NATIONWIDE — Speaking to What’s Your 99?, the kindness you bring every day to others, Coach Rich Johns presented the importance of understanding yourself and that respect and kindness begins and ends with you, the individual. 

By stressing the word empathy and its meaning, one can have a more fulfilling life. You need to be ‘looking’ to see empathy in everyone you meet.

If one is empathic and kind your, 99 will shine through. 

Addressing mental health is a key component to AWRA and The Visible Project stresses the importance of always being kind. The kinder you are the more visible you become. 

“When you give kindness, it comes back to refresh your own daily mental health,” Coach Johns stated. 

I want everyone to have a Solid 5 to go to. What is a Solid 5? They are the people who you can go to anytime, anyplace for physical and emotional support without judgement. 

“I always stress that I am a Solid 5 for each person in my presentation,” Johns said.

Coach Johns traveled to Duke University recently and presented to about 200 freshmen student-athletes who are a part of the Duke Freshmen Action Program. He traveled with three Saratoga Springs CSD students: Kelsey, Emily, and Conner McFadden, who traveled with their father Dennis, to help Coach Johns with his presentation. 

For more information, visit www.actwithrespectalways.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — “There’s been a lot of talk of me being a one-man show but that’s simply not the case. We win games when I score 40 points and we’ve won when I score 10.” – Kobe Bryant

Charlie DiDonato is a 16-year-old sophomore from Saratoga Springs who plays on the 9-12 grade youth league team at the Saratoga YMCA. He is known on the court for his point scoring ability as a power forward.

“I’ve lost track of how many points so far this season,” he laughed. “The first game I had 28 points and then after that I just stopped counting,” he explained.

He discovered the Y program by practicing there for his try-outs at the school in 8th grade. He saw a flyer and his mom suggested he sign up.

“Basketball is something I picked up around six years old. I played through a recreation league first and then I just liked it from there,” DiDonato explained.

DiDonato played on the high school team his freshmen year and then tried out this year and got cut so he’s unsure if he’ll retry for that team next year or not.

“It’s a more laidback atmosphere at the YMCA, I’m able to have more fun instead of playing intensely like I would on the high school team,” he said.

He is on the Spa Cafe Team, coached by Dallas Wells, who has coached him for a few seasons. DiDonato requests to be on his team because he’s used to his coaching style, which he feels propels him to success.

“Coach Wells is laid back for the most part. Sometimes he’ll get on you, he motivates me a lot. When he needs you to play a certain way, he’ll tell you,” DiDonato explained.

“Dallas is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had,” he raved.

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DiDonato says shooting is his most valuable basketball skill but acknowledges he needs to work on his ball handling.

“When I was younger, I used to be taller than everyone else because I had my growth spurts before them. I was always a center and now as I get older, I’m not going to be taller than everybody so I just need to adapt to that.”

So far, the Spa City Cafe team is having a great season. “We’ve had a pretty good season so far. We’ve lost one game only, we’re pretty good. We have good chemistry, I’m good friends with most of the kids on the team through school and stuff so that helps,” he said.

Still, he acknowledges that sometimes you don’t always have the best game. “When you put in all of that dedication and you don’t have the best game, it’s like dang, but you keep your head up and push through,” he said.

DiDonato also plays summer league and is coached by Wells then as well. 

His best basketball moment to date occurred last summer: “I had 27 points and I made the two game winning free throws in a really tight game. It was an amazing moment. It was pretty intense.”

DiDonato is 100% dedicated to basketball and does not play any other sports; he puts his whole heart into the game. His favorite team is the Knicks and he was in the middle of a game when he heard the news about Kobe Bryant.

“I was really surprised, it’s heartbreaking,” he said.

In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with his friends and is looking for a part-time job. He is also a high honor roll student.

He credits his parents, Gina and Charles, as his biggest supporters.

His advice to the younger kids at the YMCA youth league is this: “Just know that it takes time and work to get to where you want to be, it doesn’t happen overnight.”

