BCANY Coaches Vs. Cancer Ideas For 2009-2010

Basketball Coaches Association of New York, Inc.

Coaches vs. Cancer Efforts - 

Suggestions/Ideas for 2009-2010

          I.       General

            1.         Honor Cancer Survivors at a game. (Introduce at half-time)

            2.         Methods of collecting donations:

                        a.         Pass a hat.

                        b.         Donation container

                        c.         Pass a basketball (cut in half)

                        d.         Half time shooting contests

                        e.         50-50 raffle

                        f.          Raffle off prizes

                        g.         “coins for cancer”

                        h.         Autographed basketball to auction off.

            3.         Consider making it a school wide event by involving various  school clubs, organizations, other athletic   teams, bands, homerooms,  etc.  Challenges could be issued between classes, teams and organizations.                    Other fund raising ideas that have been successfully used are:  team bake sale, challenge among clubs and teams, Faculty Dress Down  Day, Penny Harvest, a Coaches Basketball Game, a Theme Day.

            4.         Involve your entire basketball program: Varsity, JV, Modified, etc.

            5.         Hold or name a tournament as a Coaches vs. Cancer event.

            6.         Have the event when playing a rival school. Consider challenging the

                        rival school as to which school can raise more funds.

            7.         Specially designed T-shirt sales for sale.

            8.         Donate the admission charges (or portion) for the game to Coaches    vs. Cancer.

            9.         Donate the proceeds from sale of a game program.

            10.       Naming the Event in honor of a person or persons who passed

                        away due to cancer.

            11.       Sell sheets of “pink paper” for $1.00 to fans at the game. At half time

                        fans make paper airplanes using the pink sheets and try to sail them into

                        the center circle for prizes.  (One school played Frank Sinatra’s

                        “Come Fly With Me.”)

            12.       Dedicate the entire season for Coaches vs. Cancer and have ongoing

                        fund raising at each game.

            13.       Coordinate with your local American Cancer Society chapter.

            14.       Obtain pledges for the number of 3 point shots made in a specific

                        game or for the entire season.

            15.       Obtain pledges for Free throws made at a specific game or for the entire  season.

            16.       Sell little paper basketballs, put a name on it and tape it to the gym wall.

            17.       A girls team could wear pink uniforms. Some pink head bands.

            18.       Involved an Officials Board.  Many have donated a portion of their fee

                        to Coaches vs. Cancer. Some have used pink whistles.

            19.       Make a day of it. Two coaches ran a one day “Hoop Fest,” where

                        5 games were played between two schools throughout the day. (9th grade  boys, JV girls, JV boys, Varsity girls and Varsity boys.)

            20.       Handing out specially designed wrist bands as part of the admission fee. 

II.  Quite Unique:

            1.         Bishop Grimes HS – Girls.  Coach John Cifonelli had agreed to let his team shave his head if they won Sectionals.  They did win the crown, but  Coach Cifonelli upped the ante telling the girls they could only shave his head if they could raise $1,000 for Coaches vs. Cancer in one week. The student body got behind the effort, they goal was reached and his head was shaved!  

            2.         Hamilton HS – Boys

During basketball season at Hamilton High School, spectators typically focus on the players. This season, however, all eyes were on varsity basketball coach Dave Rhyde.

Well, not as much on Rhyde as his neckties. Thanks to a friendly suggestion by Rhyde family physician David Haswell, whose son is the team captain, spectators donated ties for Rhyde to wear at each game. But in order for the tie to be wearable, the donor first had to make a contribution to the American Cancer Society.

By Hamilton’s final regular-season game  Rhyde had collected a diverse array of neckties in all sizes, colors and patterns. His wardrobe includes bow ties, one sporting Disney cartoon character the Tasmanian Devil, Darth Vader, a variety of 1970s throwbacks, even a bolero. The endeavor has generated team spirit and raised more than $1200. for the cancer society. “A lot of this is the community,” said Rhyde, who also works for the village of Hamilton. “I think they got the idea they could get rid of all their ugly ties. But I’m going to put them in a pile, take a picture and send them back to their owners.”

Throughout the season, tie fever spread like wildfire. from Syracuse.com

By Dyana Smolen Contributing writer            

III.    Other Ideas to benefit Coaches vs. Cancer  

1.         Golf tournament in a community.

2.         Golf tournament among coaches (and perhaps officials)

3.         Holding a Coaches Clinic.

           IV.    Examples of some Large Events in New York State: 

1.         Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout : BCANY Board member Tom Greene organized a Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout, held at the Glens Falls Civic Center in December.  This tournament involved boys and girls teams. Twenty boys teams and 8 girls tams played a total of 16 games over a two day period.

2.         The Holiday HoopFest The Herbs Brooks Arena in Lake PLacid has been known primarily for hockey since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice”.  But in recent years, over the Christmas vacation, basketball has jumped to the foreground in the historic Lake Placid Olympic Center.  The Holiday Hoopfest, sponsored by Primelink & Anaconda Sports, is quickly becoming the premiere women’s high school Christmas tournament in New York State. The Tournament consists of 24 total team,  17 teams in the local region and 7 other teams from around NYS.  All proceeds from the event go to the FitzPatrick Cancer Center in Plattsburgh, NY. 

3.         The Elmira Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament is one of the most successful high school Coaches vs. Cancer Tournaments in the country. Funds raised this year will be split between the American Cancer Society and the Josh Palmer Fund, inc., which is a local organization that provides assistance to cancer patients who are either underinsured or have no insurance.

4.         10th Annual Boy’s Coaches vs Cancer High School Basketball Classic.

This event is held at Manhattan College on in conjunction with The American Cancer Society.   The Classic features all eight schools from the NYC Private School Ivy League, five schools from the CHSAA and one from the ISAL. This year’s event raised $22,000 that brings our ten-year total to  $169,000. 

5.         4th Annual Girls’ Coaches vs. Cancer High School Basketball Classic.

          This year’s girl event was held at The Fieldston School in conjunction with The American Cancer Society.   The Classic features Private, Catholic and Public High Schools in the New York City area. This year’s event raised  $17,280 that brings our four-year total to $ 44,380.