Residents gathered on Sunday evening at Canarsie Park for the 2nd Annual Flossy Day, named after Canarsie’s nickname, The Floss, for a basketball tournament season championship game.
Organized by Ramel Young with the help of various organizations and individuals, spectators came to watch two games, the 17U, for players 17 and younger, and the Unlimited Championship, for players 25 and younger.
“Flossy Day is a celebration of my community and it’s the Sunday championship for the kids that are playing,” Young explained. “I’m happy that my community came out, they showed up and everyone is enjoying themselves.”
The Mighty Hawks and We Got Next basketball teams played in the 17U division. In the first half of the game, We Got Next earned 29 points over The Mighty Hawks’ 17 points. In the final half, We Got Next won the championship with 59 points, leading over the Hawk’s 28 points.
“It’s a good feeling,” said Blu Watson, head coach of We Got Next. “They came; they brought it first quarter. They set the tone. Second half, they put it in a bag. A good win for the fellas and we’ll be back next year to defend it.”
TTK and Death Row teams competed in the Unlimited Division. TTK won the first half of the game, scoring 21 points, with a 2-point lead over Death Row’s 19 points. TTK secured the title with a 44-point advantage over the Hawk’s 43 points in the second half.
“It was a wonderful experience with the Flossy tournament,” said TTK Assistant Coach Thomas Johnson. “We had these guys come out and apply themselves. They listened to the coaching, the strategies, the plans. I’m [thrilled] with winning the championship.”
Flossy Day is not just a day for basketball, but for the community as a whole. Assemblywoman Monique Chandler-Waterman, a major contributor to these events, says it’s a way to reduce violence and bring the community closer.
“This is a beautiful day; everybody’s having fun,” the assemblywoman said. “This is just one of many things that we are doing with anti-violence this year to reduce gun violence, and it starts with resources in spaces.”