Blue Streaks Hockey
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Tuesday, January 21, the Blue Streaks had a massive win over the Mohawks, 9-0. It truly was a team effort with eight players scoring goals: Joe Amodio had two; Andrew Blanchard, Will Detora, Grady Frasier, Sam Jacob, Mack Ogden, Luke Shapiro, and Jax Todorovic each had one goal. Goalie Brad Blake had nine saves. On Friday, January 24, the Blue Streaks played a closer match against La Salle. Saratoga took the win, 8-5. Joe Amodio and Will Detora each had two goals; Sam Jacob, Charlie Leary, Riley Lefebvre, and Griffin Sarver each had one goal. Goalie Brad Blake had 10 saves and other goalie Jesse Bradley had seven saves. On Wednesday, January 29, the Blue Streaks played The Storm, winning 6-0. Joe Amodio and Andrew Blanchard each had two goals; Charlie Leary, Ryan McCoskey, and Michael Montague each had one goal. Goalie Brad Blake had 12 saves.

SRYMCA/Saratoga Honda Youth Basketball Scores JR DIVISION: Cudney’s v. Blend Realty Cudney’s-41: Ben Van Valkinburg-15, Marcus Vary-10 Blend-15: Jacob Alexander-6, Finn Kelly-3 PBA v. Olsen’s Associates PBA-39: Stephon Lindsay-9 , Bryant Savage-9 Olsen’s-29: Colin MacGregor-9, Xavier Rusico-7 SR. DIVISION: Vahanian & Associates v. Village Photo Village Photo-54: Josh L-15, Jacob Krygruski-9, Patrick Deshane-9 Vahanian-32: Tommy Maurer-9, Paul Steves-7 Pashley Construction v. Spa Cafe Spa Café- 49: Brian McCarthy-12, AJ Covota-10 Pashley’s-47: Quin Frank- 15, Raymond Garcia-10

TEAMS FOR DREAMS
Basketball Tournament to Support Local Scholarships
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The inaugural Teams for Dreams three-on-three basketball tournament will be held April 4 to support local scholarships. The Saratoga Springs Rotary Education Foundation has partnered with Saratoga Financial Services to sponsor the event, which will be held at Saratoga Springs High School. The tournament will feature men’s, women’s or coed teams of three or four players competing in various youth and adult brackets. All skill levels are welcome. Build a team and support a good cause. For pricing and to register, visit SaratogaSpringsScholarships.org. Registration closes March 1. The Saratoga Springs Rotary Education Foundation invests in students’ potential because everyone deserves the opportunity for a brighter future. Each year, the foundation awards about $70,000 in scholarships to local high school students to further their dreams. Visit saratogaspringsscholarships. org to learn more.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — It was the second Sunday of the new decade, and Tulane Stadium in New Orleans was filled with more than 80,000 people. Jack Casson was one of them.

“There were about 12 of us, all ad agency people,” recalls Casson, of that Super Bowl IV week a half-century ago.

“The year before we all went down to Miami for Super Bowl III when Joe Namath and the Jets won,” he says. “In New Orleans we went down about a week before the game to play some golf, but the weather was just terrible. It got up to 60 degrees for gametime, but that was the highest reading we had for the whole week.”

The Super Bowl featured The American Football League champion Kansas City Chiefs – coached by Hank Stram and led by quarterback Len Dawson, against the National Football League champion Minnesota Vikings, who played under the direction of coach Bud Grant and boasted a defensive line nicknamed the “Purple People Eaters.”

By the time it was over that January day in 1970, the Chiefs had upset the Vikings by the score of 23–7.  It was the last Super Bowl that matched the AFL against the NFL – the two leagues merged into one at the conclusion of the game – and marked the last time the Chiefs appeared in the Super Bowl. That 50-year string will come to an end this Sunday, when the Chiefs will face the San Francisco 49ers.  

Casson settled in Saratoga in 1972. He grew up in New York City and in the late ‘60s worked for the Estee Lauder company. “I procured their promotional printing, mailings the stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Bonwit Teller would do. Everything with Estee Lauder was high-end.”

