50
YEARS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE
Table
of Contents
Introduction
Soccer
Chess
Table Tennis
Volleyball
Tennis
Hockey
Track & Field
Skiing
Bowling
Golf
Other Sports
Conclusion
During
the post-World War II immigration, Ukrainians settling
in the Detroit area felt that friendship and camaraderie
of sports was an important social outlet. Through the
efforts and inspirations of Z. Tarnawsky, A. Nakoneczny,
Y. Wirstiuk, M. Makar, and M. Tomyn, the Ukrainian Sports
Club "Chernyk" was organized in Detroit in
November 1949, originally under the club name "Vovky." The
following year in November 1950, it was officially named
in honor of the hero, Fedir Chernyk, (1894-1918) who
as a youth with a slender frame, was determined to build
a strong and enduring body through training in sports.
Through his perseverance he wanted to show that a person's
will and determination can formulate not only physique
but also the human spirit. He became very strong physically
and mentally. He excelled in school, was double promoted
into higher classes in high school and attended the University
of Lviv. As a sharpshooter for the "Sitch Riflemen," he
fought valiantly for Ukrainian independence and laid
down his life during a battle with the Bolsheviks on
November 18, 1918.
The
USC Chernyk's first clubhouse in the 1950s was located
in the former Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic
Grade School on Grayling in Hamtramck. There was ample
room for members to hold their meetings and social
gatherings, as well as for chess and table tennis tournaments.
On several occasions, the Ukrainian members of the
Detroit Red Wings Hockey Team: Dmytro Prystaj, Tony
Leswick, Vic Stasiuk, and the great goalie, Terry Sawchuk,
visited the club.
In
the fall of 1962 USC Chernyk purchased its own building
on Davison Avenue in Detroit. With a spacious hall
and several meeting rooms, the new clubhouse was a
social gathering place for many activities and for
all age groups - pizza after soccer games, chess and
billiard tournaments, as well dances, just to name
a few. USC Chernyk graciously opened its doors to other
Ukrainian organizations for the use of the facilities.
Both the Saturday school "Ridna Shkola" Preschool
and the Ukrainian Bandurist Ensemble met there regularly. In 1978 USC Chernyk
sold its Davison property and moved to the Ukrainian-American Center on Carpenter
Street in Detroit. Soon many members were moving to the suburbs and club
membership began to decline. Subsequently in 1985 when
the Ukrainian-American Center sold its aging building,
USC Chernyk relocated to the Ukrainian Cultural Center
in Warren.
In
1959 a quarterly journal, "Ukrainian Sports Bulletin," the
only Ukrainian sports quarterly in North America was
published. It continued publication through seven years
under the guidance of W. Kizyma, J. Zubal, and J. Malynowsky,
keeping the readers informed of all club matters and
sports news throughout the world. Again publication of
the club's newsletter was revived in 1995 through the
efforts of Diana Omecinsky, editor and publisher. Issued
semi-annually, it contained outstanding articles and
pictures of club activities, as well as Ukrainian sports
throughout the world. Unfortunately after a few years,
publications of the newsletter ceased.
SOCCER
Men's
Division - With the organization of the club in 1949
a men's soccer team was formed, and became affiliated
with the Michigan Soccer League in 1950. In its first
year of competition, under the management of M. Tomyn,
the soccer team excelled in the league. In subsequent
years in the 1950s under the management of M. Yaremych,
A. Sawka, J. Slywka, W. Dyhdalo, and Victor Klein, the
team won the league championship in seven-a-side tournaments
in 1952, 1953, and 1954, won the league championship
in 1955 and the league and state championships in 1956,
1957, and 1958.
The
Men's First Division Team, under the management of M.
Kostiuk, W.Hnatiuk, and C. Shalay, dominated the sport
of soccer in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.
