Happy Summer!
March of this year marked the Silver Anniversary (25 years) since Juergen “Jerry” Bayer and Melissa “Missy” Cossidente started their journey as League Operators for the APA of Suffolk New York League. Back in 1996 when they took over the League, Jerry and Missy began with about 20 some-odd teams. With their amazing talent, unrelenting drive, and immeasurable dedication, they have managed to expand to over 220 teams. This is such an outstanding achievement, certainly, one that didn’t come without its share of sacrifices, hard work, very long days and nights, and sometimes even sweat and tears.
Through it all, this dynamic father-daughter duo found ways to not only listen to and focus on their current membership but also to continually recruit new members and Host Locations to grow their business. Jerry and Missy have provided us with countless events to learn from and enjoy our shared pastime (if we were wise enough to jump on them) whilst forming and building relationships that are sure to last a lifetime.
We, as APA of Suffolk NY members, have been so lucky to have them and the plethora of tournaments and fundraisers to participate in (many honoring cherished members of our League). Thanks to Missy consistently going above and beyond for the sake of our extended APA family, we’ve had opportunities to contribute donations and our time towards incredibly successful drives to help our soldiers, local food pantries, pets, families in need – you name it. We are so blessed and grateful.
While nobody is happy about the fact that the Coronavirus has invaded our lives, it pleases me that it has given many of us a chance to pause, contemplate, and in certain cases, reevaluate some of our priorities. And, when we perhaps haven’t been putting ourselves at or near the top of the list, permitting ourselves to do so without hesitation or reservation.
In his free time, Jerry enjoys spending time with his wife, Carol, and their family. He loves restoring old cars, gardening, and going fishing with his family and friends. As a proud navy veteran, Jerry is no stranger to service. Thank you for your service, sir. We appreciate you and the great advice you dispense when it comes to not only pool, but also life in general.
Missy loves family time with her husband, Stephen, and their two sons, Matthew and Christopher, who adore her and her cooking prowess. The way to a man’s heart…😊 She has found herself baking quite a bit too during this pandemic. Yum!
She has not only kept her membership engaged by hosting Virtual Bingo game nights (with fabulous prizes!), Missy’s also been organizing hiking, biking, and kayaking outings, as well as motivating us to join her in virtual physical activities like the Manhattan to Montauk (180 miles) and the epic 700-mile Bend to Whistler Challenge in the Pacific Northwest. You are beyond inspiring, Missy.
Thank you for all that you do. Cheers to 25 Years!
- Submitted by Viv McNamee, APA of Suffolk NY member