NOTABLE ORGANIZATIONAL ALUMNI

Where are you now?  Contact us today so we keep you in the loop!

YCK Alumni Questionnaire

Please email this info to infoyck1947@gmail.com

We’re happy to add you to our new website for all to see and learn your accomplishments!

1. Name:
2. Sport and Position Played:
3. Years Played at YCK:
4. Why did you Join YCK?
5. Who were your coaches?
6. Any Championships?
7. Most memorable moments on the field:
8. Most memorable moments off of the field:
9. Did you move on from the club and plat at a higher level?
10. Where are you now?
11. What are you up to?
12. Who would you like to see interviewed for this section?
13. Were you friends with your teammates outside of YCK ( St. George / CYM / Plast / HS / College)?
14. Please provide any early pictures of yourself for the website if available.

Thank you!!

1.  Name: Michael A Tomaszewsky

2.  Sport and Position Played: Setter, Volleyball                     

3. Years Played at YCK:Mid to late 1980’s

4. Why did you Join YCK? It was an opportunity to play organized volleyball after the high school season.  YCK was also a place for us to go as high school kids to play pool and ping pong.

5. Who were your coaches? Mr. Ihor P

6. Any Championships? I do not recall.  Perhaps in GEVA?  And a few tournaments..  But it’s been way too long to remember!

7. Did you move on from the club and play at a higher level? Yes, played Division I volleyball at Rutgers University

8. Where are you now? Westchester County, NY                    

9.  What are you up to? About 225 pounds….  ;-)

10. Who would you like to see interviewed for this section? Markian Sonevytsky, Orest Szul, Ivan Kaczur, Mark Iwaskiw, John Zielonka, Nick Kosciolek,

11. Were you friends with your teammates outside of YCK ( St. George / CYM / Plast / HS / College)? Yes. 

1. Name:  Nicholas Skirka
2. Sport and Position Played: Soccer-Midfielder
3. Years Played at YCK: 13 Years
4. Why did you Join YCK? Neighborhood Ukrainian Team
5. Who were your coaches? Stephan Kachmarskyj ,Steve Kovalenko, and Gordon Bradley
6. Any Championships? US Open National Senior championship, 1965; 1977 Division II
7. Most memorable moments on the field: Scoring critical goals to win games.
8. Most memorable moments off of the field: Attending University of Maryland
9. Did you move on from the club and play at a higher level? No, played with other Ukrainian Teams: Dnipro Baltimore; Yonkers Krylati
10. Where are you now? Live in Yonkers
11. What are you up to? Full Professor at Kingsborough Community College
12. Who would you like to see interviewed for this section? Steve Kovalenko
13. Were you friends with your teammates outside of YCK (St. George / CYM / Plast / HS / College)? Yes

1. Name: Andrew Hryniuk
2. Sport and Position Played: Goalkeeper
3. Years Played at YCK: 1975 -80 
4. Who were your coaches? Steve Kovalenko
5. Any Championships? German American league Junior Champions
6. Most memorable moments on the field: Being drafted into the NASL
7. Did you move on from the club and plat at a higher level? 

   Pro Club teams in Germany Holland, Pro Club teams in Canada & USA, and USA National Team

8. Where are you now? NY

9. What are you up to? College Recruiter
10. Were you friends with your teammates outside of YCK ( St. George / CYM / Plast / HS / College)? Yes my closest friend Jerry Turko

1. Name:  Steve  Kovalenko
2. Soccer position:  Forward
3. Years played at YCK:  1963  Played  in  the  Juniors,  Reserves  and  First  team  until  1968,  came  back  to  YCK  as  player  coach 1974  to  Present  (  Stop  playing  in  2002 ).
4. Why did you join YCK?  Because  I  had  many  players  friends.  Roman  Kilar  brought  me  to  YCK. We  played  in  Seward  Park  High  School.
5. Who were your coaches?  Gordon  Bredly,  Igor  Chupenko, Eugene  Czezowycz,
6. Any Championships? Cosmopolitan  soccer  league  1966  Major  Division,  C.S.L. Cup  1983, C.S.L. 2nd  champion  3  times,  1991  Sports  Friend Cup  Soccer  Tournament,  2004  Reserve  State  Cup  Champion,  the  YCK  reserve  team  12  times  Champion  in  the  C.S.L.Plus  champion  Many  Ukrainians  soccer  tournaments, CYM,  Verhkovyna  Glen  Spey  and  Ukrainian  Festival  in  NewJersey  
7. Most memorable moments on the field: winning  League  Cup.
8. Most memorable moments off of the field:  When YCK  won US.  Challenge  Cup  Champion  in 1965.  I  was  waiting  for  the  players to show up  at  YCK  club  at  St. Marks  Place,  4th  floor.
9. Did you move on from the club and play at a higher level?  I  moved to  play  for the Ukrainian  Chornomoska  Sitch  in  the  American Pro – Soccer  league,  Kingston  Sport  Club  Up – State,  Harfort  Ukrainians,  Baverian  Soccer  Club,  Brasilians  soccer  club,  Peru  footbal  Club NY., Krilaty  Yonkers  Ukrainians, Polonia  Greenpoint  soccer  club. Juvenil  Platense Equatorian  team. NY Hungaria  s.c.,  New  Bruswick  HungariaI  played  in  the  Juniors  Soccer  all  star  team,  major  All  star  team.
10. Any awards? 1997  Steve Kovalenko  was  best  coach  by  the  E.N.Y. State Referee  Association; 2011  Steve  Kovalenko was  inducted  to  ENY Soccer Hall  of Fame; 2016  Steve  Kovalenko  was  inducted  to  Ukrainian   Soccer Hall of  Fame
11. Where are you now?  I  am  in  Greenpoint  - from  1964  to  present.

1. Name: Ricardo  da Silva

2. Sport and Position Played: Soccer, Defender and midfielder

3. Years Played at YCK: 1979-1990

4. Why did you Join YCK? Steve Kovalenko invited me.

5. Who were your coaches? Steve Kovalenko, Ozzie Verbstky

6. Any Championships? League champions 1984; League Cup 1983 or 84 (not sure)

7. Most memorable moments on the field: Scoring a goal in the first play-off of the league championship against College Point.  Winning the above mentioned championships with the club.

8. Most memorable moments off of the field: The Christmas party when the team, afterwards went to a club on the lower east side. Mike Czarny was a riot. Barbeque at Steve’s house in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

9. Did you move on from the club and play at a higher level? No.

10. Where are you now? Teacher and coach at the United Nations International School in Manhattan, since 1984. Replaced Popovich, another Ukrainian coach.

11. What are you up to? Still teaching and coaching, now with my own youth club, the NY International Soccer Club.

12. Who would you like to see interviewed for this section? Feliks Fuchsman, Steve Kovalenko

13. Were you friends with your teammates outside of YCK ( St. George / CYM / Plast / HS / College)? Friends with Steve Kovalenko John Neuhof, Feliks Fuchsman.

1. Name: Markian Sonevytsky

2. Sport and position played: Volleyball- Setter/Defense

3. Years played at YCK: ~5

4. Why did you join YCK? I started to play volleyball at an early age and continued to play through high school. My university didn't have a volleyball team so I joined YCK. YCK offered me an opportunity to play competitive volleyball while further developing my skill-set.

5. Who were your coaches? We had several coaches including Ihor Sochan, Ihor Pryshlak, Carl Pierre and Tony.

6. Any championships? We won a few GEVA tournaments.

7. Most memorable moments on the field: Having several defensive and offensive moments resulting in spectacular rallies.  When we clicked as a team, we were hard to beat.

8. Most memorable moments off the field: Hanging out at YCK after volleyball practice and shooting the breeze.

9. Did you move on from the club and play at a higher level? I moved into local volleyball circuit playing and when I moved to NJ, I continued to play up until 2004 after I had lower back surgery.

10. Where are you now? I am a physical therapist working in a private office treating patients including professional, college and high school athletes as well as post-surgical and special needs populations.

11. What are you up to? Being a father of two beautiful girls is a privilege, but also takes up a majority of my time. I live in NJ, have two dogs and a cat. I enjoy yard work, hiking, walking and the occasional bike ride, but I really enjoy wood working and light construction projects.

12. Who would you like to see interviewed for this section? Orest Szul, John Zielonka, Mark Iwaskiw, Teddy Kowalyk, Coach  Pryshlak, Coach Sochan, Coach Carl Pierre.

1. Name: Valentin  Kovalenko
2. Sport and Position Played: Soccer
3. Years Played at YCK: 20
4. Why did you Join YCK? My father ran the boys, Juveniles, and Junior team
5. Who were your coaches? My father, Steve Kovalenko
6. Any Championships? First place in boys, juvinile and Juniors in CSL
7. Most memorable moments on the field: 

   First Professional Game I was chosen to take the penalty kick because the Coach was familiar with my capabilities.

8. Did you move on from the club and plat at a higher level?All City, ALL county, ALL state, ALL-American high school  First division at 16, Full Soccer scholarship to 24 D! Schools, NJ U19 Regional team at 13 years of age.Head coach at Sitch Sports School Soccer.
9. Where are you now? Coaching, USSF Soccer Referee, Still active with YCK
10. What are you up to?
11. Who would you like to see interviewed for this section?
12. Were you friends with your teammates outside of YCK ( St. George / CYM / Plast / HS / College)? I was invited by CYM m as a ringer for the canada tornament but never belonged to CYM or Plast. My best friend was a soccer ball for most of my life although I never owned a real soccer ball until National Team Tryouts for the U19 when I was 14.

1. Name:  Bohdan “Bobby” Showty

2. Sport and Position Played: Soccer- center fullback

3. Years Played at YCK: 25

4. Why did you Join YCK? Love of the game

5. Who were your coaches? Sobenko, Kowalenko (Val’s dad) Andrejko , Steve Kovalenko

6. Any Championships? 1985 Doctor Manning Cup

7. Most memorable moments on the field: Playing at Yankee Stadium. Winning that trophy in”85

8. Most memorable moments off of the field: Having kids

9. Where are you now? Staten Island

10. What are you up to? Retired

The Ukrainian Sports Club (The NY Ukrainians) is an amateur soccer club based in NYC, that competes all over the tri-state area. This year, Ukrainian Sports Club has expanded its formidable force to include a youth league for soccer and volleyball which commenced in the fall of 2019. It's overarching goal is to provide athletics as a vehicle to humanities and to share the things that we love.