Bragging rights and a trophy were up for grabs at the third annual “Battle of the Badges” between the NYPD and FDNY volleyball teams at Maspeth High School in Elmhurst on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Tickets to the friendly championship game between New York’s finest and bravest were $10, and visitors had the chance to win raffle prizes, which included gift cards and baskets. This year’s match, themed “Fidelity to Duty,” honored the heroes who lost their lives in the line of duty throughout the years, and portions of the proceeds went to the Police Benevolent Association and the FDNY Widows and Children’s Fund Inc.
Before the game began, FDNY volleyball coach Jerry Mattacota emphasized that the tournament was about fostering the relationship with the community, boosting the morale of the NYPD and FDNY, and promoting camaraderie and support between the two departments. Mattacota, a Hall of Famer with the American Volleyball Coaches Association, also touched on the recent brouhaha surrounding the NYPD Dance Team after people questioned whether city funds were used to subsidize the dance group after a video of them went viral He explained that the dance team, which doesn’t receive taxpayer funds and comes together off duty, was scheduled to perform but had to cancel because of illness.
“These are the things that are not known by the people that put this stuff out there about, ‘Oh, why aren’t they fighting crime?’ There’s more to fighting crime than arresting people,” Mattacota said. “It has to do with community work and help where people see us as human beings. Firemen [and] policemen are part of the community. They play ball, they have wives, they have kids, you know, that’s what’s important here, the morale. This community is very pro-police, very pro-fire, contrary to what, unfortunately, is on the internet a lot.”
Mattacota said his team went in as the “underdogs.”
“That’s okay, that’s where we want to be,” Mattocata said.
NYPD officer Malcolm Brisset-Ortiz, president of the NYPD volleyball team, told QNS that volleyball was a way to have fun for the police officers and firefighters and to break up the daily routine
“We’re doing [the] event mostly for mental health for both teams, for firefighters and our police officers,” Brisset-Ortiz explained.
The NYPD team has taken home the coveted trophy twice in the past two years and Brisset-Ortiz explained that the team switched up the routine a bit this year to win for a third time in a row.
“Actually, we got a coach, and we practiced a little different,” Brisset-Ortiz said. “So we’ve been practicing more, and I also got more members to join. I have a roster of 20 members.”
After the presentation of the colors by the NYPD Color Guard and a rendition of the National Anthem, it was time for the teams to show off their serving and dump skills in the best-of-five volleyball game.
The first set went to the NYPD 25-16; the FDNY won the 2nd set 25-22; the NYPD claimed the 3rd set with 25-16 points. It was down to the wire for the FDNY in the fourth set, and despite a spirited effort by the guys in red, the NYPD won 26-24, winning bragging rights and the trophy for a third year in a row.
Mattacota said it all came down to the NYPD’s athleticism versus the FDNY’s structure.
“In the end, it was a close game,” Mattacota said. “Sometimes structure wins, sometimes athletic talent.”
Brisset-Ortiz said it was “amazing” that his team won the match against the FDNY for the third time.
“It was a great battle. As you could see, it was a tough match. We gave it our all, and we took the trophy home,” Brisset-Ortiz proudly declared.
FDNY Volleyball team captain David Hayes gave credit to the NYPD because “they got some good players,” and admitted that the FDNY team has to improve their passing.
“I thought we ran the offense well when we passed well, but the passing has gotta improve,” Hayes said. “But we’re practicing on Wednesday. And that’s what we’re gonna practice. This year, we really had a lot of injuries. Maybe that’s the thing we can improve on is not being hurt. Stringing six people together has been tough.”
Melissa, who didn’t want to provide her last name, attended the game to cheer on her fiancee, who played on team NYPD.
“It’s a great idea, it’s a great fundraiser. A lot of people come out to support both sides,” Melissa said. “So it was nice to see a friendly competition.”
FDNY Lieutenant Jimmy Condit, who cheered on his team from the sidelines, said it was a tough loss.
“[The FDNY team] works hard, they play hard, they practice hard,” Condit said. “The NYPD has so many more people to pick from. They just have a bigger pool of applicants, and we are a smaller department compared to them. Hopefully, next year, we’ll see them again, and we’ll do better.”
