Velocity Track Club at the 2C2W Track & Field Fiesta. Courtesy Velocity
Courtesy Velocity
Bronx student nominated for USA Football Award
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, N BTR OV. 26-DEC. 2,2021 41
BY WINSTON DINKINS
On Sunday, Nov. 21, Velocity
competed in the 2C2W
Track & Field Fiesta Youth
Meet at the Ocean Breeze Recreation
Facility in Staten Island.
This was our fi rst meet
with normal restrictions and
the fi rst meet to start our indoor
season. Finally, all athletes,
coaches and spectators
were all allowed in the
facility together with proof
on vaccination for coach and
spectators. Many of the top
team throughout New York
were in attendance, plus a
team travel from Virginia
to participate. The following
events were contested: 55m
hurdles, 800 meters, 4×200
meter relay, 400 meters, 55
meters dash, 200 meters,
4×400 meter relay, long jump,
high jump, shot put and triple
jump. Medals were awarded
to the top 5 athletes in each
age division / event.
We had 32 athletes compete
and 20 athletes earned
a medal, with some earning
two. Velocity won 29 medals
(7 gold, 5 silver, 7 bronze, 6 –
fourth place, & 4 – fi fth place
medals). The following athletes’
medal: in the 8 & under
age division: Rayne, Serenity,
Madison, Karly, Xoan (2) &
Jahsai (2). 9/10 age division:
Cameron (2 gold), Lyon (2),
Romel (2), Justyce (2) & Madison
S. 11/12 age division: Brianna,
Adeyemi (2). 13/14 age
division: Candice, Saniah,
Talia (2), Dakota, Pierce &
Steven (2 gold). 15/16 age division:
Kenia. Awesome job to
all that competed!!!
Our next meet will be on
Saturday, November 27th, the
Foot Locker Northeast XC
Championship at Van Cortlandt
Park and the Metro
Eagles Indoor Meet at the Armory
in Fort Washington,
NY. Come out to see your future
Olympians!
Velocity Track Club New
York is a 501C3 non-for profi t.
100% of your donation will
go towards helping our children.
Support your youth, so
theycan continue to do wonderful
things! For additional
information, please go to our
web site Velocitytrack.org
or contact me, Coach Winston
Dinkins at 914-441-6196
or email me WATCLT@AOL.
COM.
Velocity competes in
Fiesta Youth Meet
BY JASON COHEN
While he has only been
playing football fi ve years,
Riverdale Country School senior
Grant Schwartz, was recently
recognized for his excellence
on the gridiron.
In October, Schwartz was
named a fi nalist for USA
Football’s Heart of a Giant
Award presented by Hospital
for Special Surgery and the
New York Giants. Schwartz
and other students from the
tri-state area, were chosen by
their coaches for their commitment,
teamwork, will,
character and dedication.
Overall, there were six
weekly fi nalists and fi ve wild
card fi nalists, and each received
$1,000 for their high
school’s football program.
“In all my years in football,
both playing and coaching,
Grant is by far the most
selfl ess player I have ever encountered,”
said his Coach
Brendan Connolly who nominated
him for the award.
“He’s more than just having
another coach on the fi eld,
he possesses the character
that you wish every kid, both
in and out of the game would
have. The world would be a
much better place if everyone
had Grant’s mentality.
“Grant is undersized for
the trenches to say the least.
He’s 6’4, but only 170 pounds.
He volunteered to play center
because we needed one
and he was willing to change
positions and put the team’s
need fi rst. He works his tail
off on his technique and never
complains about size disparities
or that he isn’t allowed to
catch the ball anymore.”
Schwartz spoke with the
Bronx Times about football
and winning the award. Born
and raised in Manhattan, he
was never really into sports
when he was younger. He was
a chubby kid and preferred
computers and programming.
However, everything changed
in eighth grade when a coach
asked him to try out for the
team. Football had never
crossed his mind, previously.
“I was a little hesitant, but
the coach insisted I come,” he
said. “It was very different. I
was gassed by the end of practice.
I hadn’t really run like
that in a long time.”
Not having much knowledge
about the game, he always
listened to his coach.
While Schwartz was full of
butterfl ies, he quickly saw the
brotherhood the players have
on the fi eld and wanted to be
part of it. The speed and physicality
of the game was eyeopening,
but he