The joy of the game: Kennedy Court ribbon cutting a true community event

It was quite the scene on the newly redone basketball court in Cow Harbor Park last month: multiple generations of local residents gathered to celebrate the completion of an undertaking so long in the works some wondered if it would ever happen. 

Grandparents, parents, politicians, coaches, teammates and young children, some from the Eaton’s Neck basketball league, some wearing the jerseys of their parents’ favorite teams, others there to witness the vision their mom or dad, coach, or neighbor worked so hard to ensure became a reality.

At one point, a group of people integral to the basketball court’s success – former Northport High School player Doug Trani, Northport Village Mayor Donna Koch, Deputy Mayor Meghan Dolan, Trustee Dave Weber – gathered around a hoop, eyes up as the man of the hour, John Kennedy, used the backboard to take a shot.  

Everyone looked so happy.  

After three long years and with the support of over 200 individual donations, the John Kennedy Court in Cow Harbor Park is officially open. A well-attended ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, September 20 marked the occasion. 

A plaque installed on a large rock at the entrance of the park nearest the court reads, in part:

This court is inspired by Northport resident John Kennedy, who believes the most important play in basketball and in life is the assist. His volunteerism and love of basketball set an example for how to use sports to bring communities together and inspire kids with principles of hard work, kindness and teamwork.

At the bottom of the plaque, a quote by John Kennedy: “This basketball court celebrates lifelong friendships, the pure joy of the game, and values that last a lifetime.” 

The basketball court revitalization project was spearheaded by Northport High School 1995 Long Island Boys Championship basketball teammates Doug Trani, Chris Wiebke, Greg Dunne, Rob Sanicola and Tom Radman after they noticed it had fallen into disrepair. With the help of many people, including Northport Village Trustee and Commissioner of Parks Meghan Dolan, Vice President of the 1653 Foundation Mark McAteer, members of the Northport Native Garden Initiative and community members who dedicated time, energy and funds to the project, it became a symbol of community perseverance and positivity. 

There were several speakers at the ribbon cutting ceremony, including:
Northport Village Mayor Donna Koch
Northport Village Deputy Mayor Meghan Dolan
Northport Village Trustee Dave Weber
New York State Senator Mario Mattera
New York State Assemblyman Keith Brown
Vice President of the 1653 Foundation Mark McAteer
1995 basketball team member and project organizer Chris Wiebke
Karen Acompora of the Louis J. Acompora Foundation
John Kennedy

Sally Kohn, wife of the late Andy Kohn, cut the court ribbon in honor of her husband who passed away in September 2023. $25,000 was raised in Andy’s memory and dedicated to the court, a project he had always hoped would come to fruition. 

“There is no way to really articulate how happy I am to be here today standing on our court,” Deputy Mayor Dolan said during the ceremony. “Today we are celebrating not only the very, very long list of people and organizations who helped and supported us in getting to this point, but also the community-minded spirit, and the passion and selflessness of this project and the literal and figurative Village that made it happen.” 

Dolan recognized the 1995 team as the impetus for this renovation and revitalization  – not because it would benefit them personally or because they wanted to spend three years of their lives advocating for it, but “because they believed fully, as I do, about giving back and the many, many benefits of investing in sports, in kids, and in our future,” she said, before taking a moment to address the young people in the crowd. 

“You deserve this,” she said. “I hope you are inspired by the spirit of giving back, and by the teamwork that made it happen. With dedication to and belief in a common good goal, you can get anything done.”

Dolan gave Mayor Koch credit for remaining dedicated to the project, through the many obstacles and frustrations that took place. She also thanked Trustee Weber for obtaining a $75,000 state grant through former New York State Senator Jim Gaughran, and for his commitment to seeing the project through to completion. 

She thanked many others, as well, including the Northport Village Highway Department; Village Administrator Roland Buzard and Assistant to the Mayor Don Tesoriero; Mark McAteer and the 1653 Foundation; Steven Schmidt from the Eaton’s Neck basketball league; Kevin O’Neil and Richard Dolce from the Engeman Theater, who donated $7,000 to the project; Dr. Jim Ruck; the Schiavetta family; members of the Northport Native Garden Initiative; the Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation and Northport middle school student Bridget Gorman, who recently used money earned during a bake sale to help fund a Save Station with an automatic external defibrillator (AED) for Cow Harbor Park. 

Lastly, Dolan thanked John Kennedy for being the embodiment of what the community is and the values that the project celebrates. 

Project organizer and 1995 Long Island Boys Championship basketball team member Chris Wiebke spoke on behalf of the 1995 team and, like Dolan, thanked so many of the people involved in the project’s success. Of Sally Kohn, he said, “You were one of the hundreds of people who contributed to this initiative, but nobody is as inspiring and kind as you and your husband are in participating. We are grateful that through this court, we can get a very small part of his selfless legacy.” 

In describing the role of Dolan throughout the process, Wiebke explained that during a meeting about the court, he turned to teammate Doug Trani and said, “You know what this project really needs? A young, intelligent, charming, articulate, former collegiate athlete and mother, with a law degree and a ton of common sense.” He thanked Dolan for her wisdom, support and passion since becoming a Village trustee in 2022. 

Wiebke also took a moment to thank Trani, who has been the heartbeat of the project, he said. “In his mind, having an old, decrepit basketball court was truly unjust for the kids of Northport. He never once suggested that he wanted any credit for any of this. From day one, it was all about the kids and nothing else,” Wiebke explained. 

When it came time for Northport/East Northport lifelong resident John Kennedy, a youth basketball coach, mentor, and friend to all, to take the microphone and accept the honor bestowed upon him, he made it clear why this dedication was meant to be. Kennedy spoke for twenty minutes, reading his speech from pieces of looseleaf paper with large, handwritten notes, many of which were held by his grandaughter. Not one to keep the attention on himself, Kennedy called his friends and family members up to the podium for hugs and special thanks. 

Kennedy spoke about his younger years as a basketball player, the lessons he learned and the people he met as he grew older and became his own children’s biggest fan; many of the people who brightened the way for Kennedy were at the dedication, cheering Kennedy on from the court’s perimeter. His entire speech focused on the lifelong friendships and meaningful connections the sport brought into his life and how he hopes that others have the same opportunities he did. 

“For that kid who dribbled that basketball and played at the park day and night, to have this is better than having my number hanging from the rafters at Madison Square Garden,” he said.