The annual Coaches vs. Cancer High School Basketball Showcase took center stage on Saturday, January 27 at Fieldston High School in the Bronx. The National Program, which began in 1993, is a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Since its establishment, the organization has raised over $155 million for the American Cancer Society. The visionary for this event was Norm Stewart, a renowned college basketball coach, and cancer survivor. Stewart was an outstanding coach, but an even better person. His goal in creating the program was to spread awareness about the diseases and strive for a cure. In a 2014 informational sheet from CoachesVsCancer.org/youth, Stewart said, “When cancer is defeated this will be the biggest win that we will all share.”
This year’s event that Poly participated in was a riveting display of sportsmanship and solidarity aimed at raising cancer awareness and promoting healthy living through coaches’ influence. High school teams all around New York participated to help raise money for the American Cancer Society. The Coaches for Cancer website states, “We’ve helped increase federal funding for cancer research to $6.9 billion.”
Poly Girls’ Varsity Basketball faced off against Columbia Prep and secured a 66-54 victory. Junior player Mila Taendler noted, “The event was definitely a memorable experience. My whole team felt very united, and it was nice to not only have a successful game but also support a strong cause behind it.”
Boys’ Varsity Basketball, unfortunately, came up short in a tough game against Xavier High School. Senior captain Jack Kolz mentioned, “This was the third year I played in this event with Poly, and I felt that even though it wasn’t the outcome we wanted, it was a great experience to play for something more than basketball.” Beyond the scores, Coaches vs. Cancer is an ongoing successful effort to unite the basketball community in the battle against cancer.
