Section XI remembers the life, legacy and messages of the late great Martin Luther King Jr. today and always.

Did you know the No. 5 ranked men’s singles tennis player in college tennis is from Section XI?

Northport native Cannon Kingsley, who plays at Ohio State, was also Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2020. Good luck this season, Cannon.

Here’s more on the sophomore:

• ITA Singles All-American (2020)
• ITA Rookie of the Year (2020)
• ITA Midwest Region Rookie of the Year (2020)
• Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2020)
• First Team All-Big Ten (2020)
• National Player of the Week (Feb. 11, 2020)
• Big Ten Player of the Week (Feb. 11, 2020)
• OSU Scholar-Athlete (2020)

Connetquot senior Angelica Polcini bowled a PERFECT 300 game vs William Floyd. Congratulations and great way to start the season!

It was great to see Lindenhurst native Jeremy Ruckert shine for Ohio State football this season.

Ruckert had an incredible one-handed catch down the middle in the first half against Alabama in the national championship.

He also had two touchdowns against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.

During his junior season he had 13 catches for 151 yards and 5 touchdowns.

“A ton of ups and downs this year but nothing can change the fact that the love this group has for each other is unmatched,” he wrote on Instagram after the loss to Alabama. “Will forever remember this year and this team.”

Thank you to all of our Section XI coaches.

Here’s a special thank you to winter sports coaches today.

Thank you for making a difference, for being there for your student-athletes, for being mentors and leaders and for making Section XI proud.

Great start to low and medium risk winter sports practices across Section XI.

Tag @SectXISuffolk on social media with your images from practice as things get going.

Stay safe, stay healthy and have fun!

With low and moderate risk winter sports beginning make sure you bookmark the SCHEDULES page on your browser to stay up to date on times, locations and opponents.

Section XI is very sad to hear about the passing of longtime East Islip coach Harold Cooley.

Cooley, 66, was the head bowling coach, as well as an assistant coach for baseball and football.

His bowling teams won 27 league titles, 13 county championships and three state titles and he had a record of 410-29-1.

The East Islip alum and resident was adored by generations of former student-athletes.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to: The Harold C. Cooley, Jr. Scholarship Fund, 12 First Avenue, East Islip, NY 11730.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has announced “The Student Experience” – a free student-centered course focused on the long-term benefits of education-based activities participation – as a new addition to the NFHS Learning Center.

“The last few years, we have had a lot of success delivering coursework and resources directly to students through the NFHS Learning Center to help them get the most out of their interscholastic experience,” said Dan Schuster, NFHS director of educational services. “By taking ‘The Student Experience,’ we want them to understand why participating in high school activities programs is so important to their future.”

In the past year, the NFHS Learning Center has released several resources within “The Parent Seat,” a collection of courses and videos that promote the true purpose of education-based athletics and performing arts to parents of participants. “The Student Experience” is the first course offering that conveys a similar message to students and highlights the inherent opportunities to learn and develop character traits while playing a sport, singing in the choir or performing in the school musical.

Another major component of the course helps students understand the connection between participation and greater academic achievement. While some students may not recognize the link between activities programs and success in the classroom, they may find it advantageous in securing opportunities to receive a college education, as well as financial assistance through scholarships.

Finally, the course discusses the community affiliation that is established when a student belongs to a school team, performing arts group or club. Being a part of a school-based program can provide students with a sense of identity and allows them to find common bonds with teammates and fellow students as a representative of something bigger than themselves.

“Moving forward, this will be the core course for students at the NFHS Learning Center,” Schuster said. “We hope students from all across the country will complete this course and gain a better understanding of all the advantages they receive from participating in school programs.”

Schuster plans to follow “The Student Experience” with additional student-focused resources on the NFHS Learning Center, with the ultimate goal of creating an NFHS National Student Credential that can be obtained by completing multiple courses.

For more information on “The Student Experience” course, please visit: https://nfhslearn.com/courses/the-student-experience.