Tyrone Pearson's Gauchos 14U Team Strike Gold
TheGauchos 14U Black team took home the GOLD in the Metropolitan AAU Dll U14 at the Island Garden on May 29, 2006. Coach Tyrone's team used their 2005 AAU experience to catapult them into the AAU division II regional finals. The teams road to glory was not easy, but the gritty team pulled together to go undefeated throughout the New York Metropolitan regional.

In the morning semi's they beat a very aggressive Staten Island Stingray team. We started out down 8 to 0 before the boys got into gear after a Coach Ty time out, tied the game at the middle of the first half, but were down 31-38 at half time. Early in the second half the Gauchos rallied to tie and after that the score was always close with the lead changing often. Our squad stepped up to score 46 second half points while smothering defense held the Rays to only 35, for a final score of 77 - 73. Leading scorers were: Justin Toussant 19, Harkim Brown 17, Greg Garfinkel 11, Jaron Best 9, Omari Bellamy 9, and Jack Middleton 9.

The championship game was held at 12:45 PM and The Rockland Rockets were ready for us as they jumped out to a 9-0 lead. Coach called a time out and within 5 minutes once again the boys stepped up to tie the game with strong defense and a fast breaking offense. Half time score was Gauchos 42, Rockets 41. The lead was exchanged all through the second half and with 14 second left and down by one point the Gauchos had the ball, raced up court and missed 3 consecutive shots that barely rimmed out, but an enormous team effort got all of those offensive rebounds and with 1.5 secs left Justin Toussant fired in a high arced jumper and sealed the victory. Final score: Gauchos 94, Rockets 93. Tyrone's boys would not be denied. Leading scorers (6 in double figures): Justin 22, Harkim Brown 20, Greg Garfinkel 16, Jack Middleton 13, Omari Bellamy 10, Dashawn Jimenez 10.

Gauchos 16U Strike Gold AT FIVE STAR's HOOP Classic
The Gauchos 16U participated last weekend in the Five Star Hoop Classic that was held at Basketball City. The Gauchos won all games convincingly beating the Connecticut Young Gunz, Bystate Pythons and Student Athletes-Broncos by at least 15+pts. In the Quarters Gauchos defeated Abyssinian Church (70-55), Jordan Theodore could not be contained putting up 30 in the win. In the Semis:Gauchos played GC Ballers (83-72) Kemba Walker led with 17pts. The Gauchos kept up the intensity right through the Championship game defeating Team Next by 18 (85-67). Durand Scott led the championship game with 21 pts., Kemba Walker defense was outstanding against Irving Walker, he also added 20pts., Jordan Theodore mixed it up adding 17pts to the win. Curtis Loving played well hitting the boards and showing his athleticism, with his signature monster dunks. I would like to thank the team for a great performance.

The guys played well all weekend, we were short with Darryl "Truck" Bryant unable to play, but everyone stepped up, Markell, and Chris shot well from the field hitting a bunch of threes all weekend. The Gauchos 16's & 17's will be traveling to Nashville, TN next weekend to participate in the Memorial Day Classic.

Gauchos' 16U AAU Team Show Great Promise
Gauchos Coach Billy Lovett and his talented 16U AAU team: participated in LeBron "King" James Tournament this weekend in Akron, OH: The entire team deserves praise, they all played well making all the way to the semi final round. Special thanks goes out to Darryl "Truck" Bryant who continues to show why he is called "Truck", finishing at the basket at will. He showed his leadership skills, mixing it up with jumpers from the field. Truck gets it in! Devin Hill is a force down low with rebounding, put backs and blocks, he alters opponents shots in the paint; Jordan Theodore runs the team and keep the opponents on guard with his quickness, hitting double, doubles often. Jordan might be the quickest guard in the 2008 class; Chris Fouch continues to show he can knock them down from anywhere on the floor and he was able to get to the basket when opponents keyed on him.

Cutis Loving excited the crowd as usual with his monster dunks; he opened game 5 with 4 to start the first half.