The team won the league championship in indoor soccer
for eight years straight, from 1980 through 1987, without
losing a single game and in April 1987 competed in the
National Open and entered into the finals in Dallas,
where it finished in second place. In outdoor soccer,
the team won the league championship four years in a
row, from 1982 through 1985. In the Tournament of Champions,
the team won the state championship in 1983 and advanced
to the Region II championship in 1984. Concurrently in
1983 and 1984, in competition for the U.S. Soccer Federation
Amateur Cup, this same team won the state championship,
and in 1984 advanced to the regional championship, winning
against Hartford, Connecticut. The team attained national
recognition when in the finals at St. Louis, the team
finished second, losing only to the Dallas, Texas team.
This was only the second Michigan team to advance to
the finals in sixty years of Amateur Cup competition,
(Carpathia Kickers won the cup in 1962) and the only
Ukrainian team to advance so far since 1956 (Philadelphia
Ukrainians) and 1957 (Rochester Ukrainians). The First
Division Reserves were also achievers, winning the league
championship in the Bonanza Reserve Division (top division
in the league) in 1984. In 1987 under the leadership
of sports director, Wolodymyr Hnatiuk, the men's soccer
program was reorganized and an all-Ukrainian player roster
was established.
Subsequently,
men's soccer expanded to four divisions - Second Division,
Reserves, Men's Over-30, and Men's Over-30 Recreational,
and maintained this status into 2000.
Juniors
Soccer - USC Chernyk had a remarkable Juniors team, which
consisted of its young players under the age of nineteen.
In the 1952 Detroit Free Press Soccer Cup Tournament,
the Juniors won the championship and received a lengthy
write-up in the Free Press on their victory. In the 1960s
USC Chernyk assisted the Michigan Soccer League in organizing
the Michigan Youth Soccer League (age group of sixteen
to nineteen), of which the club's Juniors soccer team
was one of the four charter members. In the early 1960s,
the Juniors were managed by Michael Shumylo and subsequently
by Petro Halnyj. In 1965 the team did not have a single
loss and won the league championship. In 1968 it won
both the league and the state championships and competed
in the Junior U.S. Cup playoffs, winning the regional
playoffs against Madison, Wisconsin, but losing to Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, in the finals. Under the management of
W. Dyhdalo, the Juniors team won the league championship
in 1972 and 1975, and entered the regional playoffs that
June in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1988 during the Millennium
of Ukrainian Christianity celebrations and the Ukrainian
Olympiad in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the junior team,
coached by Christian Shalay and managed by Roma Kohut,
won first place and a gold medal.
Youth
Soccer - In the 1970s while the First Division, Reserves,
and Juniors soccer teams were doing their best in accumulating
league, state, and regional championships, there was
no organized youth soccer for ages six to sixteen. In
1976 USC Chernyk sports director, Lou Krupiak, was instrumental
in organizing the youth program under the auspices of
the Michigan Youth Soccer League. Four youth teams were
formed with the help of a group of individuals, who accepted
both the role of coach and manager: Under-10 Lou Krupiak,
U-12 Wsewolod "Jeep" Hnatczuk, U-14 Taras Dudun,
and U-16 Walter Lewandowsky. In 1977 all four teams won
the state championship in their age group and went on
to compete in the regional playoffs. In the organizational
stage, the MYSL did not have a program for the youngest
U-8 team, so USC Chernyk U-8 team, which was coached
by Andrew Kachan, and subsequently by Nestor Tatarsky
and managed by Osypa Shalay, played with the Roseville
House League. Then in the following year, when MYSL expanded
its program for U-8, USC Chernyk U-8 joined its rank.
In 1978 this youngest team, U-8, won its first state
and regional championships, while the U-12 and U-16 went
on to the regional playoffs in Cleveland, Ohio.
The club's youth soccer program, under the direction of youth coordinators,
Osypa and Christian Shalay, was very strong in 1981, maintaining seven youth
teams: Under-8, U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16, U-18 and an U-12 girls' team, which
was organized that year and managed by Roma Kohut. During the years of 1982
through 1985, youth coordinators, Ostap and Anna Macielinski, continued a very
strong youth program, maintaining eight teams, which in 1984 also included
the newly organized U-14 girls' team, which that same year won the league championship.
