Trenton’s CYO gym gets sparkling new bleachers after 60 years

Although the CYO Center has gained a facelift, the nostalgic appeal of the gym remains as witnessed by the parish banners adorning the wall. Rich Fisher photo

After 60 years, the Mercer County CYO Center in Trenton has gotten a needed facelift.

When the 72nd season of basketball got underway Nov. 9 at the CYO’s John “Mincey” Manczak Memorial Gymnasium, sparkling new bleachers adorned both sides of the gym. Gone were the traditional brown wooden bleachers that looked to be straight out of the movie “Hoosiers.” In their place are red and white plastic composite stands that spell CYO when they are pulled out, and also provide a more comfortable spectating experience.

The sign along the baseline says it all as the Mercer County CYO and its gym have been a Mercer County fixture for over half a century. Rich Fisher photo

“The old bleachers served us very well for many years,” CYO executive director Tom Mladenetz said. “Our founder, [the late] Msgr. [Leonard] Toomey, said at the time that the bleachers they bought were the Cadillacs of their time.”

But even luxury vehicles can only go so far. After a six-decade run, the bleachers no longer met the safety code and were requiring frequent costly maintenance. So, Mladenetz and his volunteers went to work.

“We began planning this about a year ago,” he said. “We reached out to the community, individuals, businesses; and we got some foundation grants.”

The project cost roughly $155,000, and so far, the CYO has received $90,000 in donations with several grant applications pending. Donors are honored with a plaque on the wall at the nearest baseline to the gym entrance.

CYO gymnasium is proudly named after Hall of Fame league official John “Mincey” Manczak. Rich Fisher photo

To provide further funding while also giving CYO supporters and alumni a chance to display a piece of nostalgia in their home or office, the league is selling small sections of the old bleachers for $50. The souvenir boards can be ordered and paid for online at https://cyomercer.org/gympicsTCS.htm, or purchased in person at the CYO office from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or at weekend basketball games from noon to 5 p.m.

When asked what the outpouring of generosity meant, Mladenetz said, “We’ve been around, people respect our longevity. They like the fact this is a unique league with the Catholic connection. I think people want that to continue and the support was pretty evident that they’ll give us what we need to help carry on this tradition today.”

The stands were installed by Pennsylvania’s Dengler-Whiting and Mladenetz noted that one of the men on the crew noticed the original bleachers were built by the company his dad worked for.

Mercer CYO recognized the generosity of donors with a plaque on the wall. Rich Fisher photo

“He was all excited,” the executive director said. “That family has been doing this for a long time.”

The bleachers give the gym a fresh new look but, at the same time, the arena still looks the same as it always has, and will still invoke memories when former players and coaches walk through the door. Banners of all the parishes hang on both walls, along with the banner honoring the gym’s namesake.

“I played here as a kid and I know so many other people who also did,” Mladenetz said. “There’s a lot of grandparents that come to watch and they say, ‘This is such a great gym, I love it here.’ Seeing the Mincey Manczak memorial sign up there is great. He was a legend. This is still a key part of the CYO basketball league and its tradition.”