Sitch conducts 31st annual Sports School at Verkhovyna (08/27/00)

Sitch conducts 31st annual Sports School at Verkhovyna

by Omelan Twardowsky

GLEN SPEY, N.Y. - The 31st annual training camp of the Chornomorska Sitch Sports School came to a close on Saturday, August 5, here at the Verkhovyna estate.

A total of 56 girls and boys took part in this year's two-week training camp, run by 11 instructors and counselors under the direction of Myron Stebelsky and Omelan Twardowsky.

Serious problems were caused for Verkhovyna this year by the local department of health, which demanded that the swimming pool be closed and required the presence of a health professional with qualifications surpassing those of a registered nurse. Because of these and other draconian requirements that were difficult to meet, the Sports School was forced to cancel the last two weeks of its training camp.

These problems were the topic of speeches at the traditional farewell banquet by the school's directors, Messrs. Stebelsky and Twardowsky, as well as the manager of Verkhovyna, Yaroslav Gawur.

Also at the banquet, individual trophies were presented to the most outstanding Sitch students. Prior to this, the young athletes, led by Marika Bokalo, entertained their parents and other guests by reciting poetry and singing songs. Thus, they once again demonstrated that this sports camp develops not only their physical skills but spiritual values as well. The latter are nurtured in the evenings on a daily basis after their sports training, as the youths view selected Ukrainian and American films, and rehearse Ukrainian songs, which they perform at bonfires and at the farewell banquet.

One of its major sports events was a well-prepared and smoothly conducted seven-a-side soccer tournament directed by the chief instructor, Roman Balash, who hails from the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine. Five teams, three in the younger and two in the older age group, competed for the Verkhovyna Cup. The names of the teams were picked by the players themselves. The older group's teams were named Dynamo and Karpaty, while the younger group chose Dynamo, Karpaty and Lviv.

The games were hard-fought, with the young soccer players showing a lot of emotion. Ultimately, the two teams bearing the name of the famous Kyiv club Dynamo emerged as the victors in both groups.

Andrew Lasiy and Roman Lebedovych, who scored four goals each, were named the best snipers in the older group; in the younger group, this distinction went to brothers Alex and Michael Pytlar, with two goals each.

The best goalies were Roman Pazuniak and Michael Doran in the older and younger groups, respectively. Walter Bzdel was chosen as the best center forward and Dmytro Shmyr as the MVP.

At the banquet, individual trophies were awarded as follows:

o volleyball (in various categories): Olivia Marshal, Yevdoshka Koroza, Alexis Boyko, Christine Shatynski, Sonia Tavin, Angelina Kozak, Markian Zhovnirowych, Oleh Peresada, Valentyna Olynyk, Natalya Segin, Olha Pyrih and Nicky Prociuk;

o tennis: Adam and Ryan Marshall, Eugene Oros, Michael and Nicholas Palumbo, Alex and Michael Pytlar, Walter Bzdel, Matthew Labunka, Nicky Prociuk, Olha and Volodymyr Pyrih, Dmytro Shmyr, Michael Doran, Nazar Shkambara, Lukian Sikorskyj, Andrew Vynnytsky, Christine Shatynski, Sonia Tavin, Nadia Vynnytsky, Tara Wasylak, Nicole Colaci, Fallon Lebedowicz, Valentyna Olynyk and Yevdoshka Koroza; and,

o soccer: Lukian Sikorskyj, Walter Bzdel, Matthew Labunka, Roman Keniuk, Adrian Chernyk, Michael Palumbo, Stefan Koroza, Andrew Labunka, Adam Boyko, Julian Chernyk, Orest and Roman Pazuniak, Steven Romeo, Sviatoslav Serediak, Tara Wasylak, Alex and Michael Pytlar, Andrew Lasiy and Fallon Lebedowicz.

The distinction of being the best campers was earned by Valentyna Olynyk (younger girls), Natalya Segin (older girls), Andrew Lasiy (older boys) and Nicky Prociuk (younger boys).

In summary, the efforts of the school management, instructors, counselors and students were successful, despite various impediments as well as the inclement weather. Evidence of the school's success was the gratitude of students and their parents, who appreciated both the excellent training methods and the care with which the youngsters were treated.

School administrators noted that they were pleased to see large numbers of youths who are recently arrived immigrants from Ukraine. Their presence made the Ukrainian language predominant at the Verkhovyna estate this year.

It was also noted that most of the recently arrived youths have had some initial experience with sports in independent Ukraine. On the basis of this experience, Sitch officials have made certain positive conclusions: Ukrainian sports in the diaspora are being supplemented by the new arrivals, and it is necessary only to apply organizational skills to attract these young athletes to Ukrainian sports activities. Where there are no active Ukrainian sports clubs, new ones must be founded. Otherwise, the newly arrived Ukrainian sports talent may wind up in non-Ukrainian sports organizations where they will rapidly lose their Ukrainian identity.

* * *

The management of the 2000 Sitch Sports School was headed by directors Messrs. Stebelsky and Twardowsky (who served one week each in that position). Marika Bokalo served as the secretary and the federal food program administrator. The counselors for girls were Dr. Irene Wyniarska, recently arrived from Lviv, and Yaroslava Wasylak, while the boys' counselors were Alexander Napora and Walter Wasylak.

The soccer instructors were Gregory Serheev, Roman Balash, Michel Chaban (recently arrived from Brody, Ukraine) and Adriana Hordynsky, who served also as a volleyball instructor. Jane Brynzak, a tennis and volleyball instructor, and Julia Bohdanova and Valeria Kolb, both tennis instructors, also are recent arrivals from Ukraine.

(Translated from Ukrainian by Dr. Orest Popovych)

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