It was also during this period, 1980-1984, that the club organized annual soccer
camps at the Dibrova Ukrainian Estate in Brighton. Stanley Litkewycz served
as camp director through 1983, when Andrew Kachan and Morris Lupenec took over
these duties.
The
Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Schools launched
soccer into their sports program in 1984. USC Chernyk
players joined the school soccer program within the Catholic
Youth League (CYO), and playing for other teams was disallowed
by CYO. The club's youth program declined, and the schools'
soccer program remained very strong until the late 1980s,
when it was recognized that a training program was needed
to feed the school system. In the fall of 1989, the club's
youth teams started to reorganize. In the winter of 1990
the club's sports director, Bernard (Toby) Tobianski,
and president, Chris Shalay, organized an U-10 indoor
soccer team and the youth program was rejuvenated, having
a complete soccer program in 1993. USC Chernyk worked
with the Immaculate Conception Schools, setting schedules
and playing time that would not conflict with the schools'
soccer programs. Also in 1993 a Children's Developmental
Clinic for toddlers and parents was organized by Toby
Tobianski, which in the following year in 1994 resulted
in the formation of the U-6 team. In 1995 the USC Chernyk
youth soccer program remained very strong, encompassing
seven teams: U-6 Jr., U-6 Sr., U-8 Jr., U-8 Sr., U-10,
U-12, and U-14. In the summer of 1996 through the initiative
of Diana Omecinsky, a soccer day camp was organized and
had a good turnout of 60 children. In the year 2000 the
club maintained five youth teams and continued the Children's
Developmental Clinic.
Women's
Soccer - In 1998 Marta Korol-Skalchuk organized the first
USC Chernyk women's soccer team (Over 30), which was
coached by Paul Dyhdalo. Because of increased interest,
a second women's team, the Women's Open team, was organized
and managed by Taissa Kohut-Haidukewych and coached by
Paul Prokop.
Great
Lakes Cup Tournament - In 1996 USC Chernyk sports director,
Wolodymyr Hnatiuk, envisioned a week-end soccer tournament
that would bring together Ukrainian soccer players, as
well as soccer enthusiasts. He was instrumental in organizing
the First Annual Great Lakes Cup Ukrainian Men's Open
Soccer Tournament, which was held on Memorial Day weekend,
May 25-26, 1996 at the Dibrova Ukrainian Estate near
Brighton, Michigan. The goal was that this tournament
would be held annually on Memorial Day weekend and would
be a rotating tournament among the Ukrainian sports clubs
within the Great Lakes area - Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland,
and Chicago, with Ukrainian sport clubs from U.S.A. and
Canada participating. With much enthusiasm and success,
the goal was achieved and went even further when the
tournament expanded to encompass other sports, such as
chess, golf, volleyball, and tennis. In its fifth year
on Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29, 2000 it was again
sponsored by USC Chernyk at the Dibrova Ukrainian Estate
with some additional pomp and ceremony because USC Chernyk
was celebrating its 50th anniversary that year.
Ties
to Ukraine - Prior to Ukraine's proclamation of independence
from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991, a patriotic
spirit was awakening in the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian
people. With this came the national awareness in sports
and the need to compete under the Ukrainian banner. In
Lviv, Ukraine, the Ukrainian Sport Association was formed
and began to organize the National Olympic Committee
of Ukraine. In June 1990 the Ukrainian Sport Club "Karpaty" from
Lviv began a mini-tournament, and USC Chernyk had the
pleasure to meet with its countrymen and was privileged
to host an international soccer match between the "Karpaty" team
and the Canadian Windsor Wheels, which included guest
players from Chernyk. The following year in 1991 Sport
Club "Ukraina" from Lviv, in celebrating its
80th anniversary, extended an invitation to the Ukrainian
Athletic Federation of United States and Canada to participate
in its celebration and send an all-star team to Lviv
for a five-city tour. Members from USC Chernyk again
had the opportunity to meet with their countrymen and
visit the country of their ancestors. The following soccer
players represented USC Chernyk on the all-star team,
from the First Division: Roman Kuropas, Dmytro Kulchycky,
Andrew Macielinski, Etian Shalay, Andryj Wowk, and Taras
Wowk; and from the Juniors: Borys Kohut and Gregory Sobol.