While Super Bowl IV was memorable because of the Kansas City Chiefs upset, there was also a segment of the half-time activities that particularly stands out in Casson’s mind, attended the game with a dozen of his industry friends, one of whom had brought along a camera.   

Newspaper reports of the day document a “bizarre” military reenactment with booming cannons and thick blankets of smoke filing the air. There were marching bands. There was an on-field Mardi Gras parade. But, Casson and his friends captured something apparently out of the TV broadcast eye.  

“At halftime there was this big gondola with a Viking in it. It was kind of tied down but got loose when the wind took it. We saw it come right across (the endzone), right to our side, where we were like 8 or 10 rows up,” Casson says. “It got all tangled up. Some people got hurt. And several people were taken off in stretchers. I don’t know to what extent their injuries were…” 

The price of his ticket: “Twenty dollars! Now? forget it,” he says. Sports Illustrated reported this week that the average ticket for Super Bowl LIV is going for $6,390.  

“See, back then everybody could afford it. You didn’t have to be a big money-maker. The expense would be flying there, or getting transportation,” Casson says.

“I used to know a number of the (New York football) Giants in the ‘60s. Back then they had second jobs. Dick Lynch was the cornerback and he worked for an outfit out on Long Island. They were promotional printers and I used to do some business with Dick in the off-season. Another player was Andy Robustelli – he was defensive end and an All-Pro, and he worked for the Fugazi Travel Agency in Manhattan. When he retired, he opened up his own travel agency out in Stamford, Connecticut where he lived. And Alex Webster, he coached the Giants and before that he was a fullback, he worked for an outfit that made printing plates for the printing industry. So, they all did that. We’d sit around a table at a restaurant in a private room and ask him questions about the game,” he says.

“Baseball was the same way. In the ‘50s, the teams would play doubleheaders on Sundays, so I would get on the subway, get off at River (Avenue), come up and there was Yankee Stadium,” Casson recalls. “I’d go in and sit in the right-center field bleachers. The ticket was 60 cents.  I mean, can you imagine?”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — “Gymnastics has made me strong. I feel like it broke me down to my lowest point, but at the same time, it has given me the greatest strength anyone could ask for.” – Olympian Shawn Johnson.

Ava Dallas is a record-breaking 17-year-old junior at Saratoga Springs High School with a passion for gymnastics that she pursues, regardless of the injuries or other things she sacrifices to succeed. 

“I started when I was really little, around two years old, and I stopped for a while but then I started to get serious about it when I was 10,” she explained.

“Just watching college gymnastics on TV and the summer Olympics, I got really inspired and then I started taking classes at the Y and then I joined the team there.”

Dallas then switched to a club team which was more serious and eventually made the choice to join the school’s team full time. She was with Stepping Star for three years and then switched to the high school team because she wanted something more team oriented and with less hours in the gym. From November to the end of February, the gym is where you can find her.

“Right after the season is over, we have about a month and a half off and then we go back to practicing on Sundays and then when it gets into the summer, we practice twice a week,” Dallas specified.

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Dallas currently holds the Section II record for vaulting, which is 9.475.

“My freshmen year on the team, I broke the record for the first time and then last year I broke it once in the beginning of the year and then once again at the end of the year at the state meet,” she explained.

However, she is still recovering from a stress fracture in her back from over the summer. 

“It was very hard for me to do anything because it was so painful. When I went to the doctor, he advised that I slow down and possibly stop to prevent any further injury. I didn’t want to do that and compromise my junior season so I modified my routines to do skills that didn’t hurt me and now I’m building back all of my skills and all of my routines to get back to where I want to be,” Dallas said.

Dallas also coaches the little girls the basics of gymnastics at the Wilton YMCA.

“Coaching the little girls definitely provides a different perspective on the sport. As a coach, you have to think about putting the skill into words that the little kids would understand and sometimes it takes multiple times to explain things so it really makes you think about every single little part of each skill that you do. Also, to see them enjoy it as much as they do, it really brings a new enjoyment for me,” she mused.

