Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, November 15, 2019 Malden Neighborhood Basketball League celebrates 35 years of play By Barbara Taormina T he Malden Neighborhood Basketball League has touched a lot of lives since founder Ken Mazonson launched the organization back in 1985. This week, the City Council honored Mazonson and the nonprofi t organization’s contribution to the community with a citation in recognition of the league’s 35th anniversary. “Anything that lasts 35 years… that’s a statement,” said Councillor-at-Large Craig Spadafora, who joined the City Council’s chorus of congratulations and thanks for Mazonson and all the coaches who have put years of work into the league’s success story. Mazonson, who intended to simply let councillors know about the league’s upcoming anniversary, wasn’t expecting a citation or anything else too offi cial, and he was quick to share the credit with the league’s 25 to 30 coaches, many of whom The City Council presents a citation to Malden Neighborhood Basketball League founder Ken Mazonson and coaches Terlonzo Amos and Sean Hickey in recognition of the league’s 35th anniversary. are former players. Malden Access TV’s Director of Operations, Terlonzo “Beany” Amos, who has been with the league for 34 AN EVENING WITH AYLA BROWN AND ROB BELLAMY NOV. 21st, 2019 To benefit the Alexander Gentile Memorial Scholarship Fund. Tickets are $25. Buffet and entertainment included. To purchase tickets, contact Penny Gentile at 781-608-2859. Mixx 360 - 665 Broadway Malden, MA 02148 years, and Sean Hickey, a former player-turned-coach, were at the meeting, and Mazonson pointed them out as two longtime members who have stuck with the league because of what it off ers to Malden’s young people. “I started the program 35 years ago for kids who didn’t make their high school teams or were academically ineligible,” Mazonson told the City Council, adding that the league is open to all Malden sophomores, juniors and seniors. Mazonson recalled that he needed 40 kids to join for the league to work. On the very fi rst night of registration, he signed up 44 players. A couple days later, he added another 33 kids to the roster. “Since then, we’ve had about 1,500 kids who have gone through the program,” he said. Players need to be enrolled in school, and Mazonson said some of the best payback has been from kids who have said they stuck with school and graduated so they could play on the league. But there are also other reasons. “It’s a family atmosphere and there’s a lot of camaraderie,” said Mazonson. The league’s eight teams have a 14-game season that runs from January to March with the games played at Ferryway School on the weekends. There are also playoff s, a championship game and hot shot and three-point contests along the way. The league has its fans, including local businesses that help fi - nancially support the program, which runs on a Community Development Block Grant and continual fundraising by players and coaches. “Mayor Gary Christenson is one of our biggest supporters,” said Mazonson, adding that Christenson is often at games taking notes on plays and players he highlights during appearances on the Malden Access TV show “Around the Rim.” Building a successful youth sports program is no mean feat, and Mazonson said he is proud of the fact that the league has become a fi xture in Malden. “But the best part is knowing the impact the league has had on the kids and on the city,” he said.
9 Publizr Home