening's course.  Donovan is a former Syracuse University Lacrosse player and founder of the SUNY Youth Sports Institute in 2008.  Tom Reinisch, who served as Athletic Director at Hudson Valley Community College, taught the second half of the course.  The SUNY Youth Sports Institute will be offering more certification courses for CDYLL coaches as the 2011 season approaches.

If you are interested in becoming a Youth Sports New York Certified Coach you can register online for future HVCC courses at http://www.youthsportsny.org/eregistration.html.

Poughkeepsie, NY - Dave Brown, president of the Mid-Hudson Conference Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading, has scheduled youth coaching certification courses with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute for three consecutive Saturdays in August.  Every football and cheer coach in the conference is required to attend one of these offerings.  The training sessions will take place on August 14th, August 21st, and August 28th.  All three are scheduled to begin at 9:00am at Dutchess Community College which is located at 53 Pendell Road in Poughkeepsie, New York.  Each course is scheduled to last approximately 2.5 hours and will be instructed by multiple SUNY Youth Sport Institute Instructors with football backgrounds.

Dave Brown said he decided to set up the training dates with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute because "he has heard good things about the program from fellow Pop Warner Conferences including the Tri-Valley Conference and Central New York Conference."  On July 25th, 2009, the Tri-Valley Pop Warner Conference certified over 200 coaches with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute at SUNY Morrisville.  Brown feels the upcoming training at Dutchess Community College will "help educate their youth coaches on new developments in youth sports while teaching them how to deal with children, parents, and other coaches."  Brown stressed that the Mid-Hudson Conference Pop Warner mandates their youth coaches to be certified youth coaches.  Brown also said the SUNY Youth Sport Institute is very important to them because "it is one of the few youth coaching programs that set minimum standards for youth coaches."  The Mid-Hudson Conference involves 16 communities along the Hudson River stretching from the town of Red Hook in northern Duchess County to White Plains in southern Westchester County.  

The SUNY Youth Sports Institute expects to add 100+ coaches to its list of over 5,425 certified members over the next three weeks.  If you are interested in becoming a SUNY Youth Sports Certified Coach you can register online for this course at the cost of $20 or find future training dates at http://www.youthsportsny.org/eregistration.html.

Rochester, N. Y. - The SUNY Youth Sports Institute certified Rochester Area Lacrosse League coaches from six different youth lacrosse programs at Monroe Community College on July 22. The programs represented were Fairport Youth Lacrosse, Irondequoit Lacrosse, East Irondequoit, Victor Lacrosse, Gates Youth Lacrosse, and Avon Lacrosse Club. In response to the course, program leaders from Fairport, Irondequoit, and Avon have committed to certifying all coaches in their respective programs this fall in preparation for the 2011 lacrosse season. Instructing the course was Monroe Community College Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Rocky Shapiro and Program Director of Health and Physical Education at Monroe Community College Dr. Liz Kelly.   

Jamaica, NY - Lance Morgan, President and Co-Founder of the Jamaica Bulldogs, set up a mandatory coaching certification course with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute on Friday, August 6th.  The course started at 7:00pm at the Town Hall Civic Association located at 172-15, 140th Avenue in Jamaica, NY.  The 2.5 hour session covering all aspects of managing a youth sports team was attended by 20 coaches, with 5 more in the program who will be taking the next course offered in the area.

The Jamaica Bulldogs were established in 2004 and compete in the Big Apple Youth Football League.  They serve boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 16.  Morgan set up the coaching certification course for the league's coaches because he felt it was "the most informational youth coaching certification that he had ever seen."  Morgan was also very excited about the course because he felt it "gave the league's coaches a better sense of the fundamentals of teaching children rather than just coaching them."  Dave Furfaro was the SUNY Youth Sports Institute Instructor present at Friday evening's course.  Furfaro has certified multiple SUNY Youth Sport Institute coaches with his most recent efforts including over 200 with the Westchester Youth Football League over the past two months. 

Windsor, N. Y. - Windsor Youth Football and Cheer administrator, Mark Morgan, has coordinated a youth coaching certification with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute for Wednesday, August 4th at 6:00pm.  The course is scheduled to take place in the Windsor High School Music Suite which is located on 1191, US Route 79.  Attendees are asked to park near the tennis courts and enter the back door of the music suite due to the construction at the school.  The course will last approximately two and a half hours and at the completion of the course a short certification test can be taken on site or electronically at www.youthsportsny.org. 