Her family supports one another tremendously. Her sister cheers at Syracuse and the family goes to watch her games whenever they can.

She cites her father as her biggest fan: “it means a lot, I can always look over and see him cheering for me… He’s like my number one fan,” she laughed.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Friday, January 24, Saratoga Springs high school celebrated their six senior boys on the varsity basketball team; Aidan Holmes, Bryce Emery, Garrett Myers, Grayson Dumortier, Dan Spillane, and Aidan Dagostino. The team is coached by Matt Usher and assistant coached by Geoff Loiacono.

The team played Bethlehem in a rematch from last year’s Sectional Championship, which the Blue Streaks won.

“It was a tight game to the end. Blue Streaks were down 58-56 with 7 seconds left when Luke Britton hit a 3-point shot on a pass from Aidan Holmes for the win,” Alicia Holmes, a booster club member, explained.

The final score was 59-58.

Holmes scored 11 points; Emery had five points; Myers had four points; Dumortier had three points; Spillane and Dagostino each had two points. Luke Britton, junior, had a team high of 19 points.

Blue Streaks Hockey
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Wednesday, Jan. 15 the Blue Streaks took a big win, 6-1, over the CD Jets. Assistant Captain Joe Amodio had three goals and two assists; Assistant Captain Will Detora scored one goal with three assists; Michael Montague had one goal and two assists; and Griffin Sarver had one goal. Goalie Jesse Bradley had nine saves. On Friday, Jan. 17 the Blue Streaks played a close game against Ithaca, Saratoga took the win, 4-2. Joe Amodio, Charlie Leary, Ryan McCoskey, and Devon Wormley each scored one goal. Goalie Brad Blake had 18 saves.

SRYMCA/Saratoga Honda Youth Basketball Scores

JR DIVISION:
Blend Realty v. Olsen Associates
Blend Realty-26: Jacob Alexander-15, Robert Tucker-3
Olsen Associates-17: Jacob Hernandez-4, Chris Perera-4, Xavier Rusio-4

PBA v. Cudney’s
PBA-39:  Bryant Savage-17, Isaac Ryan-9
Cudney’s-35: Ben Van Valkenberg-12, John Gerardi-12

SR. DIVISION:
Village Photo v. Spa Café 
Spa Café-52: Everett Smith-14, Joe Reynolds-13
Village Photo-40: Jacob Krygowski-16, Josh L. -9

Pashley Construction v. Vahanian & Associates Financial Planning
Vahanian’s-45: Michael Torani-15, Thomas Mauer-12
Pashley’s-34: Ziyair White-13, Nate Siewert-12

SRYMCA Over 50 Basketball League Scores

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15

Lazy Dog Cookie Company v. Nemer Chryslers
Lazy Dog-68: Scott Clark -34, Todd Mcshane-16
Nemer-54: Steve Brown-33, Frank Pascuito-10

West Side v. Turning Point Chiropractic
Turning Point-76: Bob Hanson-42, Mike Scanlon-14
West Side-48: Dave Wolf-28, Tom Welch-10

Walton’s Sport Shop v. Mama Mia’s Restaurant
Walton’s-56 : Alex Marin-20, Mike Bentley-16
Mama Mia’s-49: Philip Fitrzpatrick-22, Lamont Williams-16

D’Andrea’s Pizza Shop v. Stephen’s Chryslers Jeep Dodge of Greenwich
D’Andrea’s-59: Mike McMorris-19, Scott Waterhouse-12
Stephen’s-48: Paul Gross-22, Jerry Hefferman-22

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Gymnastics team is a force of gymnasts to reckon with. They are already having a fabulous season and show no signs of stopping. Gymnast Ava Dallas is ranked 1st all-around. 

