STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — On Tuesday, Borough President Vito Fossella unveiled a major update to the Island’s CYO code of conduct, a direct response to the shocking brawl that erupted during a youth basketball game at St. Teresa’s in December.
The new policy is simple: spectators ejected by a referee for disruptive behavior at a CYO basketball game will now receive a one-year ban, with repeat offenders facing a lifetime suspension, while anyone involved in a physical altercation will be permanently barred from attending any future CYO competitions.
As such, the Advance/SILive.com reached out to several figures who have long been involved with Staten Island’s CYO operations, asking if they felt like the measures taken feel appropriate.
Mia Marinaccio, the parish athletic director of Our Lady Star of the Sea, said, “The policy initiated by CYO sets a clear expectation that adults are responsible for their own conduct.”
“Too often —both in sports and in society today — poor behavior by parents is justified as ‘I’m protecting my child,’ when it’s really them projecting their own feelings. It’s the parents’ disappointment over playing time, frustration with a referee’s call, or anger over something that didn’t go their way. Some parents place unrealistic pressure on kids who may just want to play, have fun, and enjoy being part of a team.
“One of the funniest things I see all of the time is parents still fuming hours after a game, while the kids are already out with friends, laughing and enjoying themselves. That disconnect says everything.
“CYO is well within its rights to protect its players and their environment. Adults engaging in physical altercations —regardless of who they are or what they believe happened —sets a terrible example for children. Fighting, screaming and questioning every coaching decision teaches kids that disrespect is acceptable and actions don’t have consequences.”
“This long-overdue policy draws a necessary line —accountability matters. Youth sports should be a place where kids feel safe and supported, free from adult chaos. If a parent can’t control their emotions, they should sit the game out rather than start a brawl in front of their child,” she concluded.
Michael Neely, director of the CYO Staten Island, with Borough President Vito Fossella and Catholic Youth Organization officials announces new rules pertaining to parents and spectators engaging in disruptive behavior during CYO games at a press conference in the Mt. Loretto CYO Community Center gymnasium in Pleasant Plains on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.(Advance/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel)
Eddie Mayrose, an Islander and associate athletic director at Xaverian who has been involved in youth sports for nearly 60 years across parishes such as Blessed Sacrament, offered a different perspective, noting that “confrontations between coaches, officials, parents, and players were just as commonplace in the 1970s as they are today. The only difference is that no one was filming these blowups back then.”
“I’m ambivalent about the enactment of this rule. On one hand, it’s well-intended and does address an important issue (of many) that is currently plaguing youth sports. On the other hand, I see it as a swing and miss at the real problem that is right in the center of the strike zone – enforcement.
“The Staten Island CYO, admittedly not without its flaws, is easily the best and most effective in the city. In the past, rules addressing issues like illegal residence, parent behavior, and ref-baiting have been handled with the best interest of the kids in mind. However, in my experience as the head of a parish sports program, I have seen the CYO struggle to enforce sanctions and impose punishment due to the layers of parish politics they must navigate. Everyone wants bad behavior stopped — until it’s their own.
“To me, the only measure with a chance to be effective is to impose any penalties, bans or suspensions on the children of the offenders. On the surface, that seems grossly unfair but is the only leverage a sports organization has over the parents. Once everyone is made aware of the rule, mom and dad are the ones punishing the child, not the program. Not only has this been the most effective measure I’ve seen, it’s the only one.
“With few exceptions, those running youth sports programs are wonderfully, generous people. People dedicating their time who didn’t sign up for much of what’s now on their plate. You want to threaten lifetime bans? Fine. But, if you really want to help, let them do their job without interference and acknowledge their authority even when things don’t go your way,” he concluded.