LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION congratulating the Farmingdale State Men's
Basketball Team and Coach Erik Smiles upon the occasion of their
outstanding season and overall team record

WHEREAS, Excellence and success in competitive sports can be achieved
only through strenuous practice, team play and team spirit, nurtured by
dedicated coaching and strategic planning; and
WHEREAS, Athletic competition enhances the moral and physical develop-
ment of the young people of this State, preparing them for the future by
instilling in them the value of teamwork, encouraging a standard of
healthy living, imparting a desire for success and developing a sense of
fair play and competition; and
WHEREAS, The Farmingdale State Men's Basketball Team finished with an
overall record of 27-4, its best in school history; the Rams won a
school record 20 straight games during the season and advanced to the
Skyline Conference Championship and received an at-large bid to the NCAA
tournament; and
WHEREAS, In the NCAA championships, Farmingdale State Men's Basketball
Team defeated the University of New England, MIT, and then Bridgewater
State (Mass) in the Round of 16; and
WHEREAS, Head Coach Erik Smiles was named Skyline Conference Coach of
the Year, and his team this year had one of the finest seasons ever by
any college basketball team from Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk) on any
level; and
WHEREAS, The athletic talent displayed by this team is due in great
part to the efforts of Coach Erik Smiles and his team of outstanding
assistant coaches, skilled and inspirational tutors, respected for their
ability to develop potential into excellence; and
WHEREAS, The team's overall record of 27-4 is outstanding, and the
team members were loyally and enthusiastically supported by family,
fans, friends and the community at large; and
WHEREAS, The hallmarks of the Farmingdale State Men's Basketball Team,
from the opening game of the season to participation in the Champion-
ship, were a brotherhood of athletic ability, of good sportsmanship, of
honor and of scholarship, demonstrating that these team players are
second to none; and
WHEREAS, Athletically and academically, the team members have proven
themselves to be an unbeatable combination of talents, reflecting favor-
ably on their school; and
WHEREAS, Coach Erik Smiles and his dedicated staff have done a superb
job in guiding, molding and inspiring the team members toward their
goals; and
WHEREAS, Sports competition instills the values of teamwork, pride and
accomplishment, and Coach Erik Smiles and these outstanding athletes
have clearly made a contribution to the spirit of excellence which is a
tradition of their school; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate the Farmingdale State Men's Basketball Team; its members:
Damien Santana, Brendan Lee Yaw, John Riley, Joe Cammarata, James Ocki-
mey, Keith Moss, Terrence Howard, Daniel Phillips, Erastus Shannon,
Davon Jackson, Mike Campbell, John Gener, Jr., Torrance McGill, and
Nikita Davis, and Assistant Coaches Jim Bebry, Burt Arthur, Eric Blinder
and Coach Erik Smiles on their outstanding season and overall team
record; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Farmingdale State Men's Basketball Team and to Coach Erik
Smiles.