Saratoga Gymnastics moved to 4-0 on the season by defeating Guilderland 170.85 – 163.25 on Thursday, January 16 at the Wilton YMCA.  The team score was the highest of the season for the Blue Streaks.  Saratoga secured the top 3 all-around spots led by Ava Dallas (1st all-around; 37.15) followed by Sophia Damiano (2nd all-around; 36.25) and Carly Ruschak (3rd all-around; 33.70).  Guilderland’s top all-around performer was Alison Rem (4th all-around; 33.40).  Saratoga gymnasts captured the top spot in each of the four individual events with Ava Dallas winning the bars (9.35), the beam (9.60), and the floor (9.20).  Sophia Damiano captured the vault (9.45). 

Junior Ava Dallas scored a 9.6 on beam Thursday night for the Saratoga Springs High School gymnastics team breaking the school record of 9.575 set by Kaitlin Dewey in 2005.  In addition to winning the beam, Dallas also placed first on the floor (9.2), the bars (9.35) and the all-around (37.15) in leading Saratoga to a dual meet win over Guilderland 170.85 – 163.25.

“My beam routine is really starting to come together as I add back in some of my higher level skills,” commented Dallas.

  “Honestly, I’m just happy to be able to compete after being sidelined for a few weeks at the beginning of the season with a stress fracture in my back.  The doctor suggested that I shut it down for the season, but this sport and this team mean too much to me to miss my junior year.” 

Dallas was able to modify her routines and eliminate skills that caused her discomfort.

 “My back won’t be fully healed for several more months but right now everything feels good and I’m looking forward to Sectionals and States.”

In addition to the beam record, Dallas also owns the school (and Section 2) record on the vault of 9.475 she set last year at the New York State Gymnastics Championship Meet.  Dallas was the Section 2 all-around runner-up in 2019 and was the Section 2 all-around champion in 2018.

Saratoga Springs Gymnastics moved to 5-0 on the season by defeating previously unbeaten Bethlehem 170.75 – 166.35 on Monday, January 20 at the Wilton YMCA.  Although the Bethlehem team score broke a school record, the Blue Streaks were too much as they secured 3 of the top 4 all-around spots led by Sophia Damiano (1st all-around; 36.55) followed by Ava Dallas (2nd all-around; 36.10) and Carly Ruschak (4th all-around; 33.85).  Bethlehem’s top all-around performer was Alison Gray (3rd all-around; 34.25).  Saratoga gymnasts captured the top spot in each of the four individual events with Ava Dallas winning the bars (9.10), the beam (9.15), and the floor (9.10).  Sophia Damiano captured the vault (9.25). 

Bethlehem has one more shot at ruining Saratoga Springs Gymnastics perfect dual meet season as the Blue Streaks travel to Bethlehem on Thursday, January 30 (6 p.m. start time). Both teams come into the meet with a 4-0 dual meet record.  Saratoga Gymnastics has won 18 consecutive Section 2 Gymnastics titles.

CAPITAL REGION — The Adirondack Thunder, the Capital Region’s professional hockey team, will raise funds for a critical healthcare organization while honoring those impacted by cancer during the second annual “Stick it to Cancer Weekend,” presented by Glens Falls Hospital, on Friday, February 7 and Saturday, February 8.

The annual event will coincide with the Thunder’s games against ECHL North Division rivals the Newfoundland Growlers at the Cool Insuring Arena in downtown Glens Falls. Faceoff for both games is at 7 p.m. The Thunder will wear specially-designed purple cancer awareness jerseys during the games. 

The two-day event will have special meaning to the Thunder as they recognize two players affected by cancer: retired forward Shane Conacher, who was diagnosed at age 24; and current defenseman Jake Linhart. Both underwent treatment for testicular cancer and have been deemed cancer-free. 

“We’re proud to once again offer Thunder fans this special opportunity to honor their loved ones impacted by cancer while supporting the C.R. Wood Cancer Center, which provides such vital care and services for so many people in our region,” said Adirondack Thunder President Jeff Mead. 

“Cancer has hit close to home for our team during the past two seasons and our players stand with Shane, Jake and the greater Glens Falls community in the ongoing fight against the disease.”

