On Saturday, July 29, “Billy’s Will-Power Volleyball Tournament” is scheduled as a fundraiser to support Billy Wilcox, a former Mattituck soccer player who was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammation of part of the spinal cord.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Breakwater Beach in Mattituck and is being organized to support his family as they make renovations on the family home in anticipation of his return home.

Read more about Wilcox.

West Islip High School football players and coaches Steve Mileti and Steve Fasciani had the opportunity to travel to the National Football League headquarters in New York City and attend a leadership symposium.

Panelists included Robert Boland, a nationally known sports law professor; Ted Gregory, investment banker and current Columbia University director of diversity initiatives and talent retention; Dr. James Paci, orthopedic surgeon and associate professor at the Hofstra University Zucker School of Medicine; Mathew Whalen, president and CEO of Cord Meyer Real Estate Development Company; Kevin Boothe, NFL director and management council; Dawn Aponte, NFL chief football administrative officer; and David Gardi, NFL senior vice president of operations and policy compliance (and moderator).

West Islip alum and National Football Foundation board member Gabe Gallante from Rockline Wealth Management provided two coach buses to transport Suffolk County football players and families into NYC.

Happy Fourth of July from Section XI! Enjoy the day and stay safe.

The following column was written by Dr. Karissa Niefhoff, executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations.

For several years, we have drawn attention to the poor behavior exhibited at high school athletic contests, hoping to bring awareness to the issue and the damage it can cause to education-based athletics.

We have pleaded. We have scolded. We have condemned unfortunate incidents across the country and, as a result, successfully proven that the problem was widespread and needed to be addressed. Now is the time for solutions.

The NFHS will target solutions when it hosts the Behavior in Sports Summit: Understanding Your Influence, August 14-16 in Indianapolis. The Summit will bring together high school leaders for two full days of speakers and panel discussions to offer solutions to behavior issues at high school sporting events.

This Summit is a continuation of the two Official Consortiums the NFHS held the past two years where officials’ groups addressed behavior issues that have caused officials to leave the avocation and keep others from joining.

The Behavior in Sports Summit will include a wider range of roles, bringing together as many groups as possible to offer solutions to behavior issues at high school sporting events – and continue in our quest to retain and recruit contest officials for high school sports.

We hope to involve athletic administrators, state high school association directors and media relations personnel, media members, students and coaches in finding solutions to changing the atmosphere and culture at events.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE COLUMN! 

Congratulations to all of our Section XI Student-Athletes graduating over the next few days!

Thanks for making us proud and we’re looking forward to following your journey.

Never forget the memories you made playing the sports you love in your community.

A very Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there in Section XI making a difference! Enjoy your day.

Congrats to Ward Melville High School’s Charles Giachetti, this year’s NYSPHSAA Student-Advisory Committee Recognition honoree.

He is pictured with Three Village Schools AD Kevin Finnerty.

NIAAA Student Essay Scholarship Award Winners Emma Ellis from Riverhead High School and Shae Mullahey ( not pictured).

Pictured are Kathy Masterson East Hampton AD, Brian Sacks Riverhead AD and Scott Reh Mt. Sinai AD.

Also representatives from Suffolk Transportation who sponsored each winner with $2,500.