The round ball season is now here and the 7th & 8th grade girls teams have already started and they are off to a good start with both teams having a 4-1 record as of 12 November. The varsity teams will officially start practice on Friday, 20 November, with the first boys home game on 12 December against Warrior Run, which is a new team on our schedule. Also Lourdes Regional on 9 January 2010 (Home), Towanda on 1 February 2010 (Home) and Northeast Bradford on 28 December 2009 (Away) are new to our schedule. The girls first home game is on Saturday, 19 December at 6:00 PM against Millville. Also Warrior Run on 21 December 2009 (Home) Northeast Bradford on 30 December 2009 (Home) and Lourdes Regional on 6 February 2010 (Away) are new to the girls schedule.
So again, we should have some exciting basketball during the winter months and if you miss supper at home or the wife or husband won't cook for you, then there is always some excellent homemade soup made by the parents in the concession stand as we are still rated 5 stars by the Pillsbury Gold Seal of Excellence inspection team.
1. FALL SPORTS AWARDS: At the last Neumann Parents Athletic Association (NPAA) meeting on 10 November, it was decided by the NPAA that they wanted to look at the overall sports awards for all the programs to see if they could improve the concept of recognizing all the players that participate on all the teams throughout the school year. In order to give them more time to study the issue, they decided to combine the Fall Sports Awards with the Winter Sports Awards. Therefore they will discuss this issue at their next meeting on Wednesday, 2 December 2009. Any interested parents, relatives or former students are welcome to attend this meeting to express your opinions and also are encouraged to get involved with the NPAA to support our athletic programs. If anybody has any questions or comments on this item, please contact the NPAA President, Mr. Kevin Way at 494-2115.
2. RECOGNIZING THE 1972 STATE PCIAA BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM: At half time of the boys basketball game against Bucktail on Thursday, 17 December 09, the NPAA and school will recognize members of the 1972 State PCIAA Boys Basketball Championship team. There were some excellent players on the team during that year and they provided some exciting basketball throughout the entire season and this is the only sports team from Neumann to ever win a State Title. So it was a great accomplishment and the Neumann Community should turn out to show our gratitude for what they have accomplished. For your information, the PCIAA was the former Pennsylvania Catholic Interscholastic Athletic Association in which all the Catholic schools in Pennsylvania were members and before the PIAA allowed the Catholic schools to join the current association.
3. ALUMNI GAME ON SUNDAY, 20 DECEMBER 2009: There will be an Alumni game on Sunday, 20 December 2009 starting at 3:00 PM in the school gym. Any former Neumann boys or girls are welcome to participate in this event. The game is being organized by Beth Ratke as part of her school Senior Project and also her Girl Scout project. There is no admission to the game, but everyone is required/requested to bring can goods or non-perishable food items as all the food will be donated to the St. Anthony's Center for needy people. If possible bring at least 4 can goods or other non-perishable items. If any former students are interested in participating in the game, please give Miss Ratke a call at 323-9681. It will be a fun day and a chance to see if those legs are still in good shape for our former students and it could be a chance to lose a few pounds if you are over weight and also we will have plenty of Oxygen tanks available if you need it. We are contracting to have a tractor trailer with a full load of Oxygen tanks sitting out in the parking lot in case we need it and it won't cost you anything if you have to use it.
4. SCHEDULED PRACTICE TIME FOR VARSITY BASKETBALL DURING NOVEMBER: For planning purposes for the parents and to insure you know when your son/daughter is scheduled for practice, the following are the scheduled practice times for the boys and girls varsity basketball teams:
BOYS: 20 Nov - 7:00 to 8:45 PM 25 Nov - 7:00 to 8:45 PM
21 Nov - 2:00 to 4:00 PM 27 Nov - 7:00 to 8:45 PM
23 Nov - 7:00 to 9:00 PM 30 Nov - 7:00 to 8:45 PM
24 Nov - 7:00 to 9:00 PM
GIRLS: 20 Nov - 5:15 to 7:00 PM 25 Nov - 5:15 to 7:00 PM
23 Nov - 5:00 to 7:00 PM 27 Nov - 5:15 to 7:00 PM
24 Nov - 5:00 to 7:00 PM 30 Nov - 5:15 to 7:00 PM
Please be aware that the coaches may change the scheduled practice times if they have to make adjustments for various reasons. If you need to contact the varsity coaches, you can reach the Boys Coach, Mr. Paul Petcavage at 419-5387 and Girls Coach, Mr. Sholder at 279-6978.
