Catholic Middle School Athletic Association of the Diocese of Rockville Centre NY

Sixteen years ago, Catholic Schools on Long Island offered few, if any, inter-school athletic competitions. Thanks to the work of many wonderful volunteers from our parishes and schools, the CMSAA came to be, and that all changed!

Now, in this era of austerity and cuts in budgets all around us, the Catholic Schools offer an array of middle school sports opportunities that is tough to beat.

In the fall, our sixth, seventh and eighth graders can compete in Soccer or Cross-Country. Our Soccer teams travel across Long Island and play on some of the best fields on the Island, Meanwhile, our cross-country schedule boasts meets at Parks in the north, south, east and west, and includes multiple meets at Sunken Meadow Park, recognized as one of the premier XC venues on Long Island. Our meets draw hundreds of students.

In the winter, middle school athletics include Basketball and Bowling. Basketball remains an extremely popular sport, over 50 squads compete across six divisions. Bowling, has allowed even more students to join a school team in competition.

Spring brings with it Baseball, Softball, and an incredibly talented and competitive Volleyball program (both Coed and Girls only divisions) as well as Boys/Girls Lacrosse. The CMSAA Baseball and Softball program plays approximately half of its games at Baseball Heaven, an incredible complex in Yaphank which has four 90 foot baseball diamonds as well as three softball fields. It is not uncommon in April and May to find four, five or more CMSAA ballgames going on simultaneously at Baseball Heaven. Lacrosse has taken the CMSAA by storm and continues to grow each and every year!

All of these sports are brought to the Catholic Schools through an efficient and cohesive structure -- the CMSAA -- and volunteer "Reps" from each school who donate their time and talents. Accordingly, CMSAA sports, funded entirely by the families of the students, are very reasonable for middle school sports.

Please share news of the CMSAA with your friends, parishes, and schools. We are growing, while others are contracting, and our schools are benefiting from this wonderful experience we make possible for middle school students in the Catholic schools on Long Island.