Ken Flaxman

by Will McQuillan

The Chestnut Hill Youth Sports Club (CHYSC) has a new president. Kenneth Flaxman, a Philadelphia School District teacher and 17-year resident of Chestnut Hill, took the position early this summer after a decade with the organization.

He takes the place of Dennis Primavera who helmed the club for 20 years.

Flaxman, who previously served as a coach, travel soccer commissioner, and CHYSC board member, sees similarities between his work with the club and his job as a teacher.

“I have always enjoyed working with children, and I believe in the power of education to improve people’s lives. My career definitely connects with my work with the CHYSC. I started as a coach, and a good teacher and good coach both have to deliver instruction in ways that grab the child’s attention,” he said.

Now, Flaxman wants to expand CHYSC’s sports offerings, update its facilities at the Water Tower Recreation Center and improve turnout for the girls’ travel basketball program. The club is also working to streamline its registration, uniform ordering and parent-notification process.

“The CHYSC is a rarity among sports organizations in this day and age. We are local and multi-sport, with intramural and travel options,” said Flaxman. “We rely on our volunteers, which helps to keep our prices inexpensive. I feel that my involvement in almost all of the sports we offer, intramural and travel, gives me a unique perspective on what’s good for the club, as opposed to what is good for a particular sport.”

As a parent, Flaxman says he knows how important youth sports can be in creating a bond between parents and children, and a larger community.

“Coaching started out as a way to be involved in my children’s lives, but now that I have been in the organization for so long it is a joy to see kids from the area grow from first-time players to athletes who set and meet their goals. I am happy to be part of that for my own children and for other kids in Chestnut Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods. I think for the most part my own kids appreciate that I am involved, although I still get yelled at by them for cheering too loudly on the sidelines.”

Will McQuillan is a Local intern.