Week #12 was a combination of Roslyn Booster Hoopster League Championships (fifth and sixth grade girls divisions) and Booster-Hoopster All-Star Weekend and the consensus one-word description for this basketball extravaganza was funtastic. Long-time participants and supporters of the Roslyn Booster Basketball program could not remember a time when the Roslyn community came together to support a weekend activity and enjoyed it as much as they did this program. The fun, and the operative word truly was fun, started Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Roslyn Middle School gym. The gym was packed with in excess of 350 parents, players and guests from all boys and girls booster divisions who waited anxiously for the opening whistle to see these playoff survivors from the girls fifth grade and girls sixth grade booster divisions get it on.

The girls fifth grade division league championship game pitted Harvard's high pick and roll offense and in your face defense vs. Yale's push it-push it roadrunner fast paced offense and "those defensive boards are mine" defense. This game was a see-saw battle (neither team able to sustain more than a couple of point lead) between two very balanced teams for eight hard fought segments, with Yale pulling out a two point victory (24-22) with a basket in the last minute of the game.

Roslyn Booster Basketball League President Len Pugatch used the time between league championship games to call the gym to order to make two special presentations. The first recipient of a Roslyn Booster Basketball League special award was Joe Scotchie, editor of The Roslyn News. Mr. Scotchie was given a plaque recognizing his personal as well as The Roslyn News' amazing support of Roslyn Booster Basketball by his weekly publishing of "Roslyn Booster Hoops" game results, league standings and game half-time festivities. The second recipient of a Roslyn Booster Basketball League special award was girls fourth and fifth grade Division Commissioner and fifth grade girls Dartmouth team coach Jeff Borowick. Mr. Borowick was given a plaque recognizing him as "2001 Roslyn Booster Man of the Year" for his tireless efforts in making Roslyn Booster Hoops a "fun and educational experience without sacrificing the competitiveness of this program for league participants.

The girls sixth grade division league championship game pitted the Rowdy Arouties' tall towers offense and control the paint defense vs. the Tenacious Taxiers' run and gun offense and press the ball defense. The game followed the same storyline as the earlier "see-saw battle." The Arouties climbed back into the game from a five point deficit with three minutes to go to tie the game at 19-19 only to see the Taxiers make a basket and foul shot in the last minute to seal the victory 22-19.

The 50 plus league coaches in attendance that night saved the best for last. As a special treat for their players and for the spouses, guests, etc., in attendance, the boys team coaches accepted a challenge from the girls team coaches (in excess of 30 coaches participated) and played an eight segment battle for league bragging rights. The girls team coaches led the entire game only to see the boys team coaches tie the game 26-26 with less than a minute to go. The last 60 seconds saw both teams hoist up last minute prayers without success and you guessed it, this game ended in a tie and a chorus of wait till next year.

Saturday's seven hours of Booster-Hoopster All-Star games took place from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the East Hills School gym. As was predicted and as was expected, these were seven of the most incredibly entertaining, intensely competitive, and balanced games a basketball fan could hope for. These games allowed players one last opportunity to showcase their respective finely honed hoop skills in hard-nosed play with their league peers in a win-win situation for all involved. In addition, a new tradition was begun with the recognition by team coaches of one player from each team as most improved player and as most gracious sportsperson.

The East Hills gym emptied at 6:30 p.m. and coaches hurried home to prepare for the first annual girls fourth and fifth grade division Booster Coaches Celebration dinner which was held Saturday night at Il Buongusto, a local Italian restaurant. Twenty-five coaches and their spouses joined together at 8:45 p.m. to break bread in a true celebration of a very successful booster basketball season that proved when parents, coaches and the league pull in the same direction there is truly no limit to what can be accomplished. One highlight of this dinner was league commissioner Jeff Borowick's giving of special "gag" recognition awards to all coaches in attendance (i.e. girls fifth grade coach Jerry Finestone was awarded the "I Never Saw a Double-Team I Didn't Like Award" in recognition of Harvard's tough interior team defense, and girls fourth grade coaches Lou Karol, Ed Smith and Jeff Giller were awarded the "Three Heads Are Better Than One Award" in recognition of this trio's successful co-coaching effort for the Jaguars). Veteran fifth grade coaches Artie Shaw and Jerry Finestone and fourth grade coach Lou Karol then turned the tables on League Commissioner Jeff Borowick by surprising him with the first "Royal Order of the Swizzly" award confirming, by written proclamation, their appreciation of his weekly picture taking efforts on behalf of league players. Borowick in accepting his award, congratulated coaches and spouses for their collective commitment and efforts toward and bahalf of the Roslyn Booster Basketball League program, and reminded everyone that "we weren't done yet; we have more work to do next year..." Three hours later the evening was over with participants making a universal commitment to repeat this dinner next year. What a season.