Each summer, a select group of High-school student-athletes are offered an opportunity to participate in our Athletic Advantage program on a scholarship. The students are asked to fill out the 2007 Athletic Advantage Scholarship Application and provide us with the their athletic “resume.” Many of these students excel not only on the field, but in the classroom, earning honors and awards athletically and academically. Most importantly, they had clear goals and achievements for this summer at FI and beyond, and what they hoped that AAT would help them accomplish. The winners will receive the Athletic Advantage program for the entire summer and a three-month membership to Fitness Incentive. The runners-up will receive half-scholarships towards AAT and a 6-week membership to FI. As was the case last year, the applications were so impressive that numerous other prizes were awarded.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, the Athletic Advantage training program is designed to help athletes develop their coordination skills, increase strength and overall speed, and improve footwork, while decreasing the risk of injury. The participating athletes are assessed at the beginning of the program and every eight weeks thereafter.
The 2007 winners are…
Jackie Morley will be entering the 11th grade this coming September at West Islip High School, and returns to FI this summer, winning the AAT Scholarship for the second time. An honors student, Jackie is a starter on the WI Varsity Soccer Team, in addition to numerous regional and club teams including the Sachem Blazers, and also participates in Track and Basketball at WI. Jackie says, “Last year's program helped me reach my goal of becoming a key contributor on each of my three Varsity Teams. I would like to contribute more, especially on the offensive side, for my teams, help them advance even further in the playoffs next year and earn league or county recognition for my playing.”
Douglas Poetzsch is entering his junior year at St. Anthony's High School. A resident of West Islip, his many years of participating in Basketball and Track through clubs and school have brought him to the Varsity level at St. Anthony's, where he was the only J.V. player moved up this past year. A member of the National Honor Society and hard-working student, Douglas looks to the AAT program for both his short- and long-term goals. He hopes this summer will help him “secure a starting guard position on St. Anthony's Varsity Basketball Team” and in the future, looks to play for “an academically challenging college or university” in Division I Basketball.
Robert Thompson will be in 10th grade this fall at West Babylon High School, where he participates on the JV Soccer team and Winter Track. He also plays on several soccer teams including the Long Island Junior Soccer League Select/ODP team and the West Babylon Cyclones Travel Soccer Team, where he recently served as captain, helping his team to the Division Championship in fall of 2006. Robert is a trainer at a local Soccer club where he works with 4-8 year old children. He looks to this summer to secure his spot on the Varsity Soccer team at WBHS, and wants to “boost [his] overall level of fitness for both [his] roles as a soccer player and a trainer.” He looks at the opportunity for off-season training to not only take care of his body and give him a physical edge, but to help him do his best work with younger players.
And the runners-up…
Lauren Zambelli served as the captain of her Varsity Soccer Team at Deer Park High School as well as numerous local and regional teams, including the Long Island Jr. Select ODP Soccer team from 2003-06 where she also served as captain. Playing soccer since the age of 7, she has been recruited to Binghamton University's soccer team, and wishes to get “to the next level of fitness” this summer.
Kerrigan Coyle participated in soccer, wrestling and lacrosse at West Babylon Junior High School as well as playing for the Sytherines, a travel soccer team. As he enters high school in the fall, he looks to AAT to help him become a “stronger, smarter overall athlete” and is eager and willing to work hard to do it.
Conor Fitzgerald will be playing football for Merrimack College this fall as he begins studying secondary education. He was the captain of the Varsity Football team at St. John the Baptist High School, where he also participated in Winter and Spring Track. This past January, he participated at the Nike Indoor Nationals Pentathlon where he finished 16th in the nation.
Be sure to check out Fit to Print for future updates on our winners! Like last years winners, I’m sure they’ll make us all proud!