Contact:
Michael Basso
Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Springbrook
105 Campus Drive
Oneonta, New York 13820
Phone: (607) 386 4852
Email: bassom@springbrookny.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 28, 2023
Springbrook Hosted the 8th Annual Special Olympics Basketball Invitational
Oneonta, NY: Springbrook hosted the 8th Annual Springbrook Special Olympics Basketball Invitational on Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The tournament was free, and the public was invited to attend.
The Springbrook Invitational is a round-robin style competition, which seven teams attended this year, including the Springbrook Scorpions Varsity and Junior Varsity teams, Team Orange, and Team Black. Visiting teams included the Saratoga Wildcats, Broome Tioga Panthers, the Ithaca Red Raiders, the Schenectady Patriots, and Fastbreak Schenectady. In addition to the traditional tournament style play, skills athletes demonstrated their basketball proficiencies in two rounds of competition.
An opening ceremony commenced at 9 a.m. in the gymnasium on the Main Campus at 105 Campus Drive, Oneonta, NY. Patricia Kennedy, chief executive officer at Springbrook, opened the tournament with words of gratitude for the staff, volunteers, and athletes who made the tournament possible. Varsity teams and skills athletes competed at Springbrook’s Main Campus, while Junior Varsity teams competed at Springbrook’s Oneonta Campus at 5588 State Hwy 7, Oneonta, NY, with three rounds of competition.
Medal ceremonies followed the tournaments at their respective locations. On the Main Campus, results were as follows: first place, Springbrook Team Black; second place, Saratoga Wildcats; third place, Broome Tioga Panthers; fourth place, Ithaca Red Raiders. The championship game on the Main Campus was between Springbrook Team Black and the Saratoga Wildcats and the final score was 35 – 18.
On the Oneonta Campus, results were as follows: first place, Fastbreak Schenectady; second place, Schenectady Patriots; third place, Springbrook Team Orange. The awards for skills level one, division one, were: first place, Ben Menzel (Saratoga Wildcats); second place, Kalee Seidel (Ithaca Red Raiders); third place, Kia Garner (Springbrook); fourth place, Ryan Glen (Springbrook). For level one, division two: first place, Isaac Ziefle (Ithaca Red Raiders); second place, Brayden MacMillan (Springbrook); third place, Ava Concannon (Springbrook); fourth place, Toby Slyman (Saratoga Wildcats). For level one, division three: first place, Stella Bowen (Springbrook); second place, Mia Torani (Springbrook); third place, Beckett Toulson (Springbrook); fourth place, Simon Kutacek (Springbrook). For level one, division four: first place, Colin McCrohan (Springbrook); second place, Bridget Henry (Saratoga Wildcats); third place, Caidyn Bradley (Springbrook); fourth place, Jack Seeley (Springbrook). For level two, division one: first place, Michael (Broome Tioga Panthers); second place, Daniel Cerosaletti (Springbrook).
Nicole Valentine-Sokolowski, special education teacher and Springbrook athletic coordinator, had this to say: “The tournament is an exciting event that brings together athletes and gives them an opportunity to show off their skills and sportsmanship. It is a pleasure to witness their joy and determination.”
Jon Philby, adaptive physical education teacher at The School at Springbrook, added, “It was great to have the Springbrook Special Olympics Basketball Invitational return to the campus this year. We had a wonderful turnout and witnessed strong competition among all athletes. It was nice to see athletes we hadn’t seen for a while at our home tournament. We could not have done it without the help and assistance of our great volunteers from SUNY Oneonta and SUNY Delhi, our staff here at Springbrook, and members of the Oneonta Community.”
Springbrook’s Special Olympics Program is host to a basketball, soccer, and track & field team and is 100% donor funded. The program is made possible thanks to the generous support of sponsors who give to make a difference in the lives of people with developmental disabilities.
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Springbrook provides at-home care, residential and educational services, day services, and clinical, therapeutic, and behavioral supports to over 1,000 people with developmental disabilities from across New York State. The organization is Otsego County’s third largest employer, with over 1,200 employees.
