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Celebrate 25 Years of Philipstown Soccer and the Dedication of the Malcolm Gordon Field
It's hard to believe that 25 years ago five coaches stepped onto the field at Mayors Park to start the Philipstown Recreation Soccer Program. Those coaches, Jay Varicchio, Sandy Barton, Roger Keppel, Guy Toscano and Claudio Marzollo, played on a borrowed field and used jackets for goals. Today, over 300 children participate yearly in the Recreation Soccer program. Any given Saturday in the fall you can come to Philipstown Park and see a gathering of the community's youth playing on one of the fields the Town now owns. It is amazing to see how this program has grown and the impact it has on the community. Not only does it prove an outlet for the children to learn and play soccer, but it gives the community a gathering place to meet new people and enjoy one another's company.
The Philipstown Recreation Soccer program has become a staple in Philipstown. However, its recent success would not have been possible without the current facility. The Town acquired Philipstown Park from the Open Space Institute eleven years ago in 1996. This would not have been possible if it wasn't for the Malcolm Gordon School and their willingness to work with OSI and the Town. The park is located on the south end of the school's property.
The Malcolm Gordon School was a school for boys built in 1855. Malcolm Gordon started the school and served as headmaster until his retirement in 1952, but continued to teach at the school almost till the time of his death at age 96. One of the adventurous tasks in which he lead the boys involved building the school's outdoor ice rink, which was sited where the basketball courts are currently located at Philipstown Park. He loved that rink and enjoyed spending much time there.
On Saturday, October 27, 2007, at 11:30am, the Philipstown Recreation Department and Commission and the Philipstown Board, plan to dedicate the main field at Philipstown Park to the memory of Malcolm Gordon and celebrate the 25th anniversary of the soccer program. They invite everyone to come and join them for a short ceremony and reception of anniversary cake and juice. After the ceremony, watch some of the children in the community play soccer, take a walk around the park and or just enjoy the company of the community.
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