New Castle Parent Alliance Wins Control Of Youth Football...At Least For The Season

The New Castle Recreation and Parks Commission decided Thursday night to cede control of youth football, at least for the upcoming season, to an all-volunteer parent group. The commission's decision came after a 50-minute presentation by the parent group and a 30-minute, closed-door meeting at Chappaqua's Senter Street community center.

James Nottingham, president of the fledgling New Castle Youth Football Alliance, said in an interview that the rec commission had sanctioned his organization "on a trial basis" for this year and would accord it permanent status pending the outcome of the trial period. He expressed happiness at the commission's decision, saying, "I think we put in a lot of hard work—and now we can move forward." 

The Town of New Castle currently controls football programs for youngsters in fourth, fifth and sixth grades through its professional staff at the Recreation and Parks Department, headed by Commissioner Robert Snyder, and an appointed seven-member Recreation Commission, chaired by John Re.

But the upstart NCYFA began forming after the commission considered replacing Pete Zimmerman, a popular, longtime program volunteer, administrator and coach. According to NewCastleNOW.org, a factor in its consideration was an incident that took place on the field last fall, in which he got into a profane arguement with Aaron Podhurst, a recreation department official whose job was to get referees - who came an hour late - for the game. He was suspended for one game and gave an apology to kids and parents.

The comission decided in May to let Zimmerman continue coaching but administrative tasks would be handled by USA Football, NCNOW reported.

Zimmerman, the owner of EZ Sports, is a well-known figure in Chappaqua athletics, going back to his days as a Horace Greeley High School football star. Although he was present at Thursday's rec commission meeting, Zimmerman did not speak.

Nottingham, a punter who played three years of varsity football at Yale before signing with the San Francisco 49ers, fielded questions on the reasons for the takeover.

"What is this program going to do?" Re, a lawyer, asked. "What's different from what the old program was?"

Nottingham, in response to the question, said the Youth Football Alliance returns the program to a "parent-run" status, something it had been "for years as a no-paper program. "

"We're just putting it on paper," he said.

Youth football programs in New Castle are essentially self-sufficient, funded by registration fees of about $100 a head. Asked by Stu Berg, a member of the rec commission, about financial aid for families that cannot afford to pay that fee, Nottingham said the alliance will provide scholarships, and do so with a minimum of burdensome paperwork. "In a town like this," he said, "if you ask for it, you need it."

Nottingham had hoped to get an answer Thursday night on his group's petition to become the coordinating youth-football agency. "We're asking to get that approval tonight, so we can move forward," he said in his opening remarks. The surprise "executive session," however, thwarted that goal as Nottingham, a half-dozen other alliance members and the public were barred from the board's deliberations.    

In Albany, Robert J. Freeman, executive director of the state's Committee on Open Government, called the closing an apparent violation of the Open Meetings Law, which forbids public bodies like elected town boards and appointed rec commissions—with a few tightly drawn exceptions—to conduct business behind closed doors. Deliberating on a football program, he said, did not fit any of those exceptions.