HUNTINGTON – The Gateway Youth Athletic Association (GYAA) Executive Board met at Gateway on Tuesday evening to discuss spring Pioneer Valley Junior Soccer League (PVJSL) registration, pre-planning for the Memorial Day soccer tournament at Gateway, Suburban and Recreational basketball which is happening right now, and a brand new ping pong season.
The GYAA Executive Board met on Tuesday to discuss winter and spring sports in the hilltowns. Standing (L-R) Kim Sakaske, Justin Holmes, Nick Balboni and vice president Justin Jacob. Seated: GYAA president Jason Forgue, secretary Jessica Sakaske, treasurer Cindy Harris, and Barbara Small. (Photo by Amy Porter)
GYAA is a non-profit, distinctly volunteer organization providing athletic opportunities for the youth in the towns of the Gateway Regional School District (Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, Russell and Worthington). GYAA is also a founding member of the PVJSL.
According to GYAA president Jason Forgue, they are currently looking to draw in players in any age category that wish to return to PVJSL play. Forgue said when the Roots Soccer League in Westfield opened, a lot of teams left the PVJSL to go to Roots, which brought their membership down. Forgue said players interested in returning, are encouraged to contact GYAA at www.gogatewaysports.com.
“I feel it’s a more competitive league than what Roots has to offer,” said Forgue.
The Gateway Memorial Day Tournament was started in 2002, and is the only soccer tournament in Massachusetts held Memorial Day weekend outside of eastern Mass. It provides the perfect opportunity for teams to prepare for their spring playoffs. The tournament also offers a busy food and drink concession booth, and other booths with soccer equipment, souvenirs, raffles, and tournament t-shirts.
GYAA also sponsors Suburban Basketball, a traveling league for 5th and 6th grade and 7th and 8th grade teams which is a month and a half into its season. Recreational basketball, for 1st through 6th grades at Gateway, closes its registration on Wednesday this week.
The newest venture of the GYAA is winter ping pong. Originally slated to begin on Monday, January 9 at Stanton Hall, the start has been postponed until Stanton Hall reopens, and has been changed to Fridays, beginning on January 27. Kids ages 7 and up and adults are welcome, and Forgue said right now there are more adults signed up than kids. He said adults and kids won’t play against each other.
“We have a lot less kids that play basketball than soccer. This is something for them to do in the winter, and adults, too,” Forgue said. He said he thought of the idea when his sons became interested in playing ping pong competitively, and the closest place to play was in Longmeadow.
GYAA purchased a ping pong table, and bought 100 balls to start. Interested players can sign up on the website at gogatewaysports.com or at a Friday game. The cost is $5 a night. Forgue said there will be a scoreboard, random draws for timed games from names in buckets, and points for wins. GYAA will keep track of standings, and hold a tournament at the end of the 7 or 8 week season. He said if enough people sign up, they will buy another table.