CHESS
Chess
has been an ongoing activity since the time USC Chernyk
was organized. In the spring of 1950, the first in-house
tournament was held with twenty participants. During
the next decade, under the management of Dr. Omelan Lebedowych,
the chess club numbered over forty members and belonged
to the Metro Detroit Chess League, which held monthly
tournaments. In 1962 Stefan Popel won the master championship
in the Detroit Motor City Open Chess Tournament. In December
1962 under the management of Jaroslaw Zubal, the Chernyk
Chess Club participated in the Ukrainian Athletic Federation
of United States and Canada (UAFUSC) Regional Tournament
in Cleveland, Ohio. V. Ploshchansky became the chess
club manager in 1965, and John Melnyk in 1970.
USC
Chernyk members won first and third places in the UAFUSC
Regional Chess Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio in 1972.
Under the guidance of Dr. M. Lebedowych, Chernyk successfully
hosted the UAFUSC Regional Chess Tournament in Detroit
in 1974 with a large number of participants - 29. In
the 1980s Zenobius Tomkiw became the manager of the chess
club, which again hosted the UAFUSC Regional Chess Tournament
in 1982. The 28th U.S. Motor City Open Chess Tournament
in Detroit in 1986 was specifically designated to honor
the Ukrainian chess players and their club. During the
1988 Sport Olympiad in Philadelphia, Dr. Bohdan Haidukewych
won fourth place in chess. Bohdan Andrushkiw assumed
the duties of manager in 1992, and under his management
the chess club held local tournaments, including summer
mini-tournaments at the Dibrova Ukrainian Estate. The
Chernyk Chess Club again hosted the UAFUSC Regional Chess
Tournament in Warren in 1996 and held a chess tournament
during the 2000 Memorial Day weekend Great Lake Cup Tournament.
TABLE
TENNIS
With
ample room in the Chernyk clubhouse on Grayling Street,
table tennis (ping-pong) became a popular activity. In
1950 L. Cionka formally organized the Table Tennis Club
and regular mini-tournaments were held. In 1953 during
a table tennis tournament with Ukrainian teams from Chicago
and Cleveland, the USC "Chernyk" team placed
first, with one of its own players, Jaroslaw Slywka,
winning everyone of his matches. Interest in the club's
table tennis was at its peak in the late 1950's; in the
early 1960's it began declining. At that time, Teodor
Pastuch stepped in as manager, and he was that needed
spark to reactivate the table tennis club. A Juniors
division was organized with Zenon Hotra as their trainer.
In the Ukrainian American Sport Clubs Association (UASCA)Tournament
in Cleveland in 1965, the Juniors did exceptionally well,
winning first, second, and third place. In the 1967 UASCA
Table Tennis Tournament, with four Ukrainian clubs participating,
USC Chernyk men's teams won first place in individual
games, and first and second in doubles. During the 1988
Sports Olympiad in Philadelphia J. Pashkewych won first
place and a gold medal in the men's senior division,
and together with T. Pastuch won third place and a bronze
medal in men's table tennis doubles.
