Lyndhurst, NJ - The director of any summer or fall circuit is required to wear many hats. Assembling a field of teams, obtaining a site and mapping out a schedule are just a few consideration prior to the first tip off. The director is the commissioner and often much more. Just part of signing up for the task.

Perrin Mosca, in charge of the Lyndhurst Girls League checks all those boxes, and more. Mosca restarted the league folllowing its hiatus of several seasons. He brought in ten teams, relatively balanced competitively for a two month schedule of two nights per week.

"The league has gone well, " Mosca said. We spoke for a few minutes following the 4 pm game, won by Montclair over Cliffside Park, and just before the 5 pm contest began. Time was at a premium because Mosca, once again, was officiating three games that night. Cancellations can be a director’s nightmare. Too many forfeits creates headaches and can also damage a league’s credibility. "We have been fortunate," he admitted. "Cancellations have been at a minimum. If we had a team cancel for not having enough kids, for the most part, they have given advance notice so we can make adjustments in the schedule."

With two courts running simultaneously officials are needed to cover both games at each time slot. "Mike Rizzo assigns our officials and does a great job," Mosca said. An official himself, Rizzo works games in the league each week as well.

Mosca, who teaches and is the boys coach at Lyndhurst. He coached the girls at the same school about a decade ago. He’s enjoyed success with both programs. Having coached both girls and boys, Mosca has noted differences, especially in a small school like Lyndhurst. "With both levels you teach fundamentals," he noted. "The boys you may not spend as much time on that part of teaching so you can get into putting more (offensive) sets in place. With the girls some of your team may have limited playing experience so you well spend more time teaching and instructing them in fundamentals."

As noted, summer ball can be relaxed compared to the demands of the regular season. The teams however, have approached the league in a serious manner. It is not uncommon to see a team meeting with their coach in the hallway outside the gym twenty minutes prior to their contest.

A few of the ten teams are in the same conference. For most, it is an opportunity to face schools from different leagues and counties. Teams sometimes play two games in a night. No complaint about ‘load management’. The league represents a great opportunity for teams to stay together, stay sharp and work on different things. For teams and individuals hoping to compete, there is no ‘off season’ . The same for coaches. Mosca can certainly attest to that.