Flaxy Morgan lead singer Nina Sapiego belts out another number to the delight of the athletes of the Victory Sports League players at the Mohegan Sun ballroom on Thursday evening.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Outgoing President Fred DeSanto, left, announced the Stephen Jones Kindness Award to April Cross, far left, presented by Stephen’s mother Lynn Jones, a Victory Sports Board of Trustee member at the Victory Sports Spring Fling banquet held at the Mohegan Sun Casino ballroom on Thursday, April 16.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Incoming Victory Sports President Anna Gallo stands along side outgoing president and founder, Fred DeSanto.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PLAINS TWP. — Victory Sports League held a Spring Fling Banquet to kick off the 2026 season at the Mohegan Pennsylvania ballroom on Thursday, April 17.
Fred DeSanto, 76, who created the league in 2011, announced at the banquet he is stepping down as president handing over the baton to Anna Gallo, who serves as president of Wilkes-Barre UNICO.
“I’m extremely proud of starting Victory Sports and organizing it, it’s really special to me all these years,” DeSanto said. “I’m still going to be around serving as second vice president and I love playing shortstop at the softball games.”
DeSanto said 67 athletes of the league was present at the banquet.
Victory Sports athletes have the opportunity to play softball, basketball, and cycling each year.
“I have all these sports lined up by design,” DeSanto explained. “If someone wants to play basketball and not softball, they can. If they are not sports minded, they can just come to the dances and other events we hold.”
Victory Sports holds Family Day, a day or two at Montage Water Park and many dances throughout the year such as a Halloween dance and a Christmas Dance.
Anna Gallo has big plans as she takes over the top spot at Victory Sports.
“I want to grow Victory Sports in other counties, and then work simultaneously with other UNICO Chapters, and incorporate different things that we do with victory sports, and add more members from other counties.” Gallo said, adding her presidency at UNICO is over at the end of July of this year.
Gallo knows she has big shoes to fill with DeSanto’s departure from the presidency.
“Fred is just… very loving. He puts his emotions out on his sleeves, and he’s very open, and it’s something really cool to see, because he doesn’t have children.”
She said she is looking forward to working with the athletes and their families in the future.
“Being able to be a part of it and really just seeing the people in the community and their smiles on their faces, that’s something that I just, I can’t help but want to make it (Victory Sports) bigger.”