Here is a game by game Recap of King James: 4/28/06- Game 1: Gauchos vs. Chicago Canes (87-68) Truck led the team in scoring ending the game with 16pts, Chris added 14; Charles "Snacks" added 13pts and Devin had a double with 10pts,12bds and 7 blocks. 4/29/06(Saturday) Gauchos won Game: 2 and 3 by 20pts. Devin, Truck and Jordan lead the way. Game 4: Gauchos vs. Metro Hawks (63-59) Both teams played with great intensity, but we got the "W". We were led by Darryl "Truck" Bryant with 17 pts, Devin Hill added 13pts and was too much to handle on the boards, Jordan, Chris and Kemba were also major factors in the win. Game 5: Gauchos vs. Team Melo (68-60) In the fourth game of the day which started @ 10PM we beat Team Melo. Team Melo gave us a run but thanks to the Gaucho Family (17's Players and Coaches) we were able to pull it out. Jordan led the team with 17 pts; Curtis got everyone going with a windmill and 3 other forceful dunks adding 16pts to the win. Truck and Duran contained their opponents while contributing 14 and 12 respectively. 4/30/06(Sunday) Game 6: Quarter-finals Gauchos vs. Living Faith (63-41). We were in control from the tip running away with the game in the second half. The Gaucho family gave us the boost we needed for an 8AM game, which is always hard after playing until midnight the night before. We were led by Truck with 17 pts, Jordan and Kemba added 14 and 12 respectively. Game 7: Semi-Finals Gauchos vs. Westchester Hawks (75-73). Our reign was ended; we were defeated by 2 in the semis. We played well, but got beat on the boards. There were many in attendance, Truck played a great game leading the team with 21pts, he played til the buzzer hitting a 3 from half. Chris added 14pts hitting 3's from deep, both Jordan and Durand contributed 11pts each. Jordan easily beat his defender down the court for an easy 2 on several plays. We came up short but this team has been together a short time and to start the AAU season they have an impressive record:

Championship-Playaz, Semis-Boo, Kingwood & King James.

Tommy Swinton's 10U Team Win King James Shooting Stars Classic Championship!
May 01, 2006 The Gauchos 10U team coached by Tommy Swinton traveled to Akron, OH this past weekend (April 28th -30th) to compete in the King James Shooting Stars Classic Basketball Tournament and come home victorious. The Gauchos won their first game Friday evening against the Cincinnati Lakers by 30, their second game Saturday morning against the Pittsburgh Jots by 6, their third and last pool play game Saturday afternoon against the Ohio Showstoppers- Farmer by 22. The team went into playoffs undefeated Saturday evening and won their first playoff game against the Hip Hop Culture team out of Dayton Ohio by 23 and their semi-final playoff game against the Ohio Showstoppers - Bess by 20. The team won the championship game against the Cincinnati Lakers by 18.

The players were Steven Bush, Asante Gist, Taquan Givens, Joshua James, Dakari Johnson, Andrew Ng, Malachi Richardson, Nohah Vickers and Tyler Wilson. The team played well collectively on offense and defense. It was a team effort.

Gauchos 15U, 16U, 17U Get Strong Start In 2006 AAU Season
After coming off of a Championship in the Spring Fling and a strong showing in the Boo Williams Invitational, the 15 under Gauchos started off the Houston Kingwood Classic with a rout of G2S Magic Black by a score of 77-34. They followed that up with another blowout victory against the San Antonio RoHawks Black by a score of 70-30 which gave the Gauchos 1st place in their Pool and gave them a bye in the upcoming playoff round. They continued their winning ways against the Birmingham Ice before dropping a tough 5 point game against eventual champion Athletes First out of Oklahoma in the elite eight. Not one to make excuses, Coach Mitchell's team did this without some of their top players throughout the tournament.

The talented 16U team also had an impressive final four appearance in the Boo Williams Invitational, which was led by a Championship appearance in the Spring Fling. The junior team continued their excellent play by crushing the Carolina Crush, 92-50. The junior's upcoming opponent, Minnesota Select also put the crush on the Crush, to set up the match up for the pool championship. The Choz fell in this game by 6 points but still qualified for the Platinum-A bracket in the playoffs where they took care of business against Arizona Premier and Houston Select on that Saturday night. After taking care of another team from Houston, the Heat, early Sunday morning, the team was looking forward to revenge their Championship game loss in the Spring Fling to the Metrohawks. Unfortunately, the Metrohawks had to forfeit the game, which placed the Choz in their 3rd consecutive final four against the Carolina Raptors, who were coming off victories against tournament host, Houston Hoops, Team Melo, and the Illinois Wolves. After a long, hard fought weekend, the 16 under team fell to the Raptors in a close game.

