Sharon Education Foundation Honors Founder of Al's Sports Club

The following is a news release.

The Sharon Education Foundation recently announced that Al Lipsky, founder of Al’s Sports Club and his wife Judy, are the 2014 recipients of The Lee Flaxer Award. The award is presented annually to individuals who have had an impact on the lives of children through dedication and personal involvement.

Longtime Sharon resident Al Lipsky founded Al’s Sports Club in 1974 in the basement of the Sharon Community Center. Al, a former camp counselor loved all types of sports and early on as a budding psychology major, understood the connection between playing sports and developing key life skills. The goal of the program was simple, to give young children (ages Pre-K-Grade 3), a basic recreational foundation with an emphasis on teamwork, trying your best and being proud of both individual and team accomplishments.

“It wasn’t so much about building sports skills, it was more about teaching life skills to produce great people,” said Al.

Four years later, Judy joined Al and started Sports Club for girls in the Cottage Street School cafeteria that offered alternative options to gymnastics and dance. Word quickly spread across town about the programs and registration was extremely competitive.

“Sign-up was one year before the program began - August 1st was the date for the following September’s program,” said Al. “It was crazy because the phone rang for three straight hours starting at 7:00 a.m. with parents wanting to register their children and Judy and I would pass the phone back and forth depending if the parent had a boy or a girl.”

“I still have a message my son took down during that time, noted Al. “It said...’Dad - call this woman...wants youngest son in the club...boy, these parents REALLLY want sports club! It’s as if they’re begging for a spot on the last lifeboat on the Titanic.’”

One of the special parts of Al’s Sports Club is the graduation ceremony. Each boy receives a framed certificate signaling his successful completion of the program. High school students, who were former club participants, serve as guest speakers and offer words of wisdom and encouragement to the graduates. Al has a notebook filled with photos, parent and student notes and other mementos from his 40-year career.

Al’s son Tim who spoke at the award ceremony said, “I can’t recall a single time my father didn’t step up to go the extra mile either when asked or when he saw the need himself. And I saw recognition of that in the heartfelt appreciation expressed in thank-you notes from parents year after year, both to my father and my mother, attributing significant development in their children to their Sports Club experience.”

As the club grew, so did the staff. Al hired Peter Colaneri to help coach classes. Peter is now owner-director of Oak Hill Day Camp. Al’s son Andy joined the staff as Peter became more involved with his camp. When Andy went back to school to get his master’s degree in clinical social work, Dylan Collins joined the team. Dylan teaches most of the classes today and is the visible face of Sports Club. Kerry Soby, President of the Sharon Soccer Association, is the newest member of the Sports Club family. The staff has formed great friendships and has had much fun working together.

Although Judy is retired, Al still teaches and directs Sports Club and they both stay in touch with several of their former students, many of whom have left lasting impressions. Al and Judy are dedicated SCTV and Advocate fans and love to keep up-to date on the activities and accomplishments of their former students.

Allan Motenko, a former Sports Club graduate who remains close with the Lipskys, spoke about the personal impact of Al and Judy’s work. “While effectively teaching character and humility to children is not easy, living with character and humility - and modeling it for others - is even harder and more commendable.” He continued, “At every stage of my life, with every big decision I’ve made, including the occasional misstep, I have been fortunate to know that even before talking to Al that he’ll encourage me, highlight the things I’ve done well, offer suggestions on where I can do better without being critical and reaffirm how pleased he is to be my friend.”

“Both Al and Judy have such positive impact on everyone they meet and interact with,” noted David Shore, Sharon Education Foundation Co-President. “We have heard stories of newly married couples who have moved back to Sharon because they want their children to be in Sports Club and have the same memories and develop the solid foundation they enjoyed.” He continued “I can’t think of a better way to honor all they have done for our children and our community than by presenting The Lee Flaxer Award to them.”

Andy Lipsky, Al’s son who was part of the Sports Club staff added, “My father has lived and breathed Sports Club and has created a program to help children acquire both athletic and social skills, build important connections with other children and their coach and develop the confidence they need to succeed in life.”

“I’m blessed that I have been able to make a living doing something I love,” noted Lipsky.