Saving Their Season

It has been two and a half years since this story emerged. What has happened to some of the key players since then?

From Roosevelt, Mike Mayo went on to get a scholarship at Division 1A Central Connecticut, but later transferred to Division II American International in Massachusetts, retaining 4 years of eligibility. In the 2008 season, Mike led the Yellow Jackets as a freshman with 783 yards in rushing (5.7 yard avg.) and 5 touchdowns to a 9-1 regular season record and the Northeast Conference championship. Joining Mike at AIC was Jon Harris, an outstanding offensive lineman and another beneficiary of the tutoring sessions. This was the school's first conference championship and the Yellow Jackets went on to a Division II playoff berth, eventually losing to Seton Hill, 14-7. Ebene Gabaud, Roosevelt captain and line backer, went on to matriculate to Mount Ida College in Massachusetts and is currently a starting linebacker on their Division III football team.

From Cold Spring Harbor, Peter Ottaviano went on to the University of Virginia and earned a degree in Cognitive Science. Peter turned down the opportunity to play football at Wesleyan University to go to UVA, a school he had set the goal of attending back in 4th grade. Andrew Gabriele and Michael Kuchta, the other two tutors, matriculated to Princeton University. Andrew was Captain of the Princeton Sprint Football team (under 172 Lbs.) and Michael played tennis. Kevin Piegare, one of the CSH students participating at the joint car washes, went on to the University of North Carolina, where he played Division I lacrosse.

Assistant Coach, Bret Brown, has established the "Dontay Baron Hope Foundation" in an effort to help give Roosevelt students a shot at better future.

Dontay "Tay" Baron was a Roosevelt (L.I.) High School student- athlete who overcame difficult circumstances and became the epitome of the compassionate warrior. He passionately fought for what he believed, and shared his joy and love of life with everyone he touched. The Dontay Baron HOPE Foundation has been established to promote the qualities that Tay personified.

The centerpiece of the Dontay Baron Hope Foundation is the Self-Sufficiency Center, where low-income students in the Roosevelt community can come together to succeed in their studies and beyond, and avoid the lure of drugs, gangs and other undesirable paths.

• Visit the Foundation's web site at: http://dontaybaronhopefoundation.org/
  

In pregame practices for the Outback Challenge All-Star football game pitting Long Island Against New York City, Mike Mayo has shown himself to be much bigger than his stature. He has been recognized as the "beef" in the running back sandwich between two other larger conference standouts. He also happens to be the only running back prospect on the Long Island team to have the grades and test scores to get recruited to a Division I football program (Southern Connecticut).

• Read the Newsday Story - Three Headed Monster
• Read Newsday Story - Having Fun for a Fine Cause
• Mayo Named Outback Challenge Team Captain
  
• Outback Challenge Web Site
  

The Nassau County Sports Commission recently held their annual Awards Dinner to honor professional, college and high school athletes. An emotional highlight of the Awards Dinner was the presentation of the Inaugural James J. Regan Award in memory of the Army Sergeant from Manhasset, NY who was killed this past February in Iraq in the line of duty. James J. Regan was a 1998 NCSC Outstanding High School Achievement Award recipient and this new award will be presented annually to an exceptional scholar athlete who best exemplifies Sergeant Regan’s love for sport, academic excellence and commitment to community service. The inaugural award was presented by James Regan Sr. to Peter Ottaviano from Cold Spring Harbor High School whose character, compassion and achievements personified these ideals, especially in light of his unselfish support of less fortunate students.

• Video from Nassau County Sports Commission Awards Presentation
  
• James J. Regan's life of selfless action
• James J. Regan Biographical Sketch - Army Public Affairs Office
  
• Sergeant Regan's Arlington National Cemetery Memorial

Play It Smart is an organization supported by the National Football Foundation, the NFL, the NFL Players Association and the College Football Hall of Fame with the mission of "developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic excellence in America's young people".

As a result of the publicity generated this past year regarding the helping hand given to Roosevelt's student athletes, the NFF has offered a spot in their Play It Smart program to Roosevelt. Roosevelt would be the first suburban school given such status. One of the benefits this provides is a full-time "academic coach". Dave Caldiero, a long time educator and football coach, has been appointed as Roosevelt's academic coach. Along with being a Professor in the Physical Education Department at Stonybrook University and the Seawolves defensive coordinator, Dave will be looking out for Roosevelt's student athletes. He was enamored with how well Roosevelt's kids performed on their SAT tests after their prep sessions with the trio of Cold Spring Harbor student tutors. Three of the Roosevelt boys did well enough to now go on to four year colleges. Dave has asked that this collaborative effort remain in place and become indoctrinated as a part of Play It Smart's local program.