The 17U team is off to a slow start so far this AAU season, however the senior team came to the Kingwood Classic with some new energy brought about from a couple of new additions to their roster. They displayed this in their opening night victory over a tough St. Louis Eagles team 72-65. The next morning they faced a Dallas Mustangs team which featured a top 30 player in 6'10 Anthony Randolph. By winning 52-45, the Gauchos won their first pool of the AAU season and advanced to the playoffs with high spirits, which was evident in 18-2 start against their first round opponent, the Jackson Tigers, who they didn't let up and finished the deal in a decisive victory. Their second round opponent was just coming off a victory of the Real Deal on the Hill Tournament Champion, Illinois Warriors. After digging themselves in a deep hole early on in the game, the Choz finally came alive with the kind of grit and hustle that we have become accustomed too and cut a 19 point deficit to 6 with six minutes to go. In the end however, the Choz early struggles put them in too much of a hole to climb back from and ended up falling to the Minnesota Magic Elite.

Gauchos Girls 8th Grade Team Score Big In Oregon March 9, 2006
The 8th grade girls traveled to Portland, Oregon to compete in the Nike Presidents Day Tournament of Champions in Portland, Oregon. The team went undefeated in pool play and beat two very competitive teams in the playoffs competing with a tough seattle team on day one, and a California team on day two only to be forced to play a championship game immediately following, against a Washington team that was extremely skilled. The Championship game went into overtime with the Gauchos coming up 2 points shy of bringing home the gold. Although the team fell short of there goal the experience and memories will last a lifetime! GO CHOZ

MOVIN’ FORWARD, BY THE ‘BOOK’
An Interview with the new Director of Basketball Operations: Emanuel Richardson
By Smackie – Gaucho Reporter - BRONX, NY: Oct. 12, 2005

As most of you know by now, there’s a new sheriff in town. Teamwork Foundation’s Board of Directors recently named Emanuel ‘Book’ Richardson to be the new Director of Basketball Operations for the New York Gauchos. Book had been a Gaucho coach for three years, prior to taking a coaching job last year at Marist College in upstate New York. Clearly excited and upbeat about his new challenge, Book took some time recently to answer some questions about the Gauchos, their limitless future and the task at hand.

Q. How did you originally come to the Gauchos?

A. I’m a Bronx kid, born and raised. I spent a lot of time in Harlem so I was always close to the Gym. In High School we’d always play against Riverside Church and the Gauchos – we had a pretty good team ourselves – so I was very aware of what a great program the Gauchos were. I wound up coaching for them about three years ago, kids like Kashif Pratt, Terrell McKenzie, Edgar Sosa – it was just a great experience – I can’t say enough about it.

Q. What are your thoughts as you take over this legendary program?

A. In a word, accountability. Everyone is going to be accountable. I know I will be. It’s the grandfather of AAU programs; we have our own gym, an amazing history. We will live up to that responsibility.

Q. What is your basketball philosophy?

A. A couple of things – on the court and off the court. I’m going to be fair, and I’m going to demand the best from you, on and off the court, athletically and academically. I have an obligation to the young men and women in this program. This obligation goes both ways. These kids can be great students and great competitors. Look at the Dukes of the world, the North Carolina’s – you aim high in everything or you aim high in nothing. We can reach that level of commitment. We can be that good.

Q. Which leads to the next question, what should these kids – from the biddies to the 17’s – expect and how will things be different from the way they were before?

A. They should expect perfection. I know there’s no such thing, but if you strive to be perfect and you fall a little short, that’s all I can ask. We’re here to teach them life skills. Eventually the air comes out of the basketball, so the fuel for life is education. These kids need to understand that. My job is to try my utmost to graduate every kid that comes into this program. If God grants them the ability to play at the next level then that’s fine, I’m going to pull that out of them. But my job is to get the most out of them and make them positive, productive people in society.

Q. Do you have a message for all those parents who volunteer their time?

A. They are crucial to the program. I think we have the best staff in the country in terms of what we offer these kids. And the parents need to know that coming in, just being around, they are making a statement not just to their own kids, but to community as well. These parents are part of the staff and what they bring is vital.

Q. What will you expect from your coaches?

A. The same thing I expect from myself, perfection; understanding, knowing how to cope with today’s kids, inspiring these kids to want to be something more. At the end of the day, if these kids want and expect something more out of themselves, then – long after they’ve left the Gauchos – they’ll be able to offer more to anyone in their lives. Then we’re really building better kids, for a better future.

Q. What do you hope to achieve in terms of the program?

A. When people ask that, I laugh and say, they give the President 100 days, but I’m only giving myself 90 days. I like to do things at a 90 day clip. Then I can really focus on what’s been accomplished. Sure, every year I’d like to win a National Championship, at 4 levels. That may be a tough goal, but it’s attainable for the staff that I have. My staff is key. The goal is to make sure that everyone moves on, with increased skills and responsibility. Hopefully, that will be the ‘Book’ dynasty.

