Braking Away

Published in Next Magazine, September 16, 2011

Braking Away

by Jeff Kagan

If Chad Woodward had way, he would have spent more time indoors as a child.  He disliked sports, yet his parents thought he’d be better off out of the house and being more active. Woodward says, “I avoided playing sports like I was getting paid for it!  My parents, God love them, enrolled me in every sport under the sun, and I was without question, the worst one on the team every time!”

  

He discovered his athlete abilities as an adult at which time he started dabbling in track and triathlons. Having never run further than three miles in one session, he optimistically signed up for a marathon.  Although the process was tough, at times unbearable, he lived through it, and he was hooked. “I drank the Kool-Aid! I went from fantastically anti-athletic to completing my first Ironman triathlon in the span of a few years.”

Jeff Adams says he was the least sporty kid around. He too caught the “sports bug” as an adult while playing softball in his company softball league. An avid hockey fan, he decided to give it a whirl and in the fall of 2001, and he now plays with the NYC Gay Hockey Association on two different teams, the Tigers and the Boxers.

Unlike Woodward and Adams, Mason Scherzer spent plenty of time outdoors as a child. His mother was a national level softball player which may have rubbed off on him. He also played tennis, and in college he progressed to volleyball.  When it came to sports, he was like the Energizer Bunny.  He’s been playing with Big Apple Softball for the past 14 years, and he’s also made some passes with the NY Gay Football League.

Each of these men has one thing in common – their desire to use their love of sports to help make a difference. All three are participating in this weekend’s Braking The Cycle AIDS Ride.  Last year, this 285-mile bicycle ride from Boston to New York will raised over $300,000 to support HIV/AIDS services offered by the NYC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender Center. 

Why do they do it? Scherzer considers himself to be extraordinarily lucky. “For my health, for my family that didn't freak out about the gay thing, and for my friends and support network.  I thought that I owed it to karma that as long as I could do something to try and help out others who weren't so lucky that I should do so. It's really a gift now that I give myself each year, this ride”, he says.

Woodward was inspired by a man in a promotional video about the ride. He says, “There was an interview with a man who told his story about being so close to dying, there was little hope left.  Through actions taken by the Center, he lived.  That was several years before said interview.  I met him that year on the ride and he told me his story, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I have never been so moved and touched as I was in that moment.  The sincerity of his intention and the courage of his story were things of storybooks to me.  To this day, I count that single discussion as one of the most influential moments of my life.”

Find out more about Braking The Cycle at www.brakingthecycle.org.

Quickies

Wetness: Congratulations to Team New York Aquatics swimmers (amongst others) who swam 4-miles, from Sayville to The Pines, at the 3rd Annual Stonewall Foundation Swim on Saturday, August 13th raising over $150K for the Stonewall Community Foundation.

Dodginess: Big Apple Dodgeball had its first ever Summer Co-Ed Charity tournament in August raising $2250 with team "Lesbian Swan" swooping in to take the crown. The tournament was co-sponsored by Gym Bar and Rockbar and all proceeds of the tourney will go to the GLSEN Sports Project. 

Bikiness: He likes the nickname Patch, but Patrick Chin-Hong's middle name might as well be "perseverance," after he completed Paris-Brest-Paris, a 1200 km (745 mi.) bike tour from France's capital city to the coast of Brittany, in under 90 hours.  Patrick made quick stops, to eat and to sleep on cafeteria countertops and in roadside ditches, never for more than an hour, joining about 5,000 spandex-clad, sleep-deprived zombies.

Runniness: Frontrunners New York’s Men's masters team placed 5th of 28 teams in NYRR's Team Championships on August 6 in one of the most competitive team races of the year.  Congratulations to the men who scored for the team: Chris Stoia, Patrick Guilfoyle, Matt Anderson, Marty McElhiney, and Mike Grzelecki!

Softness: Congratulations to the NYC Fusion and NYC Swingers on their 1st and 2nd place finishes, respectively, in the Big Apple Softball’s Playing For Life 8 Tournament D Division.  Honorable mention to the Long Island LIPSA All-Stars for 3rd place in the C Division.   Learn more about the tournament at www.playingforlife.org.