VOLLEYBALL
USC
Chernyk's younger members, both men and women, were always
eager participants in volleyball. The first men's and
women's teams were organized in the early 1950s and have
continued playing with greater or lesser success until
the present time. Among the dedicated coaches and managers
of the volleyball teams have been the following: Teodor
Pastuch, Ihor Chypchar, Lubomyr Luczyn, Ostap Macielinski,
Walter Czubatyj, Ihor Petraszczuk, and Ihor Lawrin. In
1963 the men's volleyball team placed second in the Ukrainian
U.S. North Regional (UUSNR) Tournament held in Chicago,
Illinois and qualified for the Ukrainian Athletic Federation
of United States and Canada (UAFUSC) Tournament, where
it also finished in second place. In 1966 the women's
volleyball team won first place in the UUSNR Tournament
and went on to the next level, UAFUSC Tournament, where
they finished in third place. Again in 1968 the women's
volleyball team advanced to the UAFUSC Tournament. In
1972 the women's team took part in the Wayne State Invitational
Tournament and finished in second place. In 1980 the
men's volleyball team won the Class-A Regional Championship
and had the opportunity to play against the U.S. Women's
Olympic Volleyball Team when they were touring the country
during the United States boycott of the Olympic Games
in Moscow. In the 1988 Sport Olympiad in Philadelphia,
the women's team, with Ihor Petraszczuk as manager, won
second place and a silver medal.
TENNIS
The
USC Chernyk tennis team started its activities as early
as 1953-1954; however it did not officially organize
or participate in any tournaments until 1956, when Orest
Kawka represented the club in the Ukrainian Athletic
Federation of United States and Canada (UAFUSC) Tournament,
held on Labor Day weekend at the Soyuzivka Ukrainian
Estate in upper New York State. The following year in
1957 George Hodiw won the men's division championship
at the Soyuzivka Labor Day UAFUSC Tennis Tournament and
set off a trend where every year thereafter for eight
years consecutively, USC Chernyk players (men's and/or
juniors) won the championship (11 championships in eight
years). During those years the winning players in the
men's division were: George Hodiw, George Korol, and
Leo Wobobkewych; and in the junior division: Rostyslaw
Small, Bohdan Slywka, and O. Lebedowych. In the women's
division Phyllis Korol won first place in 1970. The most
successful year was 1968, when seven out of twelve championships
were won by the USC Chernyk tennis teams.
From 1991 through 1994 Matthew Wroblewski trained and managed the Juniors tennis
club, which numbered close to 20 players. In 1993 the club participated in
the Centerline Open - Juniors Division and Paul Tarnavsky won first place in
the 16-18 age bracket and Mark Rostkowych was runner up in the 12 and under
age bracket.
HOCKEY
In
1956 Roman Kalytiak organized the USC Chernyk Ukrainian
hockey team in Detroit, which was the first of its kind
in North America. The junior hockey team, ages 16-17,
was organized in 1958 and was managed and trained by
Marion Zarewych until 1965. In playing for the Metro
Park Recreation League in 1958-1960, the team was always
referred to as the "Flying Ukes" because of
the players' speed and abilities. The team had many outstanding
players including Jaroslaw Serediuk, who played for the
Detroit Junior Red Wings. In 1965 Michael Holowka assumed
the duties of manager. In the late 1960s and early 1970s
team playing declined. Subsequently, in 1971 Marion Zarewych
proceeded to organize and train a junior hockey team
club of about forty young hockey enthusiasts.
TRACK
AND FIELD
USC
Chernyk members participated in the track and field events
at the local meet organized by W. Dyhdalo in July and
again in September 1962 at the Ukrainian Estate Dibrova
near Brighton. In subsequent years, the club members
participated sporadically in the Ukrainian Athletic Federation
of United States and Canada Track and Field Annual Meets
and at the local meets on Dibrova and Kyiv Estates. In
1970 Chernyk successfully hosted the 12th Annual UAFUSC
Track and Field Meet at Dibrova.
SKIING
In
December of 1965 George Blichar was instrumental in organizing
the USC Chernyk Ski Club, becoming its first president.
The following year in 1966 the ski club coordinated the
first ski outing to Boyne Highlands, with close to 50
participants. During the Annual Ukrainian Athletic Federation
of United States and Canada Championship Meet on February
20, 1966, five club members competed, and Marianna Flys
won first place in the women's division, while Roman
Klymyshyn placed second in the men's division.
