Before the northeaster hit early Monday morning, students in the third through eighth grade at St. John Paul II Catholic Academy’s three campuses in Dorchester spent the weekend competing in the South Shore Parochial Sports League all-star basketball games.
On Saturday, the girls played at St. Joseph’s in Needham, while on Sunday, the boys battled at home on Columbia Road in Savin Hill.
“Every year, our league hosts the All-Star Game,” said SJPII Athletic Director Michael Hegarty. “You get two or three kids from each team from all the other schools. We have two divisions, the South and the West. It’s just a fun all-star game; they get a t-shirt, they go and play, and there are really no trophies. They enjoy playing against each other, and then we have our playoffs starting up.”
Hegarty, who coaches the third/fourth-grade boys team and is an assistant coach for the fifth/sixth-grade girls and one of the seventh/eighth-grade boys teams, said that the school started a basketball program more than a decade ago, but that the growth in the past few years has been exponential.
“I think we started maybe about 15 years ago, and we, back then, had maybe like two teams,” said the lifelong Dorchester resident. “Now we’re up to anywhere from nine to ten teams. We go from third grade all the way up to eighth grade.”
Though different leagues and teams exist throughout the city, Hegarty thinks playing with the SJP name on your chest is special.
“They’re learning. They get a lot more than just being out in the court playing basketball. They’re in community with their friends and learn how to work as a team, how to help each other out.”
He added, “It gives them a different kind of bonding. You bond with kids in class and during recess time, but when you go out playing and traveling to games, it gives a whole other way for these kids to bond and get to know each other.”
Brianne Gore said her two boys, Tabor and Maddox, attend the Columbia campus but get to be a part of the larger SJP community through the basketball program.
“It’s the only time we come together as one campus,” said Gore. “It’s a part of that school pride. SJP really builds on the character and represents your school in the community. I think when you play for your school, your extension of education is continued through a different light.”
She added: “It builds on that school pride and how important it is to put that uniform on and be together.”
Dominica Centeio’s three daughters, Madison, Victoria, and Olivia, all attend the Lower Mills Campus and, like Gore’s children, are a part of the basketball program.
“This is Victoria’s first year playing, Olivia’s second year, and Madison’s third,” said Centeio. “It’s chaotic, busy, but fun. Got to love managing schedules and practices for everyone, but it’s been great. Mike’s been an amazing support person, and I just feel like the opportunity is amazing for all the girls. They have fun going out there and putting in the work.”
She said that being a part of the team brings her girls a lot of “self-esteem and confidence,” adding that they “always know to make things fun but to go out and work hard.”
That’s Hegarty’s main message for his athletes: “We don’t care if you win, we only care if you have fun.”
His favorite part is seeing the athletes meet new people and become more confident on and off the court.
“You’re playing against kids from all different backgrounds and nationalities, and then you get to meet more kids,” Hegarty said in an interview with The Reporter. “Some of these kids that have started playing, we’ve had kids who’ve never touched the basketball, haven’t said two words, now a year later, and they’re loving it, and they’ve opened up. It helps shy kids open up and blossom.”
Hegarty said that he’s even seen some of those shy kids, including University of Maryland point guard Andre Mills, go on to play at the next level.
Playoffs for the elementary and middle school athletes were set to begin on Monday night but have been pushed back because of the snow. An updated schedule is yet to be released, but Hegarty knows his kids will do well when the time comes.
“I expect the third/fourth grade boys, our fifth/sixth boys, our fifth/sixth girls, and our seventh/eighth boys, if not win the championships, at least get into the finals,” he said.
