Port Chester pride thrives with the All Stars

Every Port Chester High School student on the All Stars team had their moment in the spotlight as their designated announcer showcased the same grandiose voice he’d use to narrate the game while introducing them to the fans.

As the team took on their peers from Mount Vernon High School, the atmosphere in the new high school gymnasium on Apr. 12 mimicked the energy that would be seen at any other sporting event. The players’ passion for basketball radiated brightly, and the fans went wild for it—especially when a group of student athletes from the modified lacrosse team stopped by to cheer on the Rams after their own practice, which coach David Sheridan said is common.

“Their games get announced in the schools and the coaches try to make it a point to come support them as much as possible,” Sheridan said. “They used to play at the middle school, and there’s a group of middle school teachers who got to know them and now come to watch them play at the high school, too.”

The All Stars are the Port Chester School District’s branch of the Pioneer League, an athletic division for students with special needs that for the last 14 years, at least, has connected them to a dozen other teams around the county for a taste of competition.

Throughout the school year, they play a variety of sports—soccer, handball, basketball, volleyball, golf and bowling—while making valuable relationships with fellow athletes across the region.

“They love playing, going to see kids from other schools and getting out of their towns to play someone else,” said Sheridan, who is an adaptive physical education teacher at the Port Chester Schools. He emphasized that the Pioneer League is a critical social opportunity for the students. “This is probably for most of them their major after school piece.”

Jaden Bostick, a 16-year-old, said he likes interacting with other students while playing a friendly game of basketball.

“Basketball was my favorite, then I kind of fell out of love, but now I’m back in it,” he said. He likes it when fans come out to watch, even though it can be a little nerve-wracking.

Jacob Bellum, 19, on the other hand, feeds off the energy of spectators.

“I like it when people are watching and I hope they like watching me play,” agreed 16-year-old Peter Melone.

Patricia Cruz, 18, pointed to her shirt when asked about her favorite part of participating, referring to the Port Chester pride she feels wearing a uniform.

“For these guys, it’s always been about being a part of the school and giving them something to do after school,” Sheridan explained. “We try to get fans to come, and they just enjoy wearing the school shirt and playing in front of their fans.”

In a corner of the gymnasium, concessions were being sold to spectators watching the games—a new development of the program that came after supporters realized the All Stars were missing a key sports utility: a booster club.

Laurie MacAllister, a Port Chester High School hall monitor who organized the high school’s basketball booster club for several years, put together a similar program for the All Stars with the help of fellow security professionals Bobby Stacker and Janelle Carroll and teacher Lyse Barbara just a few months ago.

“We were working during one of the games and realized these kids don’t have a booster club, they never have,” MacAllister said. “And because we think all athletes should have one, we just looked at each other and said, ‘let’s do it.’”

She got friends to donate snacks to sell at games, and after teacher Jeannie Iantorno and community member Anne Verrastro volunteered to host a raffle, the group was able to raise a decent amount of funds to support the team.

The money, MacAllister said, was used to support end-of-year classroom parties for the pupils and host a traditional senior night for the team’s soon-to-be graduates.

“Every athletic team should have that. They’re just as important as every other athletic team,” she said. And while the season is now over, “we’re definitely going to do it again next year. Hopefully it’ll be bigger and better, because we’ll have the whole year.”

“The pioneer athletes are so fun; they’re beautiful kids,” MacAllister concluded. “They make my heart happy. It doesn’t matter how my day goes, watching those kids at the end of the day makes the bad stuff go away and ends it on a perfect note.”