Marblehead Athletes to Compete in Maccabi Games

Eighteen North Shore athletes and coaches, including a handful from Marblehead, headed to Baltimore Sunday to take part in six days of recreational and social activities at the Jewish Community Center Maccabi Games national competition.

The 13- to 16-year-olds are part of a unique delegation organized by the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore.

"We've been fortunate to send good kids and good coaches year after year," said Carrie Berger, JCCNS delegation head.

The Games, which are based on the Maccabiah Games held every four years in Israel, also incorporate Judaic programming and an emphasis on community service. All of the activities stress mutual respect and sportsmanship. 

The JCCNS delegation will be competing in boys' basketball, boys' in-line hockey, and boys' and girls' tennis.

Zachary Shwartz of Peabody, Hannah Solomon of Marblehead and Sam Stern of Marblehead lead the delegation as this year's captains. Shwartz and Stern are making their second trip to the Games and will both play basketball, while Solomon, in her third year, will compete in tennis.

Making up the rest of the boys' basketball team is Alex Blayer of Marblehead, Franklin Bucco of South Hamilton, Brett Ponn of Lynnfield, Sam York of Marblehead and Malin Segal of Marblehead.

Ben Katzman of Marblehead, Nate and Jesse MacLaughlin of Beverly, Jake and Sam Varsano of Marblehead and Harrison Young of Marblehead make up the boys' in-line hockey team. Young will also play tennis, as will Marblehead's Jake Carey.

The teams will be coached by three former JCCNS Maccabi athletes: Noah Leavitt, Mike Leykin and Doug Finn. The trio played basketball together during their years at the Games.

"This is our first year having all three of our coaches as former Maccabi athletes, which I think says a lot about the Games," Berger said.

Leavitt and Leykin take over the boys' hoops team for their Maccabi Games mentor, David Pliner, who has been part of the Games since the JCCNS began sending a delegation in 1992.

Leykin helped with the basketball team each summer for the past five years, but this will be his first trip back to the games since his days of winning three straight metals under Pliner. He said they'll do their best to fill Pliner's shoes, stressing that the Games are really all about the athletes.

"The biggest thing is the experience that these kids get. There's a lot of pride, but whether we win or we lose, we'll still have a good time," Leykin said. "It's more than basketball. It's more than sports."

Finn, who will coach the in-line hockey team, said he recently visited a friend in California who he met as an athlete at the games. On the North Shore for just a few months, Finn said he was excited to once again be part of the JCCNS delegation.

"I was looking for a way to get involved in the Jewish community while I was home for the summer," he said.