In the Wake of 9/11, Samuel Field Y Remembers One of Its Own

Robert Speisman loved basketball. Growing up in Deepdale, he was a fixture on courts around town, and a longtime member of the .

So when Speisman died on Sept. 11 after his plane crashed into the Pentagon, it quickly became clear how best to honor his memory. 

The Robert Speisman Memorial League at the Samuel Field Y offers neighborhood kids grades 7 through 12 the opportunity to play basketball - or, as it's called among members, "Speisball" - regardless of financial circumstance or skill level. Team uniforms are emblazoned with the logo of Speisman's favorite band, the Grateful Dead.  

"The Y really is the everybody place," said Nancy Amalfitano, the Y's physical education and recreation director. "It's really important that everyone can participate."

Though the ten year anniversary of Sept. 11 has come and gone, the Y wanted to wait to remember Speisman until the commotion of the day itself had dissipated.

So on Oct. 31 at 12 p.m., Samuel Field Y members, visitors and staff will dedicate an American flag in Speisman's memory. The dedication will take place in the Y's Tel Aviv Room, and will be accompanied by a moment of silence. 

The flag will then be hung in the Y's gym, and will be officially unveiled during the first "Speisball" game of the season on Nov. 9. at 6:15 p.m.

Members of the community are invited and encouraged to attend both the dedication and the unveiling. 

"This was his home turf," Amalfitano said. ""We wanted to do something significant."