“Stick it to Cancer Weekend” will kick off on Friday night when fans are invited onto the ice following the game for Paint the Ice Night, presented by Colorize. Fans who donate $10 to the C.R. Wood Cancer Center at Glens Falls Hospital will be eligible to paint a message on the ice to a loved one affected by cancer. Donations will be accepted at the Glens Falls Hospital table in the main lobby (cash only).

The messages will be iced over on Friday night and the Thunder and Growlers will skate on the painted ice during Saturday evening’s game, which will commence with a ceremonial puck drop by U.S Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who represents New York’s 21st District. 

After the completion of Saturday’s contest, fans will have the opportunity to take home one of the Thunder’s purple cancer awareness jerseys during a live auction on the ice rink. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the C.R. Wood Cancer Center. Fans interested in bidding should report to Section C following the game’s conclusion. 

A special “Paint Pack” ticket package is available for both “Stick it to Cancer Weekend” games at ECHLthunder.com/stickit. The $40 package includes one ticket each to the Friday and Saturday games; one Paint the Ice voucher; and a commemorative Stick it to Cancer puck. 

Individual tickets for either Stick it to Cancer Weekend game or future games can be purchased at the Cool Insuring Arena Box Office or online at ECHLthunder.com. 

The Adirondack Thunder is a proud affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. For all the latest Thunder news, follow the team on all social media @ECHLThunder.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Alex Lowe, a famous rock climber, once said: “There are two kinds of climbers, those who climb because their heart sings when they’re in the mountains, and all the rest.”

Speaking with Saratoga Springs senior Vincent Sablich, you can immediately tell which type of climber he is.

“As a kid, I was always wanting to travel the world, enjoy different cultures, see new places, and I became really obsessed with the Himalayas and Mount Everest. I mean, climbing Everest I’d consider to be a whole other sport, but that’s where my heart started for this type of passion. Eventually, I just kept begging my parents to let me climb mountains and they became overwhelmed and ended up signing me up for the Rock Sport summer camp. And that’s how I found rock climbing,” Sablich explained.

Sablich is sponsored by Beta Labs Athlete, a chalk bag company.

“I competed with the owner’s son,” he explained.

He reps their gear and products at competitions and at the gym. Sablich has competed all over the world: he is an 8-time USA Climbing Youth Nationals Competitor; a 3-time USA Climbing Sport Youth Nationals Finalist; Junior Psicobloc Champion in Montreal, Canada; USA Climbing Sport and Speed Youth Regional Champion; and Team USA Competitor, Youth World Climbing in Moscow, Russia.

“Moscow was probably one of the greatest experiences of my life. It was incredible to be able to go overseas to a very foreign and unique country and be able to represent my own nation amongst the top climbers in the world,” he reminisced.

“The main thing I got out of it was personal growth in terms of learning a lot about myself through climbing and where I see myself in the future,” he said.

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Sablich also spends time assistant coaching at Rocksport Indoor Climbing Facility and Outdoor Guiding Service; he is also a routesetter there. As an assistant coach, he designs training workouts and activities and gives private lessons. As a routesetter, he designs and installs boulder problems and sport routes on climbing walls.

“Ever since I stepped foot in there for that very first day of summer camp, I became obsessed. I joined the climbing team there and after that, it just took off,” he explained.

Sablich is also the founder of Jessica’s Hollow Haunted Trail Charity Event. They have raised $10,000 for Cindy’s Comfort Camp. He designs and builds the annual haunted trail where he manages 40 volunteers. He is Vice President of National Honor Society, on the high honor roll, and secretary for the Club for Advanced Historical International Studies. He also traveled with Education First in 2019 to Italy.

His parents, Sherry and DJ, are his biggest supporters.

“They’ve been through everything for me. Climbing isn’t a sport that they can go and drop me off, it’s somewhere they have to drive 30 mins and back three times a week. When I get off the wall on a bad day, they’re the ones who are there to comfort me. My parents have always pretty much been my coach,” he said.

Sablich has qualified for Nationals in June, taking place in Oregon. He plans to pursue rock climbing in college.