Q. What will be your yardstick for success?

A. Easy. In 10 years when a kid comes back and says, hey, you know what, you saved my life. Or in 5 years a kid comes back and says, hey, I’m a Postman, or, I’m a Cop, I’m a Teacher; that they’re giving back. To me that’s the key. When you’re able to affect a kid’s outlook on life, that’s probably the biggest thing that you can achieve. So these kids understand what was given to them and someday they want to repay that help.

It’s an exciting time to be a Gaucho. And to hear the new boss speak, Gaucho fans can expect a new era of high octane basketball. Good news for the Gaucho faithful, not so good news for the competiton.

GAUCHOS FLOORED BY KNICK GIFT!
GYM FLOOR WAS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WATER DAMAGE!
By Smackie - Gaucho Reporter - October 11, 2005 – Bronx, NY

This past June, when a fire broke out in the building next door, we were all relieved that NYC fire fighters stopped it just short of reaching the Gaucho gym. Smoke and flame damage to ‘The House That Lou Built’ was mostly averted. But something was lurking under the gym, WATER. It seems that all that water they poured onto the flames managed to flow into and under the Gaucho gym – and as everyone is painfully aware – the Gaucho hardwood floor was severely damaged. Beyond repair, actually. Okay, that’s the bad news.

Now for the good – no, make that GREAT news. You’ve probably heard of the Gaucho Board of Directors. And, just maybe, you’ve wondered just what they do, besides going to lunch a lot. Well, board member Steve Goldfarb was at a (non-lunch) meeting with the NY Knicks, when he mentioned that the Gaucho floor had been destroyed. The Knicks replied that they just happened to have an EXTRA wood floor in storage, and that the floor just might be available for sale. Steve – keen deal cutter that he is – offered to take the floor off their hands…for FREE. And the Knicks, in a move of stunning generosity agreed!

And not only that, the floor just happens to be the Knicks CHAMPIONSHIP floor from their 1999 series with the San Antonio Spurs. It comes complete with Knicks/Spurs and NBA logos; how cool is that!?

Now, for the update everyone has been waiting for…Board member Steve Masiello has joined Mr. Goldfarb in a frantic rush to remove the old floor, do repairs and install the new championship floor. This involves contractors, insurance and a bunch of other details you don’t want to know, but the bottom line is thanks to these two hard working Gaucho board members – and the New York Knicks – the old floor should be out by mid-October, and the new one installed by early to mid-November. Thanks for your patience, and we can’t wait to see everyone back at the gym!

The Future Looks Bright For Gauchos Basketball
We begin our summer recap with coach Tommy Swinton's 9U team who placed 3rd in the national AAU 9U/3rd Grade Division 1 National Championships that were held in Orlando Florida. The team's record was 7-1. In pool play, they won their games by an average of 28 points. The results were:

• NY Gauchos 50 vs. Virginia Prince Williams Gators 23
• NY Gauchos 55 vs. Ohio All-Ohio Red 20
• NY Gauchos 50 vs. North Carolina Gators Blue 34

In tournament play, they beat the Maryland Future 57-14, in the first round, and in the second round they beat the Gulf-Houston Defenders 58-30. During quarter final play the team won a nail biter against a very tough New Orleans' Jazz team with a last second shot by Timothy Quashie. The final score was Gauchos 35 - New Orleans Jazz 33. The team lost a very close game in the semi-finals against the Central Kentucky Warriors. The final score was 40-41. The team bounced right back in their final four game by beating the Indiana 100% Hoopers by a score of 40-34. The victory established the 9U team as the third best team in the nation.

9U Team Roster:

Dakari Johnson - A 5' 6" center who was the big man in the middle for the team. Dakari did a terrific job on the defensive end. In addition to grabbing rebounds, he had many games with multiple blocked shots. He got most of his points from the free throw line.

Chancellor Ellis - A 5' 2" center/forward who is capable of playing both positions. In addition to being a defensive presence, he is also an offensive threat from behind the arc. He hit multiple three-pointers in the tournament.

Timothy Quashie - A 5' 3" forward who helped lead the team on the offensive and defensive ends. One word describes Timothy - "relentless". He plays non-stop on both ends of the court.

Steven Bush - A 4' 7" forward who is a good defender with quick feet. On the offensive end, Steven is always looking to get to the basket. Steven was extremely proficient from the free-throw line throughout the tournament.

