Metrosports Magazine, March/April 2015

MetroSports Magazine March Madness Basketball

North American Tour Table Tennis Season Finals in Pleasantville

Mar/Apr 2015

Swimming with the Riptides of the YMCA

USA Gymnastics

Competition Season in Swing

Contents March/April 2015

p. 22

Features 4 Coverage and photos of the Boys Slam Dunk Tournament 8 Coverage and photos of the Girls Slam Dunk Tournament 16 NYC Streetball Surrob Negron’s beloved NYC street basketball scene 18 Basketball Advantage Coach Christi Abbate helps young players achieve their college dreams 22 Gymnastics The 2015 USA Gymnastics season tumbles ahead 30 Swimming Jump in the pool with the YMCA’s Riptides 34 Table Tennis The North American Tour wraps up in Pleasantville 36 Tower Running with Gilda’s Stair Climb

Regular 2 Athlete of the Month 41 Sports Photo Tip

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MetroSports Athletes of the Month March / April 2015 Dymiana Cox, a Level 10 gymnast currently training at Dynamic Gymnastics in Mohegan Lake, NY, is our MetroSports Magazine Athlete of the Month for April. Dymiana competed for a spot on the Puerto Rican team and will be trying to secure a place on the roster of competitors for the upcoming Pan American Games. At the Jan 31- Feb 1 Spirit of America meet, Dymiana won first place Gold Medal Honors in the Level 10 category and repeated her first place performance at the Caribbean Winter Invitational held in Puerto Rico in February.

Wendell Brand, a junior on the Sleepy Hollow, NY, varsity basketball team is named as the MetroSports Magazine Athlete of the Month of March. Also playing as a cornerback on Sleepy Hollow’s varsity football team, Wendell has consistently been the team’s leading scorer during the current season and led the Sleepy Hollow squad in scoring during December’s Slam Dunk Tournament at the Westchester County Center.

We look forward to big things in Wendell’s future.

The Westchester Photographic Society

MetroSports Magazine accepts and welcomes photos, short articles, opinions and letters from our readers. There is no guarantee that unsolicited contributions will be published and MetroSports Magazine assumes no responsibility for failure to publish or for editing published contributions. The Contents of MetroSports Magazine consist of copyrightable and/ or copyrighted material and cannot be reproduced without the express written consent of the publishers.

MetroSports Magazine (MSM) is published 6 times a year

by MetroSports Media. MSM is available online and can be downloaded in electronic format for viewing on tablet and hand-held devices, laptop and desktop computers and purchased as full-color glossy print editions.

Publisher: MetroSports Media Features Editor: John Chuhran Director of Photography/Layout/Web: Warren Rosenberg Associate Photo Editor / Social Media : Clark Thompson Advertising: For rate card contact warren@nyspg.com Please direct all inquiries to: warren@nyspg.com Visit us on the web at: MetroSportsMag.com

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Men’s Bracket

2014 Slam Dunk Tournament

Ke’on Peterkin (25) and Anthony Lamb (2) of Greece Athena

What better than for MetroSports Magazine to focus its March/ April issue on the annual March Madness celebration of American Basketball, the game created

by James Naismith in Springfield Massachusetts in 1891. New York has made its mark on the sport with historically competitive professional, collegiate, high school, and urban teams.

The recent 2014 December holiday season brought the 16th Annual High School Slam Dunk Tournament to the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY, where teams from both the Metro area and across the State competed for the early season

Peter Florin (32) of Greece Athena Lays One in

bragging rights of high school basketball.

Winning the men’s bracket were the Trojans of Greece Athena High School from Rochester NY defeating the Tigers from Spring Valley.

Two local powerhouses, Stepinac and Iona Prep were eliminated in the semifinal round but did play in a hotly contested consolation round to determine the third and fourth place finishers.

The men’s tournament MVP went to 6’6” Greece Athena forward Anthony Lamb, who impressed Iona College scout Jared Grasso and was offered a scholarship following the game.

Facing Page

Sleepy Hollow High School’s Wendell Brand (3) goes airborne against Gorton High School’s Jean Silaire (23) and Justin Powell (3).

Wendell may be on the flight path to follow in the footsteps of his cousin, Elton Brand, who went on from Peekskill High School, through Duke University to a 16 year and counting career with the Chicago Bulls, L.A. Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks.

