The NR Football Team is Ready to Impress!

First up, Derick Estevez (‘23)! Linebacker, Jersey #5

Derick started playing at a young age because his big brother played and he always loved going to his games. He would get tired of just playing backyard football so he finally put the pads on. 

Estevez said, “Before the suffern game, it was tough. I felt they could’ve had more support, but after the Suffern win, the school really showed out and because of this the school and the team has found new momentum.”

For players to put themselves out on the field takes a lot of confidence, so some encouragement from all of us could go a long way for them. One strategy that the team is continuously working on is to just "focus." They’re all aware of the talent on the team and it’s their job to turn their potential into wins. And that’s what happened Friday night.

Since football is a classic sport which has been around for years, there’s been a ton of stereotypes portrayed on TV shows. These all created stigma around the players being “dumb” but Estevez challenges this opinion.  

“Trust me, the playbook and the film we need to watch requires us to be very intelligent and put in the time. The mental preparation for a game is just as important as the physical aspect," Estevez explains.

Before a game you can catch Estevez with his headphones blasting, listening to music. He also makes sure to eat something healthy to keep up his stamina.

Next in our interview, Gamie Sauveur (‘24)! Running Back, Jersey #2

Gamie said he started playing football because it kept him off the streets and out of trouble. His goal now is to pursue football at a professional level. So watch out for his name in the future! 

He feels like NRHS supports the football team, but only to an extent. Sauver said, "The more we win, the more support we get, the more we lose, the less support we get." That unfortunately is the case with many competitive sport.

But people also have to understand that this can really affect players' minds and their motivation. According to Sauveur, the players' main focus for the year is “coming together as a team when times get tough, and uplifting and holding each other accountable." Sauveur’s method of mental preparation is reviewing his plays and assignments and listening to music. 

One of the team's goals is potentially making the playoffs. And I’m sure that everyone in NR is rooting for all of them! 

Last, but not least, Brian Dong ('23)! Wider Receiver, Jersey #10

Brian Dong reminisces that he started playing the sport because of friends and it eventually became a way for him to forget about life's problems. It became his outlet for any difficult times.

Like with other sports, playing football helps to get people’s minds grounded.  Brian hopes the team will receive even more support from fans this season.  "The student section on Friday night's game against Suffern, is exactly what they needed!" Dong said.

Brian and the players are concentrating their efforts on “being a team more than being individuals." And they are succeeding at this! It's evident now that they’re only focusing on building a culture that will "carry on long after we graduate." 

For a player to get his head in the game (minor High School Musical pun, I know it's a different sport!), there's all sorts of methods. For Brian he watches "film" on the opposing team's games. And like any preparation to relax nerves, one must get a good night's rest to be ready for what's in store for them!