5. SWIM PROGRAM AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS: We have been contacted by Mr. Zaq Harrison, who is the Head Coach of the Williamsport YMCA Swim Team and he is offering to have our students join their Y Swim team program and is willing to provide training and instruction to the swimmers and act as their coach. They would need to have Y and team memberships which is approximately $250 for the year. During the school year he would work and train the swimmers to achieve qualification times for PIAA local district competition and also make arrangements for the individuals to compete in meets at Williamsport High School during the school year. This program is open for any students in grades 6 thru 12.
At present they are having a Susquehanna River Valley competition at the YMCA for male and female students in grades 6, 7 & 8 with one last practice on 16 November and the championship competition to be held on Wednesday, 18 November at 6:00 PM at Williamsport H.S. There is a $10.00 registration fee for this competition meet. No prior swim team experience is necessary.
This is a great opportunity for any of our students to get involved in the swimming program and to compete in meets at Williamsport High School and also qualify for PIAA District competitions. For any details and information, please contact Mr. Zaq Harrison at 323-7204 or by email at
kewmon@aol.com.
6. UPGRADE & REPLACE TROPHY CASES: We are still in need of any individuals that are willing to donate their services to build or willing to donate funds to replace the four old trophy cases that we have on the first floor in the front entrance area of the school. We need new and longer cases to hold all the awards that we have in the four smaller size cases and besides we have trophies that are sitting on top of the cases as there is no room to put them inside the case. Over the years our sports teams, cheerleading and Odyssey of the Mind teams have won numerous trophies and awards and we just do not have any more room to store them. So if anybody is willing to assist with this project, please contact Mr. Lupacchino at 323-9953, ext 217.
7. PRIVATE TENNIS LESSONS: Mrs. Lauren Harrison, our Assistant Girls Tennis Coach and Substitute Teacher here at Neumann, has indicated that she is available to provide private tennis lessons to any students or adults that are interested in learning and want to improve their tennis skills. You can reach Mrs. Harrison at 323-7204.
8. PARENT SUPPORT REQUIRED FROM ALL SPORTS TEAMS: As we mentioned previously, the parents of the Soccer and Basketball teams were providing the majority of the support in order to raise money through the Neumann Parents Athletic Association (NPAA) by working the concession stands at the Soccer and Basketball games. Since the NPAA supports ALL OF THE SPORTS TEAMS at Neumann through their donation of funds to purchase uniforms and equipment, it was felt that the parents of the other sports teams should also donate their time to work in the concession stand at the Soccer and Basketball games. Therefore, starting this month, the parents of players on the Golf, Jr. High & Varsity Softball, Football, Track & Field, Baseball, Boys & Girls Tennis, Boys & Girls Jr. High Soccer, etc., will be contacted and asked to donate only a couple of hours during the basketball and soccer season to work in the concession stand. Anybody in your family or friends, relatives and students can work and represent your family in the concession stand. If you want to volunteer your time before they contact you, please give Mr. Kevin Way a call at 494-2115 or Mrs. Kathy Notor at 494-1356.
9. THANK YOU: We would like to thank Mr. Tom Forquer and Mrs. Mary Lou Pasnello for handling the Concession stand operations for all of our boys and girls soccer games and also to all the mothers and fathers that volunteered to work the concession stand. This is a vital part of the income that is generated by the Neumann Parents Athletic Association (NPAA) in which they use to support our athletic programs through the purchase of uniforms and equipment for all the athletic teams here at Neumann.
Also we want to express our appreciation to Mrs. Margaret Robinholt for donation of three almost new soccer goalie shirts for our soccer teams. Now if we can just get her to make some more of her good homemade soup and bring it to the concession stand during the basketball season.
10. SPECTATOR SPORTSMANSHIP: Remember that when you are sitting in the stands you are only a spectator and are there to cheer and support your team. You can not be a coach or a referee, so please do not make any inappropriate comments or remarks towards the officials, coaches, players or opposing teams/spectators. Any inappropriate actions by players, coaches, parents or spectators may result in being removed from the team/game, being immediately removed from the gym as a spectator and could result in being restricted from watching any future sporting event. Also there are certain restrictions that the PIAA can and will impose, as well as any conditions that our school would chose to use. So control your emotions, comments and language and just sit back and cheer and enjoy the game.
As usual, see you at the games,
Frank Lupacchino
SJNRA Athletic Director
athdir@sjnra.org323-9953, ext. 217