At
least two ski trips were organized each year to many
different ski locations, which included Nub's Knob, the
Boyne area near Petoskey in northern Michigan, and Canada.
Many of these ski trips were organized in cooperation
with Ukrainian Ski Clubs from Toronto, Chicago, and Cleveland.
Acquiring the skills of a good skier during the ski trips
became very easy because USC Chernyk topnotch instructors,
Bohdan Kaskiw and Roman Kaczmar, were always on hand.
In 1969 Petro Kushnir became president of the club and
membership in the club continued to grow. That year two
chartered buses were needed to transport over 100 ski-trip
participants to Nub's Knob in northern Michigan. In 1973
Jaroslaw Slywka assumed the duties of ski club president.
The ski trips continued and membership in the club was
still on the rise. The new president in 1977, Lesia Lawrin,
with great organizational skills did an outstanding job
in coordinating the ski trips, which were mainly to Boyne
Highlands. The number of ski trip participants, which
now included a large number of children, more than doubled.
The February 2000 ski trip, which officially kicked off
the club's 50th anniversary celebrations, numbered close
to 300.
BOWLING
The
USC Chernyk Bowling League was formed in 1962 with Leo
Shashlo, president; Tanas Hayda, vice-president; Donna
Hayda, secretary; and Michael Shumylo, treasurer. It
was one of the first Ukrainian sport clubs in the U.S.
to organize a bowling league. In the league's inception
it numbered approximately 20 bowlers (four teams plus
substitutes), and it bowled at the Paladium Lanes in
Hamtramck, where pin boys racked up the pins manually.
In the 1970s Chernyk bowlers participated in the Annual
Ukrainian National Association Bowling Tournament, always
with excellent results. In the year 2000, the "Chernyk" Bowling
League remains very active, numbering well over 70 bowlers
(14 teams plus substitutes).
GOLF
USC
Chernyk started its Men's Golf League in 1989, its Women's
League and its Youth League in 1997, all through the
initiative and efforts of the club's president, Christian
Shalay. The Men's League has held annual father-son/daughter
outings and annual team play-offs, and the golf teams
have participated in the Great Lakes Cup Golf Tournaments
during Memorial Day weekend.
During the 2000 season, the Men's League consisted of 24 two-man teams and
a list of 20 substitutes. However, both the Women's and Youth Leagues have
not had been as successful.
Among
the other sport programs organized by USC Chernyk over
the years were: billiards and tournaments were held;
softball was played for many years; and racquetball attracted
many club members.
USC "Chernyk," has
always directed its efforts towards the promotion and
development of sports in a social and Ukrainian environment,
especially among the youth. The club can attribute its
successes over the years to the untiring efforts of the
many coaches, managers, club officers, and the leadership
of the following presidents: Stanyslaw Krawchyshyn, Roman
Kaczmar, Michael Tomyn, Jaroslaw Slywka, Ivan Lash, Ivan
Lototochky, Ivan Szczupakivsky, V. Ploschansky, Mykola
Kawka, Zenon Brezden, Wolodymyr Kizyma, George Lewak,
Stephen Kohut, Leonid Shashlo, Petro Halnyj, Tanas Hayda,
Wolodymyr Dyhdalo, Michael Bohdanowych, Bohdan Charchenko,
Lubomyr Krupiak, Volodymyr Hnatiuk, and Christian Shalay.
Throughout the club's 50-year history, there have been
many dedicated men and women who contributed their time
and effort for the benefit of the club, among them the
parents and grandparents, who never refused their help
when it was needed for the various sports programs or
fundraising events. They deserve much praise and thanks,
and they can look towards a bright and confident future
with the Ukrainian Sport Club Chernyk because its past
has been so successful.
by Julianna Maziak
Copyright © 2005 Chernyk, Ukrainian Sport Club Detroit.
All Rights Reserved.
