Daily Sports Digest: Knick Legend Hosts Holiday Event

The Daily Sports Digest is Patch’s way of increasing reader involvement in sports coverage. We encourage you to add your best photo and/or video to share. If you see anything in our scores, standings or schedule that requires updating, please e-mail us directly at HVDailySportsDigest@gmail.com or like us on Facebook and post updates on our wall.

John Starks is nothing short of a legend in the eyes of New York sports fans. He played eight years for the Knicks and he never gave the team anything less then his all, if the Knicks needed a big defensive stop, a loose ball, or a big shot the odds were that Starks would be the one to come up clutch for the orange and blue.

Now, Starks is nearly a decade removed from the NBA and he is still coming up clutch for New York, but this time it isn’t on the court it is in the hearts and minds of young children.

Yesterday the John Starks Foundation teamed up with the Manhattanville College Sport Business Management Program at the college’s Kennedy Gymnasium to give dozens of young kids a little joy this holiday season. The featured students were from Westhab and the New York Junior Tennis League and they got to participate in the event because they excelled in the classroom and in the community. Starks and company hope that events like this will encourage the children to keep up the good work.

“Jennifer Alpert, the director of my foundation, teaches a course up here and she gave her students a project, they created an event and they did a beautiful job.” Said Starks, “It’s something kids can really enjoy and get the fruits from it and they will brighten up their holidays.”

Starks and his close personal friend Santa Claus sat down to sign autographs and take pictures with the young children. Smiles were plentiful as child after child stood next to the Knick legend and St. Nick before Starks took the group onto the court for a quick demonstration.

“I think being a part of a team teaches you about working together and motivation, what it takes to reach a goal.” Starks said about the importance of athletics and community service in a young life. “Making sure that they understand that you have to give back to their community, you can’t always take, you have to give back.”

At 46 Starks and his foundation continue to give back by providing high school students with scholarships. Throughout the year the foundation hosts a plethora of events including a golf tournament and a casino night all in an effort to raise funds and give kids a better life.

“It’s something that I wanted to do to give back to high school students.” Continued Starks, “I wanted to provide kids with an opportunity that I didn’t have coming out of school. Scholarships were the best option because a lot of these kids don’t know where to look, don’t know where to find money, and for me personally it gives me a chance to really help kids jump start their career.”

The 1994 All-Star did take some time out with me to discuss the current Knick team, and while he said he likes the off season moves the Knicks made he offered this piece of cautionary advice to the players about to embark on the 66-game abbreviated season.

“Get your rest.” Starks said, “Get your rest because it is going to be taxing on your body. It probably took a year off my career if not more. You play game after game and you really don’t have time for practice anymore so you play the game then you rest then you go back and play the game.”

Starks has been a head coach for USBL’s Westchester Wildfire but as of right now he says that he hasn’t thought about returning back to the bench anytime soon and that he enjoys his free time and helping the young kids reach their goals.

Yesterday’s Results:

Sport: Girl’s Basketball

Game: Rye Neck vs. Tuckahoe

Score: Rye Neck Won 73-14

Highlights: Paige O’Donnell picked up 18 points and 11 boards for Rye Neck, Julia Bilotta picked up 13 points. Daniella Cocucci and Kayla Geraghity each had six points in the loss.

Today’s Schedule:

In Boy’s Basketball, Eastchester will host Pelham at 7 p.m. tonight.

In Wrestling, Eastchester, White Plains and Pleasentville will head to Harrison’s L.M.K. Middle School in a quad meet at 4 p.m.