An ongoing sports tradition in northern New York entered its 12th year. Many local sports fans may recognize that tradition as the Judy’s Alzheimer’s high school basketball tournament. The girls’ basketball tournament wrapped up last night. Chris Konowitz has been one of the main faces to help piece it all together. He was standing outside Bouquet Valley high school gym on Nov. 28 and Nov. 30 collecting donations for Alzheimer’s relief at the Third Age Adult Day Care Center in Plattsburgh. Konowitz continues a tradition started by his dad John Konowitz in 2010. John can be best described as a great teacher for the game, making trips to schools such as North Country Community College, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Cortland, and Ausable Valley High School applying an offensive scheme or press defense to the multiple teams he coached. “For him, it was always about getting into practices helping the kids and helping the coaches learn,” Konowitz said. “He was the type of person that teaches kids the game for free, he wouldn’t ask for a dollar.”Judy, John’s wife, did not play or coach basketball, but showed up frequently to several of John’s games that he coached. The tournament, which is named after Judy, is an offering of gratitude for all the people John and the Konowitz family have had the chance to enjoy basketball with. “Because he’s been in this community for 40+ years, he understands what the North Country is all about.” Chris Konowitz said. “He decided to put this together to really thank the kids.”It’s a tradition that brought out several people to support the four participating schools, with several fans from Moriah, Ticonderoga, Bouquet Valley and Northern Adirondack high schools filling the stands. “I love the competition,” said long-time North Country high school sports fan Jim Brooks. “It’s great among the kids. It keeps them off the street. It’s great socially to for the parents, grandparents it’s just a great situation. Anything that I can do to support and help people with Alzheimer’s I’m all for it.”This year’s tournament featured Northern Adirondack crowned as champions, with a 48-36 win over Bouquet Valley in the championship game. A third-place finish was awarded to Moriah after its 47-36 win over Ticonderoga in the consolation game. More importantly, money was raised for the day care center, but also collecting scholarship money for all the senior girls basketball players on each team. It’s a positive change from the tournament’s initial start, where only one senior on each team was awarded scholarship money. “I love it, it’s great,” said Moriah senior forward Jayde Trow. “It really goes to a great cause. John was a really great guy and he really loved putting this on,” Seniors like Bouquet Valley’s Abbey Schwoebel value what it means to be playing for spreading awareness of Alzheimer’s, but also to share the court with a wide community of players, coaches and spectators throughout the night for the five years she has been a part of the tournament on Bouquet Valley’s team“It shows how our community can come together and like have fun and support a great cause,” Schwoebel said. “It’s just fun to be a part of it.”The boys version of the tournament will tip off at Moriah High School on Tuesday, Dec. 27 featuring Plattsburgh High School, Peru High School and Ticonderoga in that event. It’s a tradition that Chris Konowitz knows will continue to grow, if the community continues to show love and support for it. “The legacy for me is continuing the legacy,” Konowitz said. “I think the biggest thing for me is that the community at large. From Plattsburgh to Ticonderoga, they have really just embraced this tournament and there is no reason it should ever have to die.”
An ongoing sports tradition in northern New York entered its 12th year. Many local sports fans may recognize that tradition as the Judy’s Alzheimer’s high school basketball tournament.
The girls’ basketball tournament wrapped up last night. Chris Konowitz has been one of the main faces to help piece it all together. He was standing outside Bouquet Valley high school gym on Nov. 28 and Nov. 30 collecting donations for Alzheimer’s relief at the Third Age Adult Day Care Center in Plattsburgh.
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Konowitz continues a tradition started by his dad John Konowitz in 2010. John can be best described as a great teacher for the game, making trips to schools such as North Country Community College, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Cortland, and Ausable Valley High School applying an offensive scheme or press defense to the multiple teams he coached.
“For him, it was always about getting into practices helping the kids and helping the coaches learn,” Konowitz said. “He was the type of person that teaches kids the game for free, he wouldn’t ask for a dollar.”
Judy, John’s wife, did not play or coach basketball, but showed up frequently to several of John’s games that he coached. The tournament, which is named after Judy, is an offering of gratitude for all the people John and the Konowitz family have had the chance to enjoy basketball with.
“Because he’s been in this community for 40+ years, he understands what the North Country is all about.” Chris Konowitz said. “He decided to put this together to really thank the kids.”
It’s a tradition that brought out several people to support the four participating schools, with several fans from Moriah, Ticonderoga, Bouquet Valley and Northern Adirondack high schools filling the stands.
“I love the competition,” said long-time North Country high school sports fan Jim Brooks. “It’s great among the kids. It keeps them off the street. It’s great socially to for the parents, grandparents it’s just a great situation. Anything that I can do to support and help people with Alzheimer’s I’m all for it.”
This year’s tournament featured Northern Adirondack crowned as champions, with a 48-36 win over Bouquet Valley in the championship game. A third-place finish was awarded to Moriah after its 47-36 win over Ticonderoga in the consolation game.
More importantly, money was raised for the day care center, but also collecting scholarship money for all the senior girls basketball players on each team. It’s a positive change from the tournament’s initial start, where only one senior on each team was awarded scholarship money.
“I love it, it’s great,” said Moriah senior forward Jayde Trow. “It really goes to a great cause. John was a really great guy and he really loved putting this on,”
Seniors like Bouquet Valley’s Abbey Schwoebel value what it means to be playing for spreading awareness of Alzheimer’s, but also to share the court with a wide community of players, coaches and spectators throughout the night for the five years she has been a part of the tournament on Bouquet Valley’s team
“It shows how our community can come together and like have fun and support a great cause,” Schwoebel said. “It’s just fun to be a part of it.”
The boys version of the tournament will tip off at Moriah High School on Tuesday, Dec. 27 featuring Plattsburgh High School, Peru High School and Ticonderoga in that event. It’s a tradition that Chris Konowitz knows will continue to grow, if the community continues to show love and support for it.
“The legacy for me is continuing the legacy,” Konowitz said. “I think the biggest thing for me is that the community at large. From Plattsburgh to Ticonderoga, they have really just embraced this tournament and there is no reason it should ever have to die.”
