PARAMUS - There is a bit of extra space these days for Paramus’ Recreation
Department and its basketball program.
With the winter sports season in full swing youth basketball players are filling the borough’s gyms, but there is now one more place for the young recreational athletes to play.
Of course, the borough has not built a new gymnasium; rather, a new facility has become available on Saturdays thanks to the generosity of a local, private school.
Yavneh Academy, a modern Orthodox Jewish day school on Farview Avenue, has opened its gym to the town’s recreational basketball teams and games in the facility beginning earlier this month.
The borough’s first day using Yavneh Academy’s gymnasium was Feb. 6 and the feedback has been positive from coaches and players as the gym has been described as a top-notch facility.
Joel Kirschner, the executive director of Yavneh Academy, said allowing the borough to use its gym is a way of saying "thank you" for helping the school co-exist within the community.
"We’re happy to be doing it," said Kirschner. "The building is fallow on Saturday because we’re a Jewish day school; we have nothing going on."
Having an extra gym is certainly a boon to the borough. No matter how much recreation space a town may have, an extra full-size gymnasium is always helpful to ease the use of the town’s other athletic facilities.
The program utilizing the space is Paramus’ boys senior basketball league, which is comprised of the town’s seventh and eighth grade players, said Bob Cowper, the recreation department’s assistant director.
Cowper described the gym as "first class" and said he "jumped at the chance" to give the town’s youth players a chance to play in "such a beautiful facility."
With the offer to use the gym secured, Borough Administrator Joseph D’Arco coordinated the various borough departments that needed to interact with the recreation department, such as the Paramus Police Department, Shade Tree Commission and Department of Public Works to ensure the needs of both the school and recreation department were met.
As with any other borough facility, D’Arco said the borough provides security and maintenance and ensures proper staffing to provide any cleanup necessary once the games are complete.
Cowper said the recreation department did not have any definitive plans to use the gym for any other activities on Saturdays beyond basketball season, but he said it was certainly a possibility.
"Our players and coaches are very exciting to be playing there," said Cowper.
Mayor Richard LaBarbiera applauded Yavneh Academy for showing a commitment to the borough in allowing it to use a vacant facility on their property and providing more recreation space for its young athletes.
"I can’t say enough about how generous it is on their part," said LaBarbiera. "It’s awesome."