• View Play It Smart's Web Site
• Student Athlete Testimonials
  
• Play It Smart Fact Sheet
  

Unfortunately, the whoas of Roosevelt's student athletes have not disappeared in light of the events of this past year and the outpouring of concern for their advancement. The state has continued to mismanage the school district and the current school administration has continued its lack of financial oversight. The recent state audit found the school district has almost quadrupled its deficit from $3.4 million to $12.1 million and there is no relief in sight. The current administration has taken from the school construction funds to pay district operational costs and it is apparent that there is no real fiscal oversight.

Undoubtedly, the athletic budget will once again be eliminated as the deficit has doubled, leaving district student athletes without after school sports. Good teachers and coaches will lose their jobs, if not there salaries (many had already forgone payment to continue coaching). Shame on ex-Governor Pataki, Commissioner Mills and our state legislature.

• Newsday Article "State Gets an 'F' in Oversight"
• Newsday Article "Parents Say Change Should Start at the Top"
• Newsday Article "State Leaders Defend Roosevelt's Stewardship"
• New York Times Article "State Warns L.I. District About Deficit"
  
• Newsday Columnist Joye Brown, "How to Save the Roosevelt Kids"
  
• Newsday Editorial "Failure is Not an Option"
• Newsday Article "Pols Call for Change Amid School Crisis"
  
• Report from the State Comptroller's Office on Roosevelt's Finances
  

Want to help Roosevelt's student athletes? Please visit the Roosevelt Long Island Booster Club's web site:

• Donate to Roosevelt's student athletes...

Roosevelt's Mike Mayo exults after the Long Island Championship and also because he improved his SAT score enough to nail down a scholarship at Central Connecticut where he will play running back, defensive back and college student. He expressed his gratitude to the Cold Spring Harbor trio who helped him in a recent Newsday profile.

• Michael Mayo Profile from Newsday.com
  

The story could have ended right there, but it didn't. Doing what you can to make sure that kids have a football season and don't fall victim to the suffocating vacuum of gang activity is one thing. Going the extra step to make sure that they have a route to higher education is clearly another. Three Cold Spring Harbor scholar-athletes made sure that Roosevelt's success on the football field translated into much more than a championship jacket. They took the extra step of helping them to achieve off the field as well. Above, Pete Ottaviano (CSH) works with Ebene Gabaud, Mike Mayo and Jon Harris (Roosevelt)

• Read the end of this article from Newsday (PDF file)
  

This story was picked up by so many different media outlets that it makes you wonder, why is it so abnormal for this type of sportsmanlike gesture to take place? Why don't all kids in the US have access to a decent education? If segregation in education has been abolished, why do we still find our own ways to perpetuate it? We want the best for our own children, but shouldn't we really be concerned about the welfare of all children? Our Constitution and Bill of Rights may set equality as a common goal, but we have a ways to go in order to achieve this...

The following are additional links to stories and editorials (Have patience with the PDF downloads):

• Times of Northport People of the year
• Long Islander Article - Rivals Helping Rivals (PDF)
  
• Newsday Article - Working to Keep Playing (PDF)
• Newsday Article - Rival Raises Cash (PDF)
  
• NFL High School Story (link)
  
• Unfinished Business - Ultimate Athlete Magazine Article (large PDF)
  
• WCBS Radio (link)
  
• Staten Island Advance (link)

After much hard work and cooperation, Cold Spring Harbor helped to make Roosevelt's football season a reality. Low and behold, the season would open with the two rivals pitted against one another. The weather may not have cooperated, but nothing could dampen the spirits of all who pulled together to help make the Rough Rider's season a reality. Parents from both teams worked the concessions together to raise additional funds to benefit the new Booster Club that the two communities collaborated on to support Roosevelt's beleaguered student-athletes (see photo at right). It was a defensive battle that was won by Roosevelt, 7-0, but the score was inconsequential to all, except the players.

Roosevelt players and coaches show their appreciation to Cold Spring Harbor. The following is News 12 coverage of Roosevelt student-athletes visiting their rivals to thank them for their heartfelt gesture.

SETTING THE STAGE
The Roosevelt Union Free School District is one of the poorest and most under-served school districts on Long Island. It has a primarily minority student population and is a pocket of social segregation and an anomaly in a suburban area that is often considered one of the most affluent counties in the country. Its dysfunctional school system has been forgotten by political leaders and eventually became the first ever to be taken over by New York State because of its poor management and under performance. When Roosevelt UFSD resident voters decided that they had had enough of the state's mismanagement of its school system, they voted down the budget twice and put the district into austerity. Unfortunately, the first victims were the Roosevelt student-athletes, who were told they would have no place to go after school as all co-curricular activities and sports were cut.

Labels: Prologue