The certification course will also be open to other local community programs including youth soccer which expects to bring four coaches to the training session.  Windsor Youth Football and Cheer and Windsor Youth Soccer have both certified coaches with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute in the past.  SUNY Youth Sports Institute instructor Gary Vail will be teaching Wednesday evening's course.  Vail, a decorated high school coach and Athletic Director at Windsor, has instructed multiple SUNY Youth Sports Institute coaching certification courses with a wide range of youth programs across the Southern Tier.   

The SUNY Youth Sports Institute expects to add over 15 coaches to its list of over 5,425 certified members this Wednesday.  If you are interested in becoming a SUNY Youth Sports Certified Coach you can register online for this course at the cost of $20 or find future training dates at http://www.youthsportsny.org/eregistration.html.

Westchester, N. Y. - Westchester Youth Football League leaders Mike Archie of Pleasantville, and Charlie Boden of Ossining, have made it mandatory for all coaches to wear a Youth Sports New York (YSNY) coaching certification badge during all games for the 2010 season.  This mandate will be enforced by game officials.  So far, over 200 Westchester youth football coaches have obtained the YSNY Certification over 5 different course offerings in Ossining, Valhalla, Tuckahoe, Tarrytown, and Yonkers. The final opportunity to get certified will be in Pleasantville on August 25th.

The Westchester Youth Football League represents 20 communities ranging from South Salem to Yonkers, and is comprised of three age groups from third grade to eighth grade for a total of 72 teams.  That is a very large league for a program that only started in 2008.  The league leaders have written rules and by-laws that ensure a child-centered approach to coaching while keeping the values of competition in perspective.  Parents enjoy the short driving distances for games, as schedules are set to have teams only play the closest towns during the regular season.  When the post-season arrives, teams are guaranteed at least three more games either in the playoff bracket or the bowl bracket.  After the championship games are played, each town will select 4 players to participate in the "Graduation Bowl", where the North Division will take on the South Division, bringing players, parents, and coaches together from across the league for one culminating event.

The coaching standards set forth by the SUNY Youth Sports Institute Certification Program will create a common language and help to get all participating communities on the same page.  Jerry Thompson, President of the North Yonkers Knights, said, "mandatory YSNY certification is an excellent step in the right direction because the course will help our coaches with everyday coaching skills including, dealing with parents, developing practice plans, and keeping the kids interested in football."  Charlie Boden, vice chairperson of the Westchester Youth Football League agrees saying, "The SUNY Youth Sports Institute Coaching Certification Program will help refine our communication skills, which will enable us to relate equally to adults and youth players as a Coach."  Boden also mentioned he "was highly impressed with SUNY Youth Sport's methods and emphasis on technical development." 

If you are a Westchester Youth Football League coach and need to attend the Pleasantville course, it will begin at 6:30pm in the Senior Citizen on Clinton Avenue.  To register for this course, or to view all future course offerings, check out the SUNY Youth Sports Institute at http://www.youthsportsny.org.

New Hartford, NY - New Hartford Youth Football President, Rick Marchitelli, brought 10 of his coaches to a certification class with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute on Wednesday, July 28th.  There were 8 cheer coaches from the North Utica Pop Warner program who were also in attendance.  Heather Korzenowski, a cheer coach said she enjoyed the course and found the material to be "pertinent" to her sport. 

SUNY Youth Sports Institute Instructor Dan Sullivan taught the course.  Sullivan has been an instructor in multiple trainings throughout New York State and helped coordinate the New Hartford certification course with league president, Rick Marchitelli.  Marchitelli said the course was great and that "coaches need to remember that kids aren't little adults; they are still kids and certain techniques and strategies need to be implemented with that in mind."  The SUNY Youth Sports Institute had previously certified over 30 coaches in the New Hartford Little League last spring.

Watertown, NY - Watertown Youth Football and Cheer President Kimberly Hill coordinated a youth coaching certification course with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute on Wednesday, July 28th.  Youth Sports New York (YSNY) Instructor and SUNY Canton Head Athletic Trainer, Christine Scuderi, came down to teach the class.  The course took place at the Eagles Nest VFW located at 19260 U.S. Route 11, in Watertown, NY and began at 6:00pm.

The course was open to all of the Watertown area Pop Warner programs and was mandatory for all Watertown Cyclone coaches.  Watertown Cyclone president Kimberly Hill felt the course would help their league because "it will help give both their new and experienced coaches a better understanding on how to deal with youth sports."  Hill also mentioned that she scheduled the course in hopes to "learn some helpful training ideas and keep the kids in their league motivated to play sports."