Joshua James - A 4' 7" swingman who is becoming a versatile player. Joshua has a quick first step which he uses to attack the basket.

Tyler Wilson - A 4' 6" forward who is an excellent defender who can lock down any player one-on-one. He is also an excellent rebounder who gets most of his points in the paint.

Taqawn Givens - A 4' 6" guard who can play on the wing or at the point. Taqawn has a great jump-shot with a quick release. Taqawn can also get to the basket whenever he wants.

Justin Hill - A 4' 5" reserve guard with quick feet. Justin is a capable defender and is always looking to score.

Andrew Ng - A 4' 3" reserve guard with a deadly jump shot. Andrew is a threat to score whenever he touches the ball.

Noah Vickers - A 4' 2" starting point guard that led the team on the offensive end. Noah is a savvy ball handler who was able to break any opposing press with ease. Noah has a deadly three point shot who made collapsing defenses pay for not guarding him.

The team also placed first in local tournaments Just Say No and Ron Artest.

The story continues with coach Steve Harris' 12U team who began the summer by winning Tim Thomas' Spring Fling 05 Tournament. The speedy Malik Atkins was named tournament MVP. The team also won championships in Holcombe Rucker and Showstoppers. Shaquille Stokes was named tournament MVP in Holcombe Rucker and Phillip Martin was the showstoppers' tournament MVP.

Steve Harris' and assistant head coach Hector Almodovar's 13U team placed 5th in the 13U/7th Grade Division II National AAU Championships that were held in Memphis Tennessee. The team won all of their pool games by 15 or more points, but lost a nail biter during semi-final play to the St. Louis Jets. The one point loss was a heart breaker. Top players during the AAU tournament were: Mohammed Lee, Sandro Carrissimo, Dytrel Bracey and Shane Southwell.

The 13U A-team returned from Memphis with a vengeance, winning championships in Mo Hicks' Young World and the Showstoppers tournament, and making it to the semi finals in UDC and the Entertainers Basketball Classic championship losing to a tough Team Next team. Sandro Carrissimo was named Young World tournament MVP in the 13U division and Shaquille Stokes was named the Showstoppers tournament MVP. Other great play came from Kyheim Hall and Harold McBride.

13U AAU Roster:

Dytrel Bracey
Tevin Williams
Aaron Savage
Phillip Martin
Shane Southwell
Sandro Carissimo
Shaun Mattocks
Kasahn Townsend
Malik Atkins
Kenny Santiago
Jeremy Constable
Darnell Nichols
Mohamed Lee
Shane Woney
Shaquille Stokes
Harold McBride
Barry Watson
Kyheim Hall

Weekend Developmental Director Rocky Bucano teamed up with coach James Doughty (aka Dooley) to form a 13U developmental team that was made up of mainly 12U & 13U second string players. The developmental team had amazing success by playing up (14U) all summer long. The team made it to the play-off in Kips Bay Black Top, semi-finals in New Rochelle's Remington Boys/Girls Club tournament, semi-finals in Ron Artest beating a tough Team Odom team and losing to Team Next and finally placing second in Just Say No by losing to Riverside Church in a very close and exciting game. Top play during the summer came from Mohammed Lee, Tevin Williams, Shaun Mattocks, Kylerr Bucano, Brandon Hill, Kareem Lee, Jobse Reyes, and Kasahn Townsend.

The 14u Team coached by Dwayne Mitchell and Ron Hawkins had a tremendous and competitive 2005 summer. The team's most difficult challenge came during the BCI Nationals which was held in Dallas Fortworth Texas. With only 9 players including former player Omari Lawrence the team suffered two consecutive losses to the Texas Select Team, however the 14u NY Gauchos rallied back and made its way to the championship game to face their toughest opponent the Texas Select team. With a tie game and 5 seconds left on the clock Omari Lawrence inbounded the ball to Chris Fouch who ran up behind the three point line and made the shot which powered the 14U Gauchos team to victory. However, the victory did not seal the team's championship because the Gauchos had lost to Texas Select twice earlier in the Tournament and therefore had to play them again for one more quarter to determine the winner. This time around the Gauchos were down by 1 with 7 seconds left on the clock and then Omari Lawrence hit an amazing buzzer beater to help the team officially become the 2005 BCI NATIONAL CHAMPS.


AAU NATIONALS / ORLANDO FLORIDAö New York Gauchos 14U took 4th Place in the 2005 AAU Nationals. The team suffered a devastating one point lost to Chick Webb from Baltimore in the Semi Finals to advance for 1st or 2nd place. The team could not rally back from their one point lost to Chick Webb and lost to team Indiana securing 4th place in a tournament with over 100 national AAU teams.


NIKE SWOOSH & UDC ö The 14U team are the 2005 Bronx Champs but suffered a lost in the Champions of Champions semi finals to Team Odom and a lost in UDC semi finals to Metro Hawks. Both losses were a result of splitting up the team because of scheduling conflicts.



Young World - After a double lost on Saturday Aug 20, 2005 the 14u team was back together again playing for the 2005 Young World Championship on Sunday Aug 21 defeating Riverside and becoming the 2005 Young World Champs.

14U Team Roster:

Chris Fouch

Tyreak Johnson

Durrand Scott

Kevin Parrom

Tevin Baskin

Daurius Hawkins

Sadat Kinley

Orlando Rodriguez

Sammy Haigler

Colby Donovan

Daisean Roberts

James Stukes

Maurice Hicks

Anthony Benedith

Congratulations to all the coaches, players and parents for a job well done. The future of the Gauchos basketball program is very bright, thanks to your dedication and hard-work.

Marbury Honored by Gauchos Gym

NEW YORK, September 15, 2005 -- John Salley, Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, Mark Jackson, Chris Mullin, Jamal Mashburn…Over the past 27 years, the Gauchos program has produced an astonishing plethora of college and professional basketball greats. Thus Knicks super-guard Stephon Marbury’s reaction to receiving the organization’s inaugural Legends Award was more than understandable.

NY Liberty great Kym Hampton, Pearl Washington, Gauchos honoree Stephon Marbury, Knicks consultant Bernard Bowen and Steve Goldfarb, board member of Gauchos. MSG Photos

“I’m elated,” the visibly touched Marbury said. “They could have given this to so many very deserving guys. That they chose me -- I’m truly honored.”

Why have the Gauchos enjoyed such unprecedented success? One of the reasons is probably “because they are more than just about basketball,” said Marbury. “That gym…it’s a family.” And, as a family, the program puts a unique focus upon “family values”, such as sportsmanship, integrity, and education. “Yes, education -- even before basketball,” event co-chairman Charlie Chiara emphasized.

The Gauchos Gym, located on Gerrard Avenue in the Bronx, is not only a home to so many kids from the five boroughs but “the program also allows teenagers who would otherwise probably never get out of the neighborhood to see the entire country,” said Marbury. “And even the world. I was a kid and we were traveling to tournaments to places like Hawaii, and to Paris, France. That type of exposure, to be able see and experience other people and other cultures, is invaluable to growth and maturity of a young person. And a mature young person makes better decisions.”

“I remember, I even missed my high school graduation for a Hawaii trip,” added the Pearl. “Was it worth it? The Gauchos were my FAMILY.” And the head of that family was Lou d’Almeida, the venerable founder who also received an Award on this beautiful evening. “It was all about Lou,” said Marbury. “The award I received, they could have given that to a hundred guys. But there was only one Lou. And without Lou, there would be no Gauchos.” Marbury and d’Almeida warmly hugged at the end of the evening to a standing ovation by the enormous crowd.

“Without Stephon and, yes, without Mabel (Marbury’s mom), things would not have been the same,” a smiling d’Almeida said. “I am so grateful to both of them. Mabel was the security person on a couple of our trips. I’m telling you, this lady takes no guff from anyone.”

‘The primary goal of the Gauchos is to provide a safe place for kids to grow up,” said Chiara. “And we have succeeded, I believe. That’s why you see so many Gaucho players in college and in the pros.”

Alumnus Ed Pinckney, a star at Villanova and the NBA, added, “the Gauchos are a special part of New York City basketball. There was nothing like touring with these guys around the USA. We put some healthy fear into the heart of the rest of the country. We were bigger than life -- so we played bigger than life.”

“This is the most productive after-school basketball program of its kind,” added Pinckney. “And I doubt there will ever be a better one. You simply can not put a value on what the Gauchos bring to the community.”

The New York Knicks profoundly comprehend and appreciate that value. When the Gauchos Gym floor was flooded by rains a couple of months back, the Knicks donated a new basketball floor to the organization. And not just any floor, either; we are talking about the floor the 1999 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs was played upon.

“We are so appreciative of the Knicks,” Chiara said. “You simply can’t imagine the kids’ joy and elation when they heard about this. To play on an NBA championship floor is going to be an unbelievable honor to every single one of them, an honor that will drive them on and provide extra incentive to accomplish even grea

Written by :

Shaughn Dolcy