Sleepy Hollow’s Wendell Brand Photo Credit: Warren Photo Rosenberg, nyspg.com

by Clark Thompson.

Clarkshots.com 5

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Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

Greece Athena’s Anthony Lamb (2) fights for the ball. The 6’6” junior Forward made enough of an impression on recruiting scout Jared Grasso that he was offered a place on the Iona College Gaels.

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

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Women’s Bracket

2014 Slam Dunk Tournament

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

Coach Dan Ricci and his Ossining High School team waiting for their Championship Game The 2014 Westchester County Slam Dunk Tournament is believed by many to be a preview of New York State’s Section I high school basketball tournament.

Held during this past December’s post-Christmas weekend at the Westchester County Center, this 16th edition of the Slam Dunk Tournament featured teams from the New York Metro region as well as few upstate teams that are likely candidates to go all the way in this season’s Section I competition.

Ossining High School’s 6’0’’ center, Jalay Knowles, won the girls tournament mvp award achieving the game high score of 36 points in the championship game against Bishop Laughlin.

Ranked #6 among all high basketball school players in New York State, Knowles is also an All-State goalie for Ossining’s varsity soccer team. Knowles is heading off to play for the University of Hartford’s Hawks next year.

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com 9

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Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

Photo Credit: Clark Thompson, Clarkshots.com

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Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Photos by Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com The East Coast Panthers AAU basketball program provided an entertaining and spirited halftime exhibition during the 2014 Women’s Slam Dunk final between the Ossining Pride and Bishop Laughlin Lions.

The Panthers, operated out of the Premier Athletic Club in Montrose, NY, provide motivational and skills training to both boys and girls fielding girls teams from the 5th through 8th

Photo by Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com grades and boy’s teams from the 6th through the 11th grades.

During the men’s final between Greece Athena and Spring Valley, the half-time exhibition was put on by the boys from the St. Matthew’s school team.

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Send inquiries to warren@nyspg.com

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Let us prepare a custom cover of any MetroSports Magazine with your favorite photo. Full color glossy prints in sizes 8” x 10” or 16” x 20” suitable for framing.

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We’ll create a special issue of MetroSports Magazine featuring you on the cover and highlighted in the feature athlete profile. Send us a high resolution digital photo file and a brief biography and we’ll prepare and send you a printed full-color copy of an actual MetroSports Magazine with your cover.

Send your request to Warren@nyspg.com

NYC Streetball Scene From the outdoor asphalt courts of Rucker Park to the high school hardwood of the former Rice High School, New York City has long been at the center of American basketball.

New York City streeball is characterized by fast-paced pickup games featuring a range of ability levels and experience and often pitting talented neighborhood kids, high school standouts, D-I college athletes, and an occasional current or retired pro in a sharp-elbowed, charge-the-basket game.

Perhaps best stated by former pro player Tyson Hartnett in a September 2014 Huffington Post article, “In different areas of the world, there may be better players, better games, and better pure basketball. But New York City is still the Mecca. When you tell someone, ‘I played streetball in New York City,’ they’ll immediately know it toughened

you up. Only the strong survive, and that saying is no more evident than on the courts of New York.”

Among the City’s most wellknown venues for streetball are Holcombe Rucker Park in Harlem, the West 4th Street Courts in Greenwich Village, Orchard Beach in the Bronx, Marine Park in Brooklyn, Lefrak City in Queens and Clove Lake Park in Staten Island.

Willie Negron, whose brother is memorialized in the adjoining column, has been a tireless promoter of basketball in NYC, organizing a summer league team, the Willie Howie All Stars and having started a franchise of the North American Basketball Development League Association, the New York Lightning, in 2013. In 2015, Negron is partnering with Bryson Greene to bring a team to the Entertainer’s Basketball Classic.

New York City’s 12U Gaucho’s at the City Legendz Tournament

Robert “Surrob” Negron’s Legacy Lives on in MetroSports Magazine For anyone familiar with New York City’s street basketball scene and the NBA players these streets have produced, Surrob Negron’s name is legendary. Surrob, who passed away on June 22, 2010 while playing a game of pickup basketball on a NYC court in Manhattan, had become a noted photographer of NYC’s street basketball.

Educated at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Surrob was known for creating nearly 1,000 photo collages, including those of Michael Jordan and Carmello Anthony.

In a tribute to the life and art of Robert Negron, MetroSports Magazine has created a Surrob-like photo collage, pictured on the next page, combining images from the Slam Dunk Tournament covered elsewhere in this issue with testimonials to Surrob and two of his own photo collages. At the center bottom is pictured Surrob presenting NBA star and NYC basketball product Stephon Marbury with a collage of his photos. Marbury had played with the Knicks, Nets, and Celtics.

MetroSports Magazine is proud to remember Surrob Negron.

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

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Skills Development and College Placement on Long Island It’s the dream of many high school athletes and their parents to be accepted into the college of their choice, and, even better yet, to be offered a spot on a collegiate athletic team and granted a scholarship. Through her Basketball Advantage program, Coach Christi Abbate helps make that dream come true.

Basketball Advantage is a multi-service organization that provides a range of high-quality, personalized services, including basketball skills development and college recruiting and selection assistance. Coach Abbate brings to these services 13 years of NCAA Division I basketball coaching, training and recruiting experience from her time with the Iona College and Long Island University women’s basketball programs. She has first-hand experience with skills development, conditioning, designing and running offenses and defenses, and recruiting student-athletes locally, nationally and internationally whose talents and personalities fit well into a program’s system and culture.

“I really enjoy the work I do because I was able to put my knowledge and experience from my years of collegiate coaching to use to help people. When I am training a player or team on the court, I am helping them grow and develop and improve their game. When assisting a high school student-athlete with the college recruiting process, I work with them to find the college that is the best fit for them in all aspects, including academically, athletically and socially. Adding the athletic component to it adds a great deal to the college selection process. It feels good to help guide the students and their parents as they

“There are no words to describe how much you have helped my daughter. The few months she has been attending your sessions she has grown exponentially.

My daughter has gained self confidence that she carries into other aspects of her life already.”

maneuver through the extremely competitive world of college recruiting”, says Coach Abbate about her Basketball Advantage endeavors.

Basketball Advantage is associated with the Long Island based AAU organization, Lightning Basketball, where Coach Abbate serves as the Director of College Recruitment and with the BCBA Community Sports Training Center, where she serves as the Director of Basketball Operations.

BCBA is a non-profit community training center “helping to better young people through a variety of sports and fitness programs”, where she organizes and supervises all basketball activities for kids grades 2-12. She is also involved with running the Kids Night Out programs and Fitness Fun Camps held at BCBA.

As College Select’s National Director of College Advancement, Coach Abbate works with high school student-athletes of any sport interested in continuing their athletic career at the college level. College Select offers a simple yet powerful multi-million dollar technology that automates the college planning and placement process, putting students and their families in control. College Select provides a complete solution for the transition from high school to college by providing all the necessary components needed for college placement, such as, College Match Technology, Financial Aid Completion, Scholarship Search Engine, College Database Search, Essay Writing Workshop, College Advisory, Career Development, NCAA, and more.

Coach Abbate at Iona College with now Seton Hall University head coach Anthony Bozzella

You can contact Coach Abbate at 914-774-9580 for further information

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Adult Rec-League Basketball

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com Adult recreational league basketball is alive and well in the NY Metro region with a multitude of games being played on any given night. Featured here is some action from the White Plains Adult Recreational League, a late February match-up between the teams from Xylem, a global water technology company (blue) and The College of Westchester Warriors (white). This particular contest went to the team from Xylem.

NCAA March Madness The New York Metro region is host to some of the nation’s most competitive collegiate teams which help to bring March Madness to small gyms and large arenas throughout the region. The Seton Hall University Pirates of South Orange, NJ, and the West Point Black Knights of Highland Falls, NY, are two such programs.

Pictured at right is Seton Hall Pirate Brandon Mobley, a 6’9” 225 lb senior forward from Savannah, Georgia. Playing all four years for the Pirates, Mobley led the team last year in free throw percentage scoring on 88% of his attempts from the line and is currently having his best year scoring, averaging 10 points per game.

West Point’s Kelsey Minato, pictured below, is a 5’8” guard from Huntington Beach, California, and carries the distinction of being the 2013-14 Patriot League Player of the Year and Tournament MVP. This year she’s ranked ninth-among NCAA Division I women in scoring, averaging over 24 points per game and holds the conference record for the most consecutive doubledigit scoring games, currently standing at 67.

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

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USA Gymnastics Competition Season Heats Up One of New York State Gymnastics’ State qualifying events made a stop at Dynamic Gymnastics in Mohegan Lake, NY early last month. The 2015 Spirit of America Tournament saw over 300 young women from ten gymnastics training facilities compete in six sessions over the course of two days, Jan 31 and Feb 1. In addition to be a qualifying meet for the New York State Championship, the Spirit of America meet served as a stop along the way to the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic National Championships which will be held in Greensboro, NC, on June 24-28.

Participating gyms were Brestyans Gymnastics from Massachusetts, and the New York Sate teams of Aviator from Brooklyn, Gold Star Gymnastics from Pleasant Valley, Gymnastique from Syossset, New Image Gymnastics from Edgewood, Triumph Gymnastics from Ridgewood, Vega Gymnastics from Carmel, Westchester Gymnastics from Hawthorne, the YMCA Tumblettes from White Plains and the host team from Dynamic Gymnastics in Mohegan Lake.

Dynamic Gymnastics is owned and operated by former Romanian Olympians Teodora Ungureanu and Sorin Cepoi and has produced numerous State, Regional and National Championship competitors.

Photo by Warren Rosenberg. nyspg.com

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Above: Vega Gymnastics, Below: Brestyans Gymnastics

Above: Gold Star Gymnastics, Below: Westchester Gymnastics

All Photos Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

Below: Gymnastique Gymnastics

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Team Results Level 2 Westchester New Image

106.550 66.000

Level 3 Vega 112.900 Dynamic 112.250 YWCA 111.950

Dynamics’ Dymiana Cox, pictured at the top of the facing page, is a highly regarded up and coming prospect who competed for a place on the Puerto Rican national team in February given her family roots in San Juan. In addition, Dymiana will be competing for a spot in both the Pan American and Central American Games. Dymiana’s current coaches, Olympians Sorin Cepoi and Teodora Ungureanu believe that she has a very good chance at qualifying.

Level 4 Brestyan’s 112.050 Vega 108.975 YWCA Tumblettes 108.700 Level 5 Brestyan’s 113.950 Gold Star 107.975 Dynamic 107.050 Level 6 Dynamic 110.000 New Image 108.525 Westchester 107.100 Level 8 Dynamic 168.050 Gold Star 130.700 Gymnastique 95.575

Above: Triumph Gymnastics,

Below: Gold Star Gymnastics

Level 9 Gold Star 119.450 Dynamic 33.575 Aviator 32.625 Level 10 Dynamic 92.825

All Photos Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

Above: Dymiana Cox of Dynamic Gymnastics

Individual Results - 1st Place Winners Level 2, All Ages Level 3, 7 & Under Level 3, 8 & Under Level 3, 8 Yr Old Level 3, 9 Yr Old (4) Level 3, 9 Yr Old (6) Level 3, 10 Yr Old Level 3, 10 & Up Level 3, 11 & Up Level 4, 8 & Under Level 4, 9 Yr Old Level 4, 10 Yr Old Level 4, 11 & Up Level 4, 10 & Up Level 5, 9 & Under Level 5, 10 & 11 Level 5, 12 & Up Level 6, 10 & Under Level 6, 11 Yr Old Level 6, 12 & Up Level 7, 12 & Under Level 7, 13 & Up Level 8, 11 & Under Level 8, 12 & Up Level 9, All Ages Level 10, All Ages

Syian Sawian Cadence Nicholas Alisa Giordano Hayley Madden Sara Maloney Capri DeMara Olivia Mekeel Julia Corradi Ciara Murphy Abigail Lee Reese Toland Moa Kulle Sandhya Raman Madison Decola Lindsay VanEyk Grace Holland Madelyn Martorana Rylee Coyne Catherine O’Sulivan Maya Luse Rachel Goldstein Carli Behan Caitlin Pellegrino Valia Gregory Emma Schulz Dymiana Cox

Westchester Gymnastics Dynamic Gymnastics Vega Gymnastics Dynamic Gymnastics Vega Gymnastics YMCA Tumblettes Dynamic Gymnastics Vega Gymnastics Dynamic Gymnastics Brestyan’s Gymnastics Brestyan’s Gymnastics YWCA Tumblettes Brestyan’s Gymnastics Vega Gymnastics Brestyan’s Gymnastics Gold Star Gymnastics Gold Star Gymnastics Dynamic Gymnastics Dynamic Gymnastics New Image Gymnastics New Image Gymnastics Gold Star Gymnastics Dynamic Gymnastics Dynamic Gymnastics Gold Star Gymnastics Dynamic Gymnastics

35.300 35.200 36.800 37.150 37.600 37.600 37.250 37.550 36.550 35.750 37.300 36.750 37.350 35.650 37.875 37.025 35.250 36.500 35.925 37.225 36.675 35.950 34.150 34.075 34.075 35.225

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MetroSports Magazine Mar/Apr 2015

Photo by Warren Rosenberg. nyspg.com

Photo by Warren Rosenberg. nyspg.com

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RIPTIDES SWIM TEAM

Central & Northern Westchester YMCA Operating out of their newly restored pool at the White Plains YMCA, the Riptides Swim team of the Westchester Fairfield Swim League (WFSL) look to close out their short course season on a high note. With support from the new leadership of Executive Director Cynthia Rubino, and under the watchful eye of Aquatics Director Eric Hammermeister and his coaching staff , the Riptides used the 2014-15 season to rebuild. To paraphrase Vince Lombardi, for the Riptides “winning isn’t everything”, but building character, self confidence, physical fitness and a competitive spirt certainly are.

“Coaching the Riptides swim team has been one of the most rewarding experiences for a number of reasons” says Head Swimming Coach Lauren Gaita. “The progress the team has made throughout the season is amazing. I’ve seen swimmers who were not able to preform strokes properly, not only master their technique but increase their speed and endurance week after week. Each swimmer joined the team without knowing one another. Through team bonding exercises, I am confident they are not only friends, but have a high level of respect for one another and encourage their teammates to succeed in improving their event times during practices and swim meets. They have not only developed as swimmers but also as individuals.

I am so proud to coach such a wonderful group of swimmers!”

The Aquatics Program at the Central and Northern Westchester YMCA is supervised by Aquatics Director Eric Hammermeister who’s motivational philosophy is “for all swimmers to have a safe, fun time swimming. Assisting each individual to reach their goals while improving their personal speed times and stroke improvements. We would love for In addition to the our team to continue to grow and Riptides swimming become part of USA Swimming.” program, Aquatics Director HammerFor now, the Riptides are a devel- meister notes that, opmental swimming program for “We have a variety age groups 5 - 17 which competes of programs from against other WFSL clubs. group & private

Photos by Warren Rosenberg. nyspg.com

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swim lessons, water aerobics classes, arthritis classes, Aqua Cycling, Aquatic Personal Training, Lifeguard & Water Safety Instructor Courses, Water Fitness Instructor courses, pool parties, Aqua Zumba, First Aid, CPR, Wilderness & Remote First Aid, Babysitting Training, and many more great programs for youth and adults.�

For older swimmers, the Y offers the Masters Swim program, a year-round program that services the needs of all master swimmers. Each swimmer will have the opportunity to train for freestyle as well as the other 3 competitive strokes (Butterfly, Breaststroke, and Backstroke).

This program is ideally suited for first time masters swimmers, former competitive swimmers, and fitness enthusiasts with a passion for swimming, although not a requirement. Swimming is one of the most popular forms for aerobic exercise, and it is an excellent activity for anyone who wishes to get fit and stay fit. There are numerous reasons for joining including: on deck coaching, structured workouts, builds encouragement and motivation, and provides a fun and safe swim environment. The Masters Swim is offered Tues/ Thurs from 6:00-7:00am or a Tues/Thurs from 6:30-7:30pm option.

Regardless of age, swimmers, parents, and coaches are all expected to uphold the Y’s Four Core Values of Honesty, Caring, Respect and Responsibility.

Coaching the Riptides this year has been a great experience, with such a young team you typical do not know what you are getting but this team did everything they could to exceed my expectations says Assistant Coach Carlos Espinal. They were energetic and eager to learn from day one of practice and that same enthusiasm continues everyday. We are excited as a unit for what is to come.

We attack every practice like it is a championship meet. We may be a small team but these swimmers are highly motivated to succeed and success is contagious. These kids have laid the ground working for a new rejuvenated Riptide and they are ready to make a big splash. GO Riptides!!

The Riptides are supported by a generous contribution from The College of Westchester.

All Photos Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

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MetroSports Magazine Mar/Apr 2015

North American Table Tennis Tour Closes Season in P’Ville The 2014 North American Table Tennis Tour Grand Final took place on Feb 6-8 at the Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville, NY. Winning this yearlong, 25-event tournament was Eugene Wang of Ottawa, a member of the Canadian Olympic Team (top right). Also competing before the fans at the Pleasantville facility were two-time U.S Olympian and four-time U.S. National Champion, Jimmy Butler of Houston, TX (pictured top left) and current Olympic hopefuls, Crystal Wang of Boyds MD (bottom left) and Kai Zhang of Pleasantville NY (pictured below).

See our special tournament issue at: MetroSportsMag.com

All Photos Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

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Tower Running

with Gilda’s Stair Climb

All Photos Credit: Clark Thompson, Clarkshots.com ; Kevin Luker, KevinLukerPhotography.com

Stair climbing, also referred to as “tower running” is a competitive sporting event governed at the amateur level in the U.S. by the USA Stair Climbing Association (USSCA). Among the NY Metro region’s USSCA sanctioned races scheduled for 2015 are the Empire State Run Up (2/4/15), the Rockefeller Center Run Up (3/1/15) and the Hartford CT Run Up (4/25/15).

While the USSCA sanctioned events attract some seriously competitive tower runners, other events such as Westchester’s Gilda’s Stair Climb are held for purely charitable purposes and are considered to be more for fun than for competition.

On February 26th, Westchester County’s tallest office building, the 21 story Westchester One in White Plains, served as the site of the second annual Gilda’s Stair Climb organized by the Westchester chapter of Gilda’s Club.

Over 200 participants, some running individually and some as part of multi-person teams, took to the stairs. Some hearty competitors climbed the 18 story Westchester One five times.

Corporate sponsors include Foot Locker, Dannon, M&T Bank, Crystal Rock, Athleta, Kevin Luker Photography, Keane&Beane Attorneys, Cuddy & Feder Attorneys and The Peak 107.1

info.unitedsportgroup@gmail.com

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Sports Photo Tip Sponsored by Hunts Photo & Video

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

Sports Photo Tip of the Month Photographing Basketball

Basketball is a fast-paced game, frequently sit and, as seen in the photo on the facing played indoors under varying lighting con- page, it can get quite crowded. ditions, and which presents a number of If you can’t get a baseline seat, trying to challenges for the photographer. shoot from court level rather than from the One of the challenges in photographing bas- stands, will allow you to shoot up at an angle ketball is the fact that you’ve got 10 play- towards the basket which serves to enhance ers, 5 on each side, quickly moving in your the height of the players and the vertical disfield of vision in all directions and, from the tance of their jumps. Athletes really like it photographer’s vantage point, often cross- when you make them look bigger than life. ing in front of one another. It helps to know the game and to be able to select the ideal If you’re shooting with a DSLR, using a 70200 mm lens will give you the most latitude shooting position. in capturing action under the basket in front When play action begins, look for the point of you (with the 70 mm end) and under the guard to bring the ball from the back court, basket on the far side of the court (with the usually along the sideline, and coming to- 200 mm end of the range). Shooting the acward you if you’re positioned along the tion shots at the far end of the court will baseline of the team you’re following. Your often get you nice images of your team’s most frequent “keeper” shots will be of this members fighting for rebounds (see photo). action. The foul shot will also be relatively Because the lighting is likely to be less than easy as you’ll know exactly where the ac- ideal and the action is fast, a lens with a tion will be and, best of all, the player will large aperture (f/2.8 or better) is needed. If remain in a stationary spot. These however your equipment allows it, set your camera are not usually very interesting images. An- to either aperture priority and the highest iso other great action shot to try and capture is that gives a clean usable image and let the the layup, where an offensive player will camera pick the best shutter speed. If you usually travel in towards the basket from find that the shutter speed is too slow and one of the sides, jump while “in the paint” your images are slightly blurred, try using the manual mode (M) with a shutter speed and try for the score. of 1/500 second, the largest aperture posAsk for permission from one of the game’s sible, and auto iso (your camera will select organizers, facility manager or coach for ac- the best iso sensitivity). cess to shoot from a sitting position on the Be sure to also get photos of action on the baseline. If you can arrange this, be sure team benches and in the stands where you to sit on the side of the court where your can get some very compelling emotional 41 team will be scoring. This is where the pros and humorous photos.