I’m a part of Flag Star because… Football is Family.
What’s the most important value to share with/teach the kids: Teamwork and cooperation. It’s a fundamental part of everyday life, and through flag football, something everybody can enjoy and easily jump into, kids can naturally and instinctively ease into learning how to work with others and succeed as a group. All while playing the sport they love and having fun.
Favorite intro/pump-up song: In The Air Tonight, Phil Collins. Every beat in that song builds towards a single moment, and when that drum break hits, nothing can stop you. You’re invincible. Nothing is out of your reach, and anything is possible.
Favorite Sports Movie: Draft Day with Kevin Costner. Only because the Giants aren’t so hot and we’re usually near the top of the draft.
Who was your childhood sports hero: Eli Manning. He WAS my childhood. My earliest remember of football is watching Mario Manningham’s tiptoe catch of Eli’s beautiful dime. Hopefully Danny Dimes can keep it up for the Giants fans of the next generation.
Who was your favorite youth coach and what did he/she teach you: Coach Cason. He was the first coach I ever had in flag football, and I was with him for six seasons. We had two hour long practices, and I kid you not, they were more difficult than when I played high school football. We ran laps when we fumbled in drills, we did push ups when we dropped passes, and the absolute worst were the dreaded, notorious, six inches. Keep in mind we were 4th graders. Maybe it’s just nostalgia, and maybe I’m crazy, but Coach Cason and his tough love were key in my transition into the new environment, and the new way of life, that my move to Virginia from Manhattan brought.
Who’s the best friend you made through sports: Christopher Joe, current varsity quarterback for Potomac High School and a hilarious dude. I was the role-player center to his superstar quarterback for four seasons of flag throughout middle school, and although we’ve went our separate ways in high school, we’re still good friends.
What’s your most cringe-worthy sports moment / biggest failure:
So, although I’ve enjoyed some success (and had a lot more fun) in the world of flag football, my efforts in tackle football have been... less fruitful. Some close friends and I spent all of middle school hyping ourselves up for when we finally would be able to play for our high school, and when the freshman football season finally rolled around, we felt that we could take on the whole world. We couldn’t. We didn’t win the first game. Or the second. Or a single game over our eight game season. But it didn’t matter. We went out there and fought hard in each and every one of them. Winning wasn’t why we were there, it was the game of football itself that brought us together, and ultimately, it brought us closer as friends.
What are your off-field interests/hobbies: Model United Nations. It’s all about having your research done and applying it to the real world, all while working alongside a diverse group of delegates and bringing together the ideas of the team. Through Model United Nations, I’m able to better understand how to bring together the ideas of the group and apply solutions that are applicable to everyone. It’s also a great way to learn new and unique perspectives on prevalent topics, all while making friends in the process.
What’s your favorite quote: "I don't think in the past. I don't think in the future. You grasp the moment." ~ Eli Manning.