Tarrytown, N. Y. - The Tarrytown Wolfpack Youth Football President, Chris Hutter, scheduled a mandatory coach's training session with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute (YSNY) on Monday, July 12th.  The Tarrytown Recreation Center, which is located at 238 West Main Street in Tarrytown, NY, provided a comfortable environment for the event which ran for about two and a half hours.  At the conclusion of the meeting, all of the coaches took a short certification test.

Dave Furfaro was the SUNY Instructor who instructed 16 Tarrytown coaches at Monday night's course.  Before Monday night's course over 140 Westchester Youth Football League coaches had received instruction and certification for the upcoming season. 

Due to Tarrytown Youth Football's affiliation with the Westchester Youth Football League, all coaches must have a YSNY Coaching Certification in order to be on the sidelines this fall.  There will be one more round-up course for all uncertified Westchester Youth Football League coaches in Pleasantville on August 25. If you are interested in attending that course or would like to become a YSNY Certified Coach for another program you can register online at http://www.youthsportsny.org/eregistration.html.

Date: 7/18/2010
For Immediate Release

Owego, NY - The Owego Youth Football program set up a training date with the SUNY Youth Sports Institute and invited other local youth programs to join them.  A total of 15 attended the coach's training session which took place July 17th at the First Presbyterian Union Church.  Paul Sage, President of Owego Youth Football, said it was a great course and that he only wished more had been able to attend.

The SUNY Youth Sports Institute had already certified 30 Owego Little League coaches last February.  The trainer at that course, Gary Vail, has now brought his expert coaching knowledge to the football coaches.  Vail is one of the SUNY Youth Sports Institute's most intriguing instructors due to a successful coaching and athletic director career at the high school level.  Most recently, Vail instructed a course in June with various sport coaches in Whitney Point.

On May 29, the Carman Little League in Rotterdam, NY held a Sandlot Day that attracted around 30 kids of various ages.  Jed Ingersoll, president of the league, was introduced to the idea through a New York Times article citing the SUNY Youth Sports Institute and its idea for taking one day out of the season to give the game completely to the kids.  The league firmly believes in the need for adults to back off every once in a while so the players can build a sense of ownership and, subsequently, a passion for the game.  "Today there is so much parent involvement.  Kids are constantly told what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. We wanted to give the kids a chance to figure things out for themselves" said Ingersoll. 

To kick off this event, the Carman little leaguers picked captains, chose up sides, and took the field, some in their team uniforms but most in street clothes.  One parent, watching from the bleachers, was surprised at how capable the kids were of picking their own teams without any hard feelings.  The parents also enjoyed watching their kids play with new teammates and mixed ages.  Ingersoll was pleased to see that "the older kids gave the little kids confidence by playing with them and allowing them to play all positions.  They didn't always stick them in the outfield."  After nearly three hours of playing, they had to wrap it up, though the participants insisted that the league put another one together in August.  The day was a great success and the Carman Little League intends to make Sandlot Day a regular part of each season to come.    

Date: 7/14/2010
For Immediate Release

Monticello, N. Y. - In February, 2010, Vincent Gilmore and Dennis Martin launched the Monticello YMCA Youth Basketball League.  Initially, participation in the league was minimal, with only 15 children registered, but by April their league participation had multiplied to 85 children.  Due to the rapid growth, Gilmore and Martin plan on having the league in session year round with a short break between each season.  The predominantly instructional league has two age divisions, 8-11 year olds and 12-17 year olds.  Currently, each division has approximately half a dozen teams.  July 10th marked the beginning of the league's summer session in which Gilmore and Martin expect to see continued growth due to added interest from the local community. 

Gilmore attributes much of the league's success to the SUNY Youth Sports Institute's coaching certification class that he and Martin attended last January. Gilmore felt "the class was very informative and he learned a lot about working with youth sports despite being a recreation major in college."  Because of this, Gilmore and Martin have made the SUNY Youth Sports Institute coaching certification mandatory in order to "ensure all of their coaches and volunteers involved with the league are knowledgeable when it comes to coaching youth basketball."  Gilmore feels the public perception of their league has improved since mandating the course and their "increased credibility" has helped generate more community sponsors. 

The Monticello YMCA Youth Basketball League currently has 28 SUNY Youth Sports Institute certified coaches and volunteers.  For more information on the Monticello YMCA Youth Basketball League visit http://www.middletownymca.org/sullivancountyymca/index.shtml.   To learn more about the SUNY Youth Sports Institute visit http://www.youthsportsny.org.