Holy Spirit has a CYO program for Basketball, Soccer and Track.  The program attracts children from Holy Spirit with a small number coming from neighboring parishes.

 

 

Soccer is a Fall season CYO sport. Games start the weekend after Labor Day and finish in the later part of November. Teams play a ten game schedule.  We have ten teams that play a ten game schedule. It is divided up into three groupings:

 

  1. Kindergarten and First Grade Teams (sometimes second graders are added) They are mixed girls/boys teams.

 

  2. CYO Nassau/Suffolk Girls Soccer offers teams for second grade through eighth grade girls.  They play games versus other CYO parishes.

 

  3. CYO Nassau/Suffolk Boys Soccer offers teams for second grade through eighth grade boys. They play games versus other CYO parishes.

 

 

 

 

Track has a Spring and Fall CYO season.

 

The Spring season starts with practices beginning the last week of March and finishing around late June. We have two practices a week on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 7:30pm at New Hyde Park Memorial High School. There are 6 to 8 parish track meets during the season, and we host one of them at New Hyde Park Memorial High School. The meets consist mostly of relays with a few individual events. Other than the parish meets there is a CYO qualifying meet that can qualify you for the CYO championship meet, which is around June 18th. The championship meet consists of both relays and individual events. 

 

The age groups for the Spring season are Kindergarten to 8th grade for both girls and boys.

 

The second season is in the Fall and it's called Cross Country. it is where the children run distances in the following divisions: 

 

Peewee for 5-6 year olds, (Kindergarten to 1st graders) - 340 meters, (just under a 1/4 mile),

 

Novice for 7-8 year olds (2nd to 3rd graders) - 840 meters, (just over a half mile), 

 

Bantam for 9-10 year olds (4th to 5th graders) - 1,100 meters, (just under 3/4 mile), 

 

Junior for 11-12 year olds, (6th to 7th graders) - 1,360 meters (just over 3/4 mile), 

 

Senior for 13 year olds (8th graders) - 1,700 meters, (1 1/8 mile).  

 

There are four cross country meets, the first one starting in late September, and the last one finishing in late October. The meets are held on Sundays at Alley Pond Park starting at 11:30am and finish around 1:00pm. The practices are on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30pm to 8:30pm starting the middle of July. The reason for starting in July is that it will take time for the children to build up to those distances, and by the time the first meet in September comes around, not only will they have no problem finishing the distance, they will be 

running it fast. I encourage all the children to try it. Distance training will help them get stronger and get ready for next season. 

 

 

 

This CYO Nassau/Suffolk organization runs primarily from 3rd grade to 8th grade for both boys and girls IF there are parent/coaches available to field a team.  Depending on the availability of coaches we have a 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grade boys team.    3rd and 4th grade teams play a 10 game season without playoffs.   These are considered “instructional” years for the children.  5th through 8th grade teams play a 12 game season followed by playoffs.  There are three levels of play for these grades. ‘ A’ level teams are considered premier, followed by the B team and C team.  

 

Any team that wins its bracket/division will advance to playoffs and move up a level of play the following season.  Home games and practices take place at the four local elementary schools based on permit availability.  Half the games are “away” games and played primarily on Saturdays or Sundays. 

 

When NHP Memorial High School issues a permit to the organization, we are able to host teams for 9th through 12th grade.  This school season, Holy Spirit will have a Fall Season 9/10th grade team and a Winter 11/12th grade team.  These seasons run from September through mid-November and January through March, respectively.  They are 10 game seasons  th playoffs for those who qualify.  

 

CYO Basketball ends its season with an Awards Ceremony and Luncheon which is held in the basement of the church.