Norfolk/Wrentham December 2016

Page 4 Local Town Pages www.norfolkwrenthamnews.com December 2016
VOLUNTEER STEPS-DOWN
continued from page 1
According to St. Mary’s CYO
board member Donna Sullivan,
Adams “developed the program,
recruited the volunteers, put in
place all the systems, processes
and communication tools necessary
for it to succeed. She has
continued to be the ‘go-to’ person
for all these years, way above
and beyond ‘director’ duties.”
Quick to deflect praise,
Adams says a group of parents
simply did what they had to do
to ensure the children of the parish
had a place to play ball. She
credits the work of many people
for the program’s growth and
success.
CYO basketball is the youth
basketball league run by the
Catholic Youth Organization.
The program’s purpose is to give
kids the opportunity to exercise
Christian values and responsibilities,
all while playing basketball.
Operating under the rules of the
Archdiocese, CYO basketball
programs are run by individual
parishes.
According to Adams, St.
Mary’s CYO board members
decided early on to open up the
program to non-Catholics, looking
beyond parish boundaries
in a spirit of inclusiveness. The
entire Wrentham community,
they decided, would form their
boundaries. Two years ago, St.
Mary’s parish became part of
a collaborative with St. Martha’s
parish in Plainville, and the
boundaries were stretched even
further.
“We consider the CYO basketball
program an outreach to
the community, so anybody in
our community is eligible to play,
Catholic and non-Catholic,” said
Adams. “Our parish is there for
the entire community, not just for
the Catholics.”
Adams says one of the keys
to the program’s success is the
many volunteer coaches, some
who have stayed with the program
even after their children
no longer play. She says they are
tasked to teach good sportsmanship,
along with basketball skills.
“We have pride in our teams.
We always feel we don’t have to
go to confession on Saturdays
after our games,” she laughed.
“That’s how we run the program.”
The Reverend Bill Schmidt,
the associate pastor at St. Mary’s,
explained that the first CYO
programs were established in
1938 as a way to involve Catholic
youth in church life through
social, spiritual, athletic, and
cultural activities. Most of those
activities now take place through
youth ministries, and CYO is
mainly known for its sports programs,
especially basketball.
Adams believes the program
has helped kids feel connected
to their parish. “Some kids don’t
go to church every week, but
they’re still doing something at
St. Mary’s,” she remarked.
CYO basketball is considered
a competitive, not recreational,
league. This year, St. Mary’s has
150 young people playing on 11
teams. Although there are tryouts,
the program tries not to cut
players. If there are cuts, often
it’s because there are not enough
coaches. Adams says she prefers
not to cut high school age players,
knowing for some of them, it
might be the last place they could
play a sport. “It’s best to know
where they are on a Saturday
night,” she added.
Board member Sullivan
speaks to Adam’s ability to connect
with participants and their
parents, especially about player
cuts.
“Lynne has an incredible ability
to be able to manage difficult
and emotional situations and
provide insight to understanding,”
offered Sullivan.
Sullivan also points out that
Adams’ volunteer role is not just
a seasonal job. “This position requires
year-round communication,”
Sullivan said. “She is the
conduit to the Archdiocese, helping
with strategic planning and
tactical planning year to year.”
As director, Adams recruits
the coaches and makes sure they
undertake mandatory church
training. In addition, she manages
the budget, oversees registration,
and acts as the point person
and outreach coordinator for the
program and the towns of Wrentham
and Plainville. Adams also
oversees the scheduling of gym
time for practices and games, no
easy feat considering the scarcity
of affordable places for teams
to play and the competition for
space with MetroWest and recreational
basketball leagues.
This year, Adams is helping
to transition the program to its
new director, Wrentham resident
Robert Hickey, who has experience
in running CYO basketball
in Hyde Park. She admits she will
probably still volunteer in some
capacity next year because she
finds it so rewarding.
“You know, I’m a parishioner
of St. Mary’s. To just drop
it would probably be a sin,” she
joked.
Andy Dunne, the athletic director
of St. Jude’s CYO basketball
program from 2010-2015,
said Adams has had many challenges
as the St. Mary’s director,
but has met those challenges with
a smile and a sense of humor.
“She was always a pleasure to
work with,” related Dunne. “She
never looked for any recognition
and just enjoyed watching the
games and seeing how much fun
the kids had. Without her steadfast
dedication, there would not
have been a program.”
Sullivan agreed the program
has been so successful because
of Adams, saying “The bottom
line, though she is supported by a
board, Lynne made it all happen
on her own.”
She added, “There are thousands
of kids that had a place to
play competitive ball for many
years, because of her.”