Up Over The Net

Published in Next Magazine, July 15, 2011


Up Over The Net
by Jeff Kagan

Billy Bowden is happy.  The 52-year old insurance and investment planner has found satisfaction in his life – providing yet another example that it does get better. Looking back through years, Bowden remembers a time when his life was not so great. In his junior year of high school, he began to notice that he was different than his classmates.  And sadly, the signals that he was getting from his peers, and from his family, all told him that there was something wrong with him. He felt alone, isolated and afraid.  He was gay and at 16 he didn’t know to face that fact.  “I would drink myself blind to deal with the pain,” says Bowden, “and the drinking lead to cocaine, which lead to more drinking, and then more drugs.”  This cycle continued for almost 20 years as his only way to cope.

On his 35th birthday, Bowden did some soul searching. He knew he was gay, but he had never said it out loud. He was petrified, thinking his family would reject him, his friends would leave him and his world would come to a sudden end.  He realized that he needed help and he was now determined to find a solution the problem that had tormented him for more than half of his life.  Bowden went through the yellow-pages and chose a psychiatrist on Park Avenue, assuming that the posh address might somehow equate to competency.

He took a breath and remembered a commitment he made to himself to solve his problem.  “I unzipped my chest and put my heart on his desk and I just told him I think I’m gay.”  That was the first time Bowden had said those two words out loud: “I’m gay.”  The psychiatrist told him that he was not gay, but rather that he was going through a phase.  Bowden asked why he would cry while praying for forgiveness in church. “You go to church??” asked the psychiatrist, “Oh, then you do have a problem.” He left the psychiatrist’s office and when he got out to the sidewalk, he started laughing so hard tears rolled down his face.  He hadn’t laughed in months.  It felt good. Luckily, he realized that this doctor wasn’t going to help him, and he kept searching until he found a gay psychiatrist who he could relate to better.

Bowden worked with the new doctor on dealing with the realization that he was gay, but there was still something eating away at him. One cold February afternoon, he ran out of his office and took off to Battery Park to call his psychiatrist on the pay phone (this was before cell phones were popular).  “What the fuck is wrong with me!!!?” he screamed through the phone. He felt completely overwhelmed.  As a result, he started drinking again. He went out six nights in a row, ending up in the hospital from dehydration.  The next morning, on Ash Wednesday, he made the decision to stop drinking for 40 days. He challenged himself to see if he could do it. He got through Easter and set a new goal for himself: to get to Memorial Day. And then the Fourth of July and so on.  And now, 16 years later, and he’s still sober.  He accepts himself for who he is and he loves himself. Billy Bowden is happy.

Over the next two years in his sobriety, Bowden’s life turned around completely.  He found a new job and moved into the Manhattan.  He wanted to make some new friends in the city so he picked up Next Magazine and went through the sports teams listings.  There he found the Gotham Volleyball League.  “Back in college, the quickest way to make friends was to join a sports team.  You’d instantly have whole new group of friends!” And the closet friends in his life are friends he met through the league.

Bowden currently serves on the Board of Directors for Gotham as Manager of Team Power Program which works with players to improve their volleyball skills.  He also put together this weekend’s Gotham Fire Island Tournament Party, which will be held at The Deck in the Pines this Saturday night.  The 22nd annual Gotham Fire Island Tournament hosts 250 volleyballers playing in the sand on the beach parallel to the Meat Rack.  Set and Spiked!  More at www.gothamvolleyball.org/info-fire-island-tournament.

QUICKIES

Fun, Pride, Run: Front Runners New York congratulates Natalie Johnston and Brad Gayman, winners of the 2011 Steve Gerben Awards for the being the first female and male FRNY members to finish the Pride Run, which was held on June 25.  Additionally, Michelle Mazzara and Christopher Stoia were the fastest Masters runners in the Pride Run who received the 2011 Mickey Zacuto Awards. More info at www.frny.org.

Challenged in Chelsea: The NYC Gay Hockey Association held their 11th Annual Chelsea Challenge on June 17-19 at Sky Rink. The tournament hosted three divisions.  Championship teams: The Daywalkers (Developmental Division); the Chicago Thrust (Recreational B); and the New York Lions (Recreational A).  Congratulations to Lions Captain, Vinny Cericola on earning his 950th career point with the NYC Gay Hockey Association.  Cericola, a straight ally, has been a true friend and respected leader in the organization since 2002. More info at www.nycgayhockey.org.

Balling, not Bawling: Congratulations to Captains Michael Ashburn and Wilfred Aguila, respectively, on their teams taking the Spring 2011 NYC Gay Basketball League A & B Division Championships. Aguila’s Splash Bar (B) team took down the Boxers 42-22.  Ashburn’s Eagle Bar team soared high over Gym Bar, pulling out a win 53-48. More info at www.nycgaybasketball.org.

P--That stands for Pool: The New York Gay Pool League’s $800 Summer 9-ball Tournament has “racked-up” its regular season. The 1st place Stonewall Riots are going into the finals with the 2nd place Boxers, not to mention the Stonewall Stars and Boxers Briefs right behind them. Who will snatch up that cash? More at www.nygpl.org.

A Singlet Man

Published in Next Magazine, August 19, 2011

A Singlet Man

By Jeff Kagan

Mike Faraci is no ordinary man.  He’s something of a renaissance man with abilities and interests ranging from wrestling to sewing -- from kickboxing to cooking -- and from rock climbing to just plain rock ‘n rolling with his band, the aptly named “Mike Faraci Band” where he can be spotted every few months at the Indian Road Café in Inwood.  

Besides music, the one interest Faraci is most passionate about wrestling.  His grandfather was a boxer, so he feels that there’s something in his bloodline that ties into the similarities of the two sports. However, as a gay athlete, for Faraci, participating in an exceptionally physical sport isn’t as much about breaking stereotypes as it is embracing them (pun intended). Faraci says, “It’s more about redefining what the stereotypes are.  Some people are gay first, and everything else later.  I tell people that gay is only one of my talents.”

Growing up on Long Island, the most popular recreational activity was bowling.  Faraci’s family wasn’t quite so sports-minded. “My father never watched football or baseball unless my grandfather was over -- or if the World Series was on. Otherwise, we weren’t watching sports in my house”, he says.  And playing sports was another story. “I used to wrestle with my father when I was very little and I loved it. But when I was older, and all of the other kids were out playing, I had asthma and I wasn’t really encouraged to join in any ‘reindeer games’.”  He would participate from time to time but never fully enjoyed the experience.

When Faraci was 18, his father learned through another family member that his son was gay. Being a strict Catholic who had strong views on homosexuality, his father had a difficult time dealing with this.  The two did not speak for a week.  Then his father sat him down to talk about it.  Faraci’s father said, “There are people in this world who choose to be gay, and that’s a sin. But you… you were different from the time you were a little boy, and I don’t think you chose it.” 

This was a sigh of relief for Faraci, that his father was to be able to make peace with this issue.  Although he disagreed with his dad’s opinion that it is a choice for some, he was relieved his father recognized early on that his son was a little different.  He says, “I got the sense that he loved me anyway, and after that it wasn’t going to be an issue.  Ever since then we’ve had a great relationship.”

Faraci has been wrestling for about sixteen years.  He started during his senior year at college. He was drawn to wrestling for its individualistic element. “What I always liked about it is that there’s no team.  I was not a great athlete as a kid and the other kids would yell at me when I missed the shot or didn’t catch the ball.  With wrestling, there’s no one yelling at me.”  Without having to deal with the scrutiny of the other team members Faraci enjoyed wrestling and he excelled. A high point was when competed in the Amsterdam Gay Games in 1998.  As wrestling always came naturally to him, the greater challenge was trying to lose the 6 1/4 lbs. necessary to compete in the class he wanted.  Sticking with a low fat diet, he shed the unwanted weight and went for the gold.  And he got it.

Faraci currently wrestles and coaches with the Metro Wrestling. More at www.metrowrestling.org.

Quickies

Jog’em: Front Runners New York attended the 2011 North American Outgames in Vancouver, BC in July, bringing home more than 80 medals in dozens of track and field events, as well as the Vancouver 10K Pride Run. The team was comprised of 23 Front Runners, spanning from open competition through the 70+ age group. Race organizers and competitors alike noted the sportsmanship and enthusiasm FRNY brought to the Outgames.  More at www.frny.org.

Kick ‘em: Congratulations to the New York Ramblers on taking the gold medal in a 3-2 game against Boston Striker (Division Two) of the International Gay & Lesbian Football Association North American Cup in Vancouver, BC, Canada.  Props go to Larry Buenafe, David Laski, David McKenzie, Eric Roberts, Charlie Welch and Jared Snavely on a well played tournament. More at www.newyorkramblers.org.

Rack ‘em: The New York Gay Pool League wrapped up its Summer 9-Ball Tournament Series, with the Amsterdam Poolboyz taking home the top prize of bragging rights and a $400 prize. Boxers came in 2^nd, winning $200 and the Stonewall Riots and Stonewall Stars each winning $100 for 3^rd & 4^th Places.  Their 8-ball season is starting soon. More at www.nygpl.org.

Puck’em: The NYC Gay Hockey Association’s freshman team The Boxers were slaughtered by the Wild Turkeys 8-1 on July 29^th, which happened to fall on the organization’s 12^th anniversary.  The Boxers made up for their loss a day later by shutting out the Tsunami, 6-0. Congratulations on the NYCGHA on 12 years of gay hockey! More at www.nycgayhockey.org.

Slashing Homophobia

Published in Next Magazine, June 17, 2011


Slashing Homophobia
by Jeff Kagan

Homophobia in sports has been front row and center in recent weeks causing restlessness amongst gay sports fans over incidents ranging from professional basketball players Kobe Bryant and Joakim Noah caught on camera using the “f-word” (“faggot”) to an distasteful statement by ice hockey agent Todd Reynolds about gay marriage after New York Rangers winger Sean Avery released a public service announcement in support of it.  The National Basketball Association (NBA) has dealt with each episode by fining the two players $100,000 and $50,000 respectively. The National Hockey League (NHL), however, made no statements regarding Reynolds’ comments, nor one supporting Sean Avery’s public service announcement.  What are they waiting for?

While the NHL won’t take a public stand against homophobia, the GForce Hockey team will. GForce is a top-level ice hockey club that is working to create a sports environment where athletes and coaches are judged solely on the strength of their talents, effort and potential regardless of their sexual orientation. 

Dave Farber, an active member of GForce, has been one of the group’s advocates for the past few years. “We've had some great panel discussions. Our most recent forum was for the College Hockey Coaches Conference in Naples, Florida where I was given the opportunity to talk to coaches from some of the highest-ranked college teams and really impress upon them how they can make a difference by actively challenging the actual or perceived anti-gay culture in collegiate athletics.”  These discussions help breakdown stereotypes and address how to deal with homophobia, and may someday pave the way for professional gay athletes in the “big four” (baseball, football, basketball & hockey) to come out while still actively contributing to their respective sports.

Farber recalls being apprehensive about coming out while attending the University of Pennsylvania.  He envisioned the worst, assuming he would be rejected and have to give up the one thing that meant everything to him: playing hockey.  He soon discovered that his fear was misguided as his teammates fully supported him, eventually naming Farber team captain, a thrill he considers to be one of the greatest in his life.

He says, “I can empathize with those players who fear losing the ability to continue doing what they've loved doing since childhood. The dream is to make it to the big leagues, and you don't want to jeopardize that. Once players realize they can be themselves and also have that dream, we'll see some more pro athletes come out.”

The groundwork is being laid right now with professional athletes like Sean Avery and Ben Cohen, a straight professional rugby player, standing up against homophobia.  Other athletes and coaches at all levels are acknowledging that the culture in professional sports is becoming more accepting. The recent coming out by Phoenix Suns President and CEO Rick Welts is another positive accomplishment, which will create a more welcoming environment for closeted athletes to take those few frightening steps out of the closet. 

“If a professional athlete were to come out on a national stage, people would question previously held notions of what LGBT folks are really like and it would truly shatter some unfounded and ridiculous stereotypes,” Farber says.

This weekend, you can see Dave Farber in action as he skates with the New York Lions in the Chelsea Challenge, an Annual LGBT Ice Hockey Tournament now in its 11^th year. The tournament will host twelve teams from the United States and Canada. The games are FREE to spectators. 

More at www.gforcesports.org and www.nycgayhockey.org/cc.

June Quickies

Fast & (snap!) Fabulous: Four of the Fast and Fabulous Cycling Club made it through rain, grit and multiple flat tires, from Penn Station in Manhattan to Montauk on Long Island, in the 145-mile Montauk Century, sponsored by the Five Boro Bike Club. Congratulations to Bob Nelson, Chad Woodard, Patrick Chin-Hong and Erica Jacobs!

Run For It!: Congratulations to two Front Runners New York ultra relay teams at the new relay race, Reach the Beach: Massachusetts on May 20^th-21^st. Running 201.7 miles from Wachusett to Westport, the two 6-member FRNY teams placed 1st and 2nd in the Ultra Division, and 2nd and 3rd overall (out of 150 teams)! Hats off to “A Case of the Runners” and “Ultra Front Runners NY”!

I Stand Up With Ben Cohen!:  On May 22nd, the merry men of Gotham Knights Rugby Football Club teamed up with British World Cup Champion Ben Cohen at Boxers NYC to raise over $13,000 for Ben Cohen Stand Up Coalition, the Gay Straight Lesbian Education Network, and Gotham RFC. Other notable guests of the night include dashing MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts, New York State Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, and wrestler/AthleteAlly.org founder Hudson Taylor who all came out to support Ben's campaign against bullying.

Duck, Dodgers!: After the most competitive dodgeball season Big Apple Dodgeball has ever seen, RF Lounge narrowly finished the season in first place for Spring 2011. Although after ending in 5th place for the season, Therapy came out of nowhere and clobbered the competition in the tournament and taking home the gold for the first time in BAD! history. With Vinny Maniscalo's powerful arm and Jose Aquino's nimble dodging abilities, Therapy finished the season strong and celebrated at Splash.

Passing of a Legend: Chuck Dima, the “Godfather” of gay softball passed away on May 23, 2011 at 81. Dima was the founder of the Big Apple Softball League which eventually spawned several other LGBT sports organizations.  Learn more about Chuck Dima and his contribution to the LGBT community at www.outsports.com.

Heterophobia?

In response to today's New York Times article, I have an opinion about LGBT sports organization that limit the number of straight players who play on a team.  I'll start by saying I haven't read all of the information available on this subject, nor have I heard every argument both for or against.  So this opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it: (smile) 


Using sexual orientation to disallow players from participation in an LGBT tournament is discriminatory. Regardless of how you look at it, it discriminates against someone based on what they are.  I understand that we're talking about the "Gay World Series", however, if the straight participants respect and abide by the mission statement of the organization, I see no reason to disallow them from participating.  


These organizations were set up to create a safe space for LGBT athletes to play the sports they love in an environment which levels the sexual orientation playing field.  In the past, these athletes may have felt like they did not fit in because they were gay.  What message are we sending to the straight athletes whose sexual orientation is questioned, and whose participation is limited or banned due to their heterosexuality?  Is "heterophobia" a new term we'll start hearing soon?

As the Director of the NYC Gay Hockey Association, I am proud that 50% of our membership heterosexual. They are our allies and they support the mission statement of the organization.  Many of them actually walked with us in the Heritage of Pride March last weekend to show their support for NYCGHA and the gay community. I could not imagine turning any of them away simply because they are heterosexual.

"We Are The Champions"

Published in Compete Magazine, June, 2011
We Are The Champions

by Jeff Kagan

When June rolls around, hockey fans characteristically have one thing on their mind: the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The cheers grow, the friendly (or not-so-friendly) expletives fly and the passion and intensity goes off the charts.  What lays the groundwork for this annual mass-expression of earsplitting rivalry?  One word: pride. 

In Chicago, hockey fans certainly had an opportunity for showing their pride last June as the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup and brought a level of dignity and enthusiasm unseen in the Windy City in 49 years.  Red and black tears dripped down the cheeks of young face-painted fans as they cried with an overwhelming sensation of happiness never-before felt in their lifetime.  The Stanley Cup, and all bragging rights that accompany it, was finally theirs.

After countless victory laps around the ice in Philadelphia, the most recognized trophy in professional sports made its way to Chicago to begin the long-established sharing custom going from player to player, each one getting to take it home for a day or two to enjoy with family and friends. Over the years, the Stanley Cup has found itself in some unusual places:  gleaming atop a glacier in Vancouver, splashing around swimming pools in Pittsburgh and shining with support for Canadian and NATO troops at a military base in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

However, this past year, the Cup took a slight detour and marched into history as it was carried down North Halsted Street in the Chicago Gay Pride Parade, shining brighter than any drag queen’s sequins. Close to half-a-million spectators looked on in awe as Brent Sopel, a Blackhawks defenseman, hoisted the Holy Grail of Hockey over his head.  Alongside Sopel and his wife was Andrew Sobotka, President of the Chicago Gay Hockey Association (CGHA).  Sobotka and his team had a pivotal role in bringing this magical moment to life. “It was the first time the Cup had been at a gay-themed event and it was really the highlight of the year for the CGHA”, Sobotka said.

Right after the Blackhawks won the Cup, a CGHA Board member suggested they reach out to the club and invite them to march in the Pride Parade. A week later, Sobotka got a call from Brent Sopel’s agent, Scott Norton telling him that Sopel was interested in participating in the parade as a way to honor Brendan Burke, the openly gay son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, Brian Burke.  Brendan Burke was killed in an automobile accident in February 2010. Sopel’s participation and the inclusion of the Stanley Cup in the Pride Parade not only honored Brendan, but opened a door to the LGBT community. Things quickly fell into place and the Stanley Cup made its “gay debut” the following Sunday.

Since the parade, CGHA’s membership has skyrocketed and the organization’s new visibility has helped them strengthen their position to do more community outreach. “We've hosted a number of events to benefit the Chicago LGBT community. We had a very successful fundraiser for the Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago, a struggling LGBT organization which serves more than 36,000 people each year, focusing on health and HIV/STD prevention.”

It is important to Sobotka, as the President of the CGHA, not only to give back to the community, but to focus his efforts on eliminating homophobia in hockey. Part of the fight against homophobia is visibility. By coming to the forefront, the CGHA has increased their reach and can more easily engage the community at large. This coming August, they will host their very first LGBT Hockey Tournament, the Market Days Classic, which will coincide with the Market Days street festivals, one of the largest in the United States. 

For athletes participating in the tournament or as part of the Chicago Gay Hockey Association, Sobotka feels that it’s important to emphasize that anyone can achieve a level of success regardless of their sexual orientation. The CGHA paves the way for them to compete on a level playing field, so-to-speak. “As a gay kid growing up playing hockey I always felt out of place, but now with the CGHA, I have found a place where I can be myself and enjoy the games.”  And he considers each win a minor victory for gay rights.  “When we go out there as a team with our jerseys that proudly say ‘Chicago Gay Hockey Association’ and play a ‘straight’ team, then hand them their asses on a plate, it really helps the organization to earn their respect.”

Tennis, Anyone?

Published in Next Magazine, May 20, 2011
Tennis, anyone?

by Jeff Kagan

As Memorial Day approaches, the birds sing, the flowers bloom, the boys hit the gym with a determined dedication and the ferryboats prepare to escort joyful travelers across the waterways to the Pines of Fire Island. Back on the “mainland” in Flushing Meadows, Queens, Stuart Levy prepares for an onslaught of racquet-wielding athletes at the Metropolitan Tennis Group’s Marsha Day Memorial MTG Club Championships!

Marsha Day was a very active board member of the Metropolitan Tennis Group (MTG) for many years. Additionally, she was heavily involved with LGBT sports as one of the organizers for the 1994 Gay Games in New York City. However, the public issue most important to Marsha revolved around LGBT youth and runaways. She started the first 24-hour emergency hotline for runaway and homeless youth. When she died in 2001 after a long battle with brain cancer, the board of MTG passed a resolution to remember her legacy by naming their annual Club Championships in her honor.

“The Marsha Day tournament begins on Saturday morning, May 28th, and runs through Monday afternoon,” says Levy, who has been the director of the annual event for the past five years.  “It benefits the Marsha Day Memorial Fund and the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), two organizations very important to so many of our members,” he says. The tournament, which usually fetches up to 150 players, is held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the home of the US Open.

Levy joined the MTG board in 2000, taking on the role of treasurer, and he’s been in that position ever since. A native of Bellmore, Long Island, Levy grew up playing Little League but never felt like he had any natural athletic ability. It was difficult for him to enjoy the games as he was persistently teased, causing him to lose interest in sports: “I saw myself as the stereotypical gay boy who was too effeminate. I excelled in theatre and got positive recognition there so I tended to avoid playing sports when I could.”

As many gay athletes often do, Levy re-discovered his “love” for sports as an adult. In 1999, he did an online search using the terms ‘gay’, ‘tennis’ and ‘New York’ and he found MTG. “I wanted to get some more exercise, and I had always loved watching tennis on television.” he said.

Levy is no longer the intimidated kid he was years ago -- he’s been called the Energizer Bunny on the courts, and he’s known for his speed and his wide-legged splits (ooh…).  MTG has helped him find his voice and grow as a person. He says, “It wasn’t just a question of accepting who I am, but not feeling that I had to be any type of person. I was able to embrace the fact that you can have masculine and feminine traits and it does not change or hurt who you are.”

Learn more about the Metropolitan Tennis Group and the Marsha Day Memorial MTG Club Championships at www.metrotennisgroup.com.  Don’t miss MTG’s Liberty Open over July 4th Holiday Weekend!

Quickies

Rock It: Good things are happening at CRUX, the LGBT Climbing Club. 25 kids from The Ali Forney Center joined 25 climbers for some “hanging around” at Brooklyn Boulders in March.  Way to go! More at www.lgbtclimbing.com.

Dunk It: The NYC Gay Basketball League was well represented in the Coady Roundball Classic (a National Gay Basketball Tournament) in Chicago, April 16th-19th. These baller babes were led by sharp shooting from Bryant Mills, Jeremie Knight and defense from Greg Springs and Andrew Johnstone. Key playmakers Michael Davis, Antonio Hicks, Vince Moten and Ric Firmino impressed the fans. No trophies, but legends were made. More at www.nycgaybasketball.org.

Wet it: Look out, Flipper!  The swimmers of Team New York Aquatics are going to blow you out of the water!  Here are some times from the recent swim meet at Asphalt Green in NYC: Gavin Simpson was a superstar sprinter with big time drops in the 50 Free (25.9) and 100 Free (56.81); Anthony Reen, quick in the 100 (1:02.32) and even faster in the 50 (28.43); Greg Pierotti, swimming in his first meet after a long break:  50 Fly (30.18); Brilliant Breaststroke Michael Goldring with his fantastic technique:  100 (1:30.61); Speed and Versatility: Onesimo DeMira – What a meet: 400 IM (5:06.92).  More at www.tnya.org.

Sink it: Congratulations to all of the NY Gay Pool League winning teams this year:  The BOXERS are Playoff Champions & Regular Season Runners-up, EAGLE NYC is a Regular Season Champ; BOXERS’ BRIEFS are Playoffs Runner-up; and the Amsterdam BC & Chi-Chiz Elite are Playoffs Semi-finalists. More at www.nygpl.org.

Ice It: Congratulations to the Wizards, the New York City Gay Hockey Association's Division 7B team, who took second place in the Fall 2010 season at Chelsea Piers Sky Rink. They went on to beat the third-place Hornets in a nail-biting overtime shootout to make it to the finals, where they captured the silver medal against the Rampaging Moose.  Better luck next season, boys… More at www.nycgayhockey.org.