FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 26, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 39
Bayside’s Blue Chips basketball team is city’s second best
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Dyckman Park in Upper Manhattan —
home of the legendary NCAA and NBA
sanctioned Dyckman league and the
“Mecca of street basketball” — hosted the
inaugural NYPD Blue Chips citywide basketball
championship on Tuesday, Aug. 17.
For Blue Chips creator NYPD Lt. Michael
Almonte, the fi nals were the culmination of
the dedication of the 200 NYPD police offi -
cers, who meet “their kids” for mentoring
sessions and athletic practice on Tuesdays
and game days on Th ursdays.
Almonte and NYPD Offi cer Darnell
Gatling came up with the year-round program,
which focuses on bridging the gap
between the police and young people
through mentoring and sports and
is managed by the NYPD Patrol
Services Bureau. Th ey pitched
their idea to NYPD Chief of
Patrol Juanita Holmes, who
immediately embraced their
concept.
Th e Blue Chips program
offi cially kicked off on July 1,
and it has already proven to be
a great success in this short
time, with almost 1,000
youngsters participating.
A l m o n t e and Gatling
shared that they have seen a
positive change in the kids and
their attitude toward the cops.
“It is amazing. You these kids,
they don’t call offi cers cops. It’s ‘coach,’”
Gatling said. “Th ey look at them as big
brothers and mentors, more than anything.
You see genuine joy when they walk
into the gym. Th ey see their coach; they’re
ecstatic. We see these kids hugging their
coach, and that bond is unbreakable.”
Almonte shared that some of the kids
were around gang members and were
recruited by them, but the basketball team
steered them away.
“Because they developed that strong
bond with their coaches, with the cops,
they no longer want to be associated with
those kids,” Almonte said. “Th ey want to
continue in the program. And our job here
as offi cers is not to show that every cop is
good or that no cops are bad. It’s to have
real conversations, to let the kids know that
we’re human.”
He underlined that the program’s goal is
to build a strong foundation for the kids
and create a generation of leaders.
“Th ese kids are the future cops, the future
lawyers, the future councilmen, the future
presidents,” Almonte said.
Chief of Patrols Offi ce Isa Abbassi noted
that Blue Chips goes beyond athletics and
sports.
“Th is is about mentoring and career
development. Most importantly, it is about
building relationships,” Abbassi said. “Th e
relationships you forge with each other
and with police offi cers are going to carry
New York City through the next generation
in policing and community relationships.”
Deputy Commissioner for Community
Partnership, Chauncey Parker, said that the
NYPD invested its resources into young
people because offi cers care.
“It’s because we love you,” Parker said.
“Th at is why these police offi cers risk their
life. Th at’s why they became police offi -
cers, is to help people just because they
love the community that they serve, particularly
young people, and today is a
great example of that.”
Dunking it out on the court that has
seen the likes of basketball greats Kevin
Durant and Kyrie Irving, the fi nalists from
the 111th Precinct in Queens North and
the 17th Precinct in Manhattan South,
played in front of packed “house” with fellow
Blue Chips players, family members
and NYPD offi cers cheering them on.
Both teams came in undefeated aft er 72
teams from 75 precincts played for a spot
in the fi nals during the regular season.
Aft er a tense second half, Manhattan
beat Queens — by a mere point — taking
home the coveted trophy.
111th Precinct Blue Chips players
Yianni Xaras, Brendon Lee and Matthew
de Leon agreed that the program, which
also included graffi ti paint over and
community work, provided an excellent
opportunity to spend the summer.
“Playing during the summer is the best
thing I could do to keep healthy. I’ve
learned more sportsmanship and to work
better with my team,” 17-year-old Yianni
Xaras said.
Brendon Lee, 17, said that the relationship
between the NYPD and the players
improved.
“I think our relationship grew like as
the summer went on. I learned leadership
and helping out the community with
the cops,” Brendon said.
Matthew de Leon joined the
program at the recommendation
of his high school coach and because he
“was down with the opportunity to play
here.”
About his team, he said, “I feel like we
don’t have ‘a’ best player. I feel like our
team is collaboratively a team and everyone
is equal.”
Th e program not only benefi ts the teenagers.
Mentoring and coaching the young
people between 12 and 17 is a morale
booster for the police offi cers, who say
that the program has enriched their lives.
NYPD Youth Coordination Offi cer
Michael Cillis, who also serves as a mentor
and head coach of the 111th Precinct
Blue Chips, shared that the players treat
him like one of their friends.
“During COVID and everything that
happened last year, a lot of us were down
with our job and not very happy,” Cillis
said. “Th en we started this program, and
it just brought new light to what I go to
work for.”
His assistant coach, NYPD Youth
Coordination Offi cer Kristen Kirby, added,
“Having this relationship with the kids
makes us feel more positive. Th ey like hanging
out with us and enjoy our company, and
vice versa. So I think that’s an enrichment.”
Head coach of the 17th Precinct
Blue Chips team, NYPD offi cer Hakim
Constantine, said about his team, “Th e kids
came together to season, and they gave us a
heck of a season.”
Constantine shared that he immediately
jumped on the chance to join the program
and said that it was needed given the
increase in crime and teenage violence. He
emphasized that it wasn’t solely about athletics
but, more importantly, giving teenagers
the tools to succeed in life.
Constantine explained that the program
provides workshops helping young people
with resumes, dress for success and fi nancial
intelligence, as well as a chance to talk
about personal matters.
“Sometimes they forget that I’m even a
cop. Th ey talk to me about issues that are
going on not only in the community but
in the family,” Constantine said. “Th ey can
relate to me whether I’m an older brother
fi gure, whether I’m a father fi gure, or
whether I’m just a fi gure of authority. A
lot of teenagers, they need someone to
call on.”
Young people interested in signing up
with Blue Chips can contact bluechips@
nypd.org, or head over to their local
precinct.
The Blue Chips basketball teams from the 111th (blue jersey) and 17th (white jersey) NYPD precincts
compete for the championship title at Dyckmann Park.
buzz
Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
The Blue Chips basketball team from the 111th Precinct in
Queens came in second place in the citywide tournament.
The Blue
Chips basketball
teams from
the 111th (blue jersey)
and 17th (white jersey) NYPD
precincts compete for the
championship title
at Dyckmann Park.
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