Playing for mom

MacArthur hosts, wins inaugural Kim Klein Memorial Tournament

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The MacArthur girls basketball program hosted the first-ever Kim Klein Memorial Tournament in December. The four-team competition honored the memory of Kim Klein, a Generals supporter and a proud mother. Klein died from breast cancer last year after battling the disease four separate times.

Junior forward Erin Vaughan Ware spearheaded the tournament to honor her friend and teammate’s mom. After approaching principal Joseph Sheehan and head coach Dave Radtke, the idea took off.

“I’ve played sports with her since we were 4 years old,” Vaughan Ware said about Angeline Klein, also a junior on the team. “Mrs. Klein was always in the stands cheering us on through everything and when I realized we were not going to hear her voice again, I decided to do something so we could feel her spirit.”

Kim Klein, a Levittown mother, was always actively involved in her children’s education and athletics. She held a presidency position on the Levittown PTA board and was an honorary life award recipient. 

“Kim Klein was a fantastic lady,” Principal Joseph Sheehan said. “She was one of MacArthur’s biggest fans and she never gave off any type of negativity. She was a true warrior.”

The Lady Generals certainly carried Klein’s warrior spirit onto the court. In the opening round, MacArthur beat East Meadow, 62-38, while Uniondale topped Division, 46-34. In the championship game, the Lady Generals beat Uniondale, 49-39. At the end of the game, Angeline Klein was named tournament MVP and teammate Shannon Myles was named to the all-tournament team. By the end of the two-day competition, more than $1,000 was raised for the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund.

“Of course I am glad we won,” said Vaughan Ware, a Seaford native. “But I am thrilled this will be an annual event in Kim’s honor.”

Angeline Klein, who fought back emotions through the entire tournament, said she couldn’t have done it without her friends and teammates. “Whether we won or lost, I wouldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to play with in this tournament,” she said. “I love these girls like my own family.”

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