2010 Rosters and Schedules
Outstanding Tradition
The Sparks have enjoyed a rich tradition of providing our players with quality coaching. Our staff has experience at various coaching levels, coaching at the college, high school, AAU, and youth programs in and around the Capital District. However, what we are most proud of their dedication to kids and the game of basketball. All of the coaches are avid fans of the game and work hard together at improving their coaching skills as well as improving the resume of the organization.
Select an age group below to review our coaches staff and experience::
Our coaches adhere to this philosophy, "Players should strive to be sound fundamental players and to always remember that if you play hard, play smart, and have fun, you will always be on top of your game no matter the outcome!" The coaches primarily want each player to improve and have fun doing it. A mark of their success is that over 90% of our players return to play for the Sparks each year. We believe a large part of that is due to our committed and knowledgeable coaching staff.
Outstanding Tradition
The Sparks have enjoyed a rich tradition of providing our players with quality coaching. Our staff has experience at various coaching levels, coaching at the college, high school, AAU, and youth programs in and around the Capital District. However, what we are most proud of their dedication to kids and the game of basketball. All of the coaches are avid fans of the game and work hard together at improving their coaching skills as well as improving the resume of the organization.
Select an age group below to review our coaches staff and experience::
Junior Coaches
- Coach Turner has been involved with youth basketball for more than ten years. He has coached travel teams in Clifton Park and East Greenbush. He also coached the Shenendehowa Varsity Summer League team for two years. He is in his eighth season with the Sparks.
- Coach Fazio has coached travel basketball in Clifton Park since 1994. He has also coached with the Sparks since their inception. For the past two years he has coached the Shenendehowa Varsity Team in Summer League Ball.
Sophomore Coaches
- Coach Spicer played college basketball at Hartwick College. He is also a coach for CYO, AAU and travel basketball for St. Pius and the Albany Falcons. He is in his first year with the Sparks.
- Coach Cusack played college basketball at Hudson Valley Community College. He also coached men's basketball for six years. He has coached youth travel basketball. He is in his third year coaching for the Sparks.
- Coach Curcio: was the head men's coach at Schenectady County Community College for five years. He has also coached AAU in Queens, New York. This is his first year with the Sparks.
Freshmen Coaches
- Coach Mingione has been coaching girls basketball for twenty years. He coached travel basketball for Clifton Park. For the past six years he has been the assistant coach for Shenendehowa Girls Varsity. He is in his eighth year with the Sparks. He has a coaching certificate from New York State.
- Coach Holland is currently playing basketball for Hudson Valley Community College. She was a member of the Shenendehowa team when it won the Sectionals in 2008. This is her first year coaching with the Sparks.
- Coach Bliss has been coaching girls basketball in the Capital District for over twenty years. His experience includes coaching travel teams for Colonie Youth Center and AAU. He has also coached the Freshman and modified teams for Shaker. He has a coaching certificate from New York State.
- Coach Pleasure played three sports in college at SUNY Cobleskill and St. Joseph's College. Coach Pleasure has a BA in Sports Management from Canisus College where she was also the Women's Basketball Team manager. She was an assistant at SUNY Cobleskill and has coached in clinics at Siena College. This is her first year with the Sparks.
8th Grade Coaches
- Coach Mitchell is currently the JV Girls coach at Watervliet High School. He has eleven years experience coaching AAU with the Sparks, Night Hawks and Arsenal City. He has also coached travel basketball for Clifton Park.
- Coach Acker has coached with the Sparks since 2006. He has been an assistant coach for Clifton Park Girls travel basketball. He has also coached a boys AAU team.
7th Grade Coaches
- Coach Nann played college basketball at William Smith College where she also served as a Student Assistant Coach. She is currently an assistant coach for Skidmore College. She has coached for the Sparks for six years.
6th Grade Coaches
- Coach Ryan has been coaching youth basketball for over 20 years. He coached the JV at Bethlehem for three years. He also coached youth basketball in Massachusetts and New York for twelve years. He has been with the Sparks for the last six years. He is a New York State Certified coach.
- Coach Nichols coached the Mechanicville Girls Junior Varsity. He has also coached in the Clifton Park Travel and Recreational Leagues. He is in his first year with the Sparks.
- Coach O’Brien played college basketball at Sage/JCA. He has also coached travel basketball for Clifton Park and AAU for Hoop Nation. He is in his first year with the Sparks.
- Coach Souky played college basketball at SUNY Fredonia. He has coached the St. Helen's CYO biddy team the last two years. He is in his first year with the Sparks.
5th Grade Coaches
- Coach Kuhn played three varsity sports in high school. She has completed two years as assistant coach for the Shenendehowa freshman team. She is in her second year with Sparks.
- Coach Hinman played college basketball for Nazareth College. She was a four year varsity player at Shenendehowa where she led her team to the final four teams in the State Finals. This year she was the assistant JV coach for Shenendehowa. She is in her second year with the Sparks.
4th Grade Coaches
- Coach Domicolo has coached youth basketball for four years. He played high school basketball at Weedsport High School. This is his first year coaching with the Sparks.
- Coach Tooley has coached at Northville Central School for ten years. She has coached at all levels from Modified to Varsity. Coach Tooley also runs basketball Summer Camps at Colgate and Skidmore Colleges. She is in her first year with the Sparks.
Our coaches adhere to this philosophy, "Players should strive to be sound fundamental players and to always remember that if you play hard, play smart, and have fun, you will always be on top of your game no matter the outcome!" The coaches primarily want each player to improve and have fun doing it. A mark of their success is that over 90% of our players return to play for the Sparks each year. We believe a large part of that is due to our committed and knowledgeable coaching staff.
Saratoga Shows Some Spark
Cortland, New York. - With six hours of practice under their belts and hundreds more to follow, the early bird Saratoga Sparks took to the road this weekend and traveled south down Route 81 to SUNY Cortland to compete in the Cortland Shootout. The trip was scheduled early in the AAU season for a couple of important reasons. First, to see what this talented group of young players can do against quality competition, and to begin developing team chemistry.“We could see very quickly during our first few practices that we have a very talented team, we are very strong and all thirteen kids can play, what we needed to see is how this group works together on the court, most of our players are playing together for the first time and are coming from different programs with different styles of play” shared Coach Fazio, “We need to figure out what this team can do together”
Queensbury's Alexis Perryman drives hard for 2 during the Northeast Elite College Showcase in Springfield Massachusetts.
Once a Spark... Always a Spark...
"A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That's how I want you to play."
Mike Krzyzewski
"A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That's how I want you to play."
Mike Krzyzewski