CLARION, Pa. (D9Sports) — The Fraternal Order of the Eagles in Clarion recently made a $1,000 donation to become the lead sponsor of the 17th Annual Clarion County YMCA Sportsmanship 1 District 9 High School Basketball All-Star Games being played April 1 at Keystone High School.
(Photo: Norb Baschnagel with Eagles President John Kundick, Vice-President Sam Schreckengost, Secretary John Shirey, Treasurer Mike Kitchen, Chaplain Roy Bunch, Conductor Mike Miller, Trustee Mike Miller, Trustee Jim Hinderliter and Jesse Kelley, Clarion County YMCA Branch Director.)
“The Eagles is noted for people helping people,” Jack Shirey, secretary of the organization, said. “Our mission is to help local charities, and we try to help the community in the process.”
The All-Star games — the girls’ game starts at 2 p.m. and the boys’ game starts at 4 p.m. — features some of the top senior talent in District 9 and has grown into the premier District 9 All-Star game.
“It means a lot that the Eagles are stepping up for Sportsmanship,” Jesse Kelley, the Clarion County YMCA Branch Director, said. “It’s an easy thing that gets lost in society these days. We’re thankful that the Eagles see the need for good sportsmanship and want to emphasize it. But we’re also glad they support so many other youth-strengthening initiatives such as the construction of the ball field by their property and the kids’ playground. Youth are in need of safe recreational areas and these venues do a lot to nurture and develop the county’s youth.
“The Eagles are also major contributors to the Capital Campaign for the new Clarion County YMCA as well.
In addition to the high school players playing the games, there will be exhibition games at halftime of each game featuring third- and fourth-grade teams from the Clarion YMCA.
The Sportsmanship 1 All-Star basketball games were conceived and initiated in 2000 by Norb Baschnagel, a former Clarion University professor in the Health and Physical Education Department, who also was an assistant men’s basketball coach at the school in the late 1970s and early 1980s during the time of great success for the program.
Over the years, the games have taken many shapes and forms before becoming its current format of featuring the top senior players in District 9 in 2013 with the addition of D9Sports.com, a member of the EYT Media Network since December 2015.
“The objective of the games is to recognize the outstanding senior and have them play one last game raise money for the Clarion County YMCA and present the Western Pennsylvania Sportsmanship 1 Sportsperson of the Year award,” Kelley said. “To date, 640 exceptional senior girls’ and boys’ basketball players, coached by 128 coaches and officiated by 96 officials have participated in this event.”
Players are selected by the executive committee of 14 members, a committee of coaches from District 9 and two officials from District 9. and women coaches from the four District 9 leagues, and 2 officials from District 9. The executive committee also supervises the logistics of this event.
To date, approximately $118,000 in cash and product has been raised by the executive committee to benefit the Clarion County YMCA, Camp Coffman, and other nonprofit charities over the years including the Fitzgerald Ramp Fund and Clarion P.A.W.S.
The game has been generously supported over the years by donations and sponsorships from community organizations such as the Eagles Club, individuals, small businesses, and corporations who share in the desire to exemplify to all boys and girls the characteristics of good sportsmanship.
(Article submitted by Michelle Murray, Marketing & Membership Director, Clarion County YMCA, Oil City YMCA, and YMCA Camp Coffman)
Clarion County YMCA and exploreClarion.com have partnered to provide the community with YMCA News. This is an exclusive article only found on exploreClarion.com.
