Tag Archives: Bayonne Pal

Bayonne PAL Basketball Announces First Annual Citywide Three-Point Shootout for Both Youth and Adults

Open to Youth and Adults

          Bayonne PAL Basketball is proud to host the first annual Citywide Three-Point Shootout.  Registration is available in various age divisions.  Players can compete only in their own age group.  The contest will take place on May 11, 12, 18, and 19, with different age groups playing each day. 

          The Intermediate Division admits boys and girls ages 10, 11, and 12.

          The Senior Division admits boys and girls ages 13, 14, and 15.

          The High School Division admits boys and girls who are in the 9th through the 12th grade.  (All entrants in this division must NOT have been active roster players on a Bayonne High School basketball team.)

          The Bee High School Players Division admits boys and girls from the 9th grade through the 12th grade.  (All entrants in this division were members of the Frosh, Junior Varsity, or Varsity roster.

          The Adult Division admits men and women.

          All entrants must be Bayonne residents.  Youth may be asked for their Bayonne Board of Education ID.  Adults must show proof of residency. 

          Registration to this program is free for all active PAL members.  The cost for non-active PAL members is $5.00.  The charge for all high school entrants is $5.00. The cost for adults is $15.00. 

          Register early to secure a spot.  Enrollment is limited.  The PAL will accept entrants on the day in each age group if openings are available.

          The first-round competition includes nine shots (including five bonus shots) in under a minute.  The top five in each division move to the championship round.  Awards are given to first and second-place finishers in the final round.

          For more information, follow the PAL on Facebook:  Bayonne PAL Alumni.

          Registration and payment can be made at the PAL Monday through Thursday from 6:30-8:00 p.m.  The PAL is located at William Shemin Midtown Community School, which is located on West 23rd Street, between Avenue A and Kennedy Boulevard, at Door #7.  To register or ask questions, please call 201-417-7507. 

          The starting time for each division is 6:30 p.m.  All divisions are co-ed.

          The Intermediate Division’s event for ages 10, 11, and 12 is scheduled for Thursday, May 11.

          The Senior Division’s event for ages 13, 15, and 15 is scheduled for Friday, May 12.

          The High School students, both divisions (High School and Bee High School Players), 9th to 12th grade, is set for Thursday, May 18.

          The Adult Division is set for Friday, May 19. 

          The Citywide Three-Point Shootout is sponsored by BCB Community Bank and Hudson County Commissioner Kenny Kopacz.  The PAL would like to thank them both for their generous support.

LORD OF THE RING-Bayonne native Bobby Rooney reflects on 30+Years in Boxing  

by Darren Paltrowitz

Bobby Rooney Boxer
Bobby Rooney boxes Toris “The Bull” Brewer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bobby Rooney past away this week and in his honor we would like to rerun an article about him .

Bobby Rooney has been in charge of the Bayonne Police Athletic League’s Boxing Club for almost a decade. Prior to taking over the Bayonne PAL program from his father, professional boxer Bob Rooney, Sr., who ran it for more than 30 years, Bobby Rooney was a professional fighter. He went pro in 2003, winning the WBF Continental Light Heavyweight Title in 2009, and finishing with a win-loss record of 12-3; 7 of his 12 victories were knock-outs, 4 of the victories against previously-undefeated boxers.

Terry Young and Coach Bobby Rooney
Coach Bobby Rooney with Robert Terry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rooney’s work with the Bayonne PAL often has him rubbing elbows with top talent, and not been by coincidence. His father was a sparring partner with Chuck Wepner – the inspiration for Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky – who often offers assistance to the Bayonne PAL. Robert Terry is a recent success story of the program, competing at the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Salt Lake City last  month. Continue reading LORD OF THE RING-Bayonne native Bobby Rooney reflects on 30+Years in Boxing  

Golden Gloves on the Jersey Waterfront Local Boxers Train Hard to be Contenders

  Bouts on March 24th , March 30 and April 7th

By Sally Deering 

Photos by Sally Deering and Joe Botti

Union City Boxing TeamInside an old municipal building and up a steep flight of wooden stairs is a world of sweat and hope, a cavernous space filled young men and women who bring their dreams of championship titles and Olympic gold medals into the four-sided ring of the Union City Boxing Club. Joe Botti, a Union City Police Lieutenant and former amateur boxer has been running the Union City Boxing Club for 23 years and on a recent March evening, the gym is filled to capacity as Botti and his team of volunteer trainers help young boxers train for the 2012 New Jersey Golden Gloves. “We’ve had 29 Golden Gloves Champs,” Botti says, lacing up a young hopeful’s shiny red gloves, “and hopefully this year we’ll have our 30th. We have five team trophies.” Two boxers who train there are Juan Rodriguez, who won the Golden Gloves in 2009 in the Open Class and Jason Escalera, who won Open Class in 2008; now they’re both professionals. A young fighter being coached by Joe Botti

“They used Golden Gloves as a jumpstart to professional careers,” Botti says.

Herkin DeLaRosa, 20, of Union City, has 26 fights under his belt and sees a Golden Gloves title as his opportunity to go pro.

“Everybody wants to be a Golden Gloves champion,” DeLaRosa says. “It means a lot of hard work. It’s like a goal to me. I get to compete in the Nationals.”

DeLaRosa is one of ten boxers at the Union City Gym who will be competing in the 2012 New Jersey Golden Gloves amateur boxing championship’s preliminaries for a shot at the nationals.

The team also includes Felix Tejada, Jose Aviles and Johnny Hernandez of Union City; William Arevalo, Anthony Valentini, Jarrett Blair and Gino Montero of Jersey City; Carlos Lopez of North Bergen; and Hector Melendez of Hoboken.

Melendez, 17, has won 20 fights and two Diamond Glove championships. He also takes AP classes at Hoboken High School and plans to major in economics in college.

“I want 70 amateur fights before I go pro,” Melendez says. “I want to travel, spar in different places. I’m trying to get experience. I only lost one fight. I think boxing will open doors for me.”

Melendez also has high praises for his trainer.

“Joe Botti, he’s great,” Melendez says. “It’s not about money; he does this for free. He cares about his fighters. He does a lot for us and we do for him. I fight hard in the ring. It’s my way of paying him back. It’s not always about boxing. It’s about family. He’s like a dad.”

Going for the Gold Continue reading Golden Gloves on the Jersey Waterfront Local Boxers Train Hard to be Contenders