Two Baldwin basketball players named to Nassau Seniors Team roster for PAL All-Stars

Two Baldwin basketball players were named to the Nassau Seniors Team roster for the 2015 Nassau All-Star Team, according to the Nassau County Police Activity League.

Justin Caldwell and Shane Gatling were named to the Seniors Team after playing in the Top 40 basketball game on Oct. 18. The Nassau County Police Activity League, the Town of Oyster Bay and the Nassau County Basketball Coaches Association added their names to the roster.

Approximately 100 basketball players from Nassau County public schools had competed for a chance at one of the roster spots. Coaches from the Nassau County public schools held tryouts at the Island Garden on Oct. 17 and 18.

The 40 remaining players competed to comprise the Nassau County All-Star team, which played against the Suffolk All-Star Team at the Town of Oyster Bay Athletic Center on Nov. 1. Two games were played, one featuring players in their senior year and the other featuring players in their junior year. Each all-star team was comprised of 10 players and two alternates.

The Nassau County PAL was once again a sponsor in conjunction with the Town of Oyster Bay and the Nassau County Basketball Coaches Association.

The events give the Nassau County PAL the opportunity to show its involvement in the Nassau County community as it looks to continue to expand its role in the county. Nassau County Police Officers Jethro Cardona and Sgt. Doug Kenah and Ed Dempsey represented the NCPAL at the games.

“PAL is proud to be involved in hosting this,” Dempsey, the basketball director, said. “It is like watching the players come full circle, since a majority of the boys started playing basketball in a PAL program.”

The Nassau County PAL Headquarters and the Town of Oyster Bay Athletic Center have been the site of the Top 40 game for the past two years. A portion of the proceeds from the games is donated to the Morgan Center, which provides preschoolers undergoing cancer treatment a safe environment that timulates their cognitive and social development.

For more information about Nassau County PAL youth sports and other programs or to inquire about volunteering with NCPAL, go to www.nassaucountypal.org