This was a tremendous year for our basketball program! With players ranging in age from 5 -18, PYA had over 900 boys and girls participating. Thanks to our partnership with, and cooperation of, the Port Washington School District, we were able to effectively coordinate multiple gyms, dates, and times for all age levels. Both the girls and boys programs also supported the respective Schreiber High School basketball teams in their runs to the playoffs with “PYA Nights,” as the boys team reached the Nassau County Finals vs. Baldwin, though came up just short of the title.

On March 11th, PYA tipped off its inaugural Hoopfest parent fundraiser in the Schreiber High School gym. Sure to become an annual event, 8 teams competed in the “Fun League” tournament, and 12 teams in the “Competitive League” tournament. Players also participated in Free Throw and Knock Out competitions. Beacon Bricklayers, The Hoop Lab, Adam L’Esperance, Terrance Bostick, Lisa Rosen, and Matt Perceval all took home the coveted trophies! Four talented Port kids - Aliyah Brodsky, Jax Horlick, Ryan Messenger, and Sophie Sobel - sang the National Anthem, and the PYA cheerleaders hyped up our teams and spectators with an awesome performance at the welcoming ceremony. We thank the community for coming out to show support, as well as our sponsors, volunteers, and our amazing teams who gave it their all!

PYA Wrestling’s return season following a 3-year break due to the COVID pandemic was outstanding. Thank you to the Schreiber wrestling staff, assisted by alumni and high school wrestlers! With two scrimmage sessions weekly from December until late March, wrestlers participated in practices filled with wrestling technique, sport specific games, and life skills work. The PYA wrestlers opened for Schreiber’s varsity Alumni Night match, and attended an NCAA Division I college match with the high school wrestling team, where they toured the Hofstra wrestling facilities with Hofstra head coach Dennis Papadatos. Participants also attended wrestling tournaments in both Nassau and Suffolk counties and wrapped up the season by attending the prestigious Long Island Youth Wrestling Festival in Huntington. At the end of season pizza party, the high school coaches and wrestlers spoke about their personal journeys towards success, and provided our wrestlers with a clear path to the benefits and opportunities that the sport of wrestling can offer.

PYA’s Cheerleading program not only improves physical strength, athleticism and coordination, but it also has a large focus on teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership skills. Our newest and fastest growing program is now year-round and is taking our community by storm!

From kindergarten through 6th grade, over 80 girls took part in Football Cheerleading for PYA flag football and the newly returned youth tackle football program during Sunday morning games! The fall season ended with a fabulous opportunity to cheer for our PYA football players as they scrimmaged on a Sunday morning before a Jets game at MetLife Stadium.

Almost 100 girls in our inaugural winter season brought added spirit and energy to the PYA basketball games! This season, we partnered with the Schreiber cheerleading program during clinics and at a varsity basketball game. The season ended with a performance at the welcoming ceremony of PYA Hoopfest.

Cheerleading for spring sports will be a new program this year, and will focus more on the performance and skills of cheerleading. This season will culminate in an end-of-the-year PYA Pep Rally. We are all looking forward to seeing what these girls can do! To register, please visit www.pyasports.org/springcheer

The fields may have been closed for the winter, but the work never stops at Lions Field! Our Field Committee has been hard at work this winter planning for the peak PYA playing seasons that run through Spring, Summer, and Fall. Thanks to the strength of the organization, and the dedication and loyalty of our PYA families and players, PYA is constructing a new eco-friendly, maintenance-free, and larger wrap-around deck at the snack bar/restrooms. This spring, there will also be two new LED scoreboards for our two main football/lacrosse fields! PYA thanks the Froccaro family for their generous donation to complete this project. These scoreboards will be operational through Wi-Fi and any smartphone or tablet. Finally, we have also installed new and improved safety netting between the lacrosse and football fields as we continue in our pursuit of providing the safest environment we can for our PYA families. Stay tuned for further announcements and more big plans for 2023 and 2024!

We will be inducting three new members into the PYA Hall of Fame at our annual Gala on Friday, April 21, 2023, which will take place at the North Hempstead Country Club in Port Washington. The 31st edition of the PYA Gala will ring in our 60th anniversary celebrations, as well as honor Cory Drewes and Eric Trenaman for their long-time volunteer efforts, and Ken McIlhenny, former PYA athlete. These new inductees will join 76 other Hall of Fame members as past PYA honorees. The Gala will kick off with a cocktail hour at 7:30PM, and a buffet dinner from 8:45PM to 11:30PM. There will be a silent auction and a liquor ring toss. The price is $185.00 per person (including open bar) in advance and is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. There are also several sponsorships available to fit all budgets. Please mark your calendars now, and direct any inquiries and reservations to info@pyasports.org.  For more information and to register to attend the event, please visit: WWW.PYASPORTS.ORG/GALA