ENDICOTT, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – The Southern Tier Community Center is receiving a sizable donation from a former Syracuse basketball player, to bring back and bolster the facility’s youth sports programs.

Sonny Spera is the owner of Progressive Dental, who grew up in the Endwell-Endicott area and attended the former Boys and Girls Club in Endicott, which is now the Southern Tier Community Center.

The Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference bought the building in 2020 and turned it into the community center.

Last year, STCC only offered organized youth soccer and basketball, but Spera says why stop there?

“I know they started with soccer, I wish they started with basketball, but they did soccer and basketball. And now, to me, it’s like, let’s keep going, let’s get baseball back, let’s get softball, let’s get lacrosse, let’s get field hockey, let’s get all of these programs,” said Spera.

Spera’s donation is going towards hiring coaches, purchasing sports supplies, and removing any financial barriers for people.

The Director of STCC, Nikki Post, says the center will be partnering with Binghamton University, to bring over coaches and student athletes from the college. She says when a kid signs up for a youth sports program, they also get a membership to the center.

“Kids would come here, and they would play sports, and they would have a great time. Get that community, also peer to peer interaction, also good instruction from coaches and volunteers and things like that. So, we want to continue that. Youth sports is important for kids. I know myself; I played sports as well. Keeps you out of trouble, keeps you focused,” said Post.

The center also received a grant from the Broome County Youth Bureau.

Spera encourages the community to donate to the Southern Tier Community Center, which can be done online at thestcc.org.

There, you can also sign up to volunteer and find a detailed scheduled of the programming.

Post says indoor soccer will be the first sport this year, kicking off January 25.

Source