Nearly 500 student athletes from across nine dioceses competed in the New England CYO Basketball Tournament hosted by the Diocese of Norwich March 28-30 under the auspices of the Office of Faith Events (OFE).
“Hosting this tournament was an incredible opportunity for our Diocese to shine by showing hospitality to other dioceses who have hosted this tournament for countless years when we were not able to reciprocate,” said Liza Roach, youth and young adult minister who oversaw the event for the diocese. “Experiencing the excitement and enthusiasm among the student athletes and their families who competed was well worth the effort it took for us to put this all together.”
Above: The St. George Parish, Manchester, NH, boys teams won the championship game for players in grades 5-6.
The tournament featured nine competitive categories of play for Catholic school boys and girls in grades 5-8 and Catholic parish boys and girls teams in grades 5-12. Three teams from St. James School, Danielson, and one team from St. John Paul II Regional School in Middletown represented the Diocese of Norwich in the tournament although neither school advanced to the championship finals.
In addition to representatives from our diocese, tournament teams included players from the Archdioceses of Boston and Hartford and the Dioceses of Bridgeport, Burlington, Fall River, Manchester, Providence, and Worcester.
“The competition was thrilling, and the energy of the fans was infectious,” said Roach. “While there were both moments of joy and disappointment, the tournament was a memorable experience for all who participated, showcasing the spirit of community and sportsmanship.”
The games took place at four venues within the Diocese including Mercy and Xavier High Schools in Middletown and at both Portland Middle and High schools. Roach also expressed gratitude to the Archdiocese of Hartford which supported the tournament by hosting games at two of its schools, St. Paul’s Catholic School, Kensington and St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol.
Hosting the tournament was a culmination of nearly a year of planning by Roach and her NECYO committee, which spent countless hours and support in preparation for the event. Committee members included the Diocesan Superintendent of Schools Gail Kingston and several athletic directors from our diocesan Catholic schools. “We could not have brought this tournament to fulfillment without the expertise, support, and contribution of each member of the committee. They were an invaluable resource to us. Each member devoted countless hours in helping to make this tournament a reality for us,” she said.
Roach noted the OFE presented a ‘Most Valuable Volunteer’ certificate to Jarrod DiZazzo, athletic director at St. James School, for his service and evangelization in creating and operating the NECYO website that provided information to coaches, and families about the tournament and other resources available in the area. DiZazzo also served as site coordinator for some of the event venues. The certificate reads: “Your commitment to St. James School Sports and the Office of Faith Events New England CYO Tournament Committee has made a significant impact on the Diocese of Norwich and is greatly appreciated.”
Each game began with a prayer led by the site coordinator followed by the pledge of allegiance led by a student athlete. Fr. James Thaikoottathil, pastor of St. John’s Church, Middletown, offered a special blessing for all team players following Mass at the church on Sunday, March 30. He called all of the players to the front of the church and asked the congregation to pray for them as they use their gifts and talents to better their Catholic schools, parishes, and faith.
In his blessing, Fr. Thaikoottathil summed up the spirit of tournament when he prayed, “Heavenly Father, We thank you for the gift of athletics, for the opportunity to watch our teams compete, for the chance to encourage our athletes to challenge themselves to become stronger athletes and more importantly better people. Help us to be gracious no matter what the final score is remembering all experiences are lifelong lessons. We pray the victories are earned through hard work and dedication and the defeats build character to face life’s adversity. We realize that win, lose or tie, we all come away winners as Your children. We ask all this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.”
By Mary-Jo McLaughlin
Below: The Catholic schools winner for boys in grades 7-8 was St. Thomas Aquinas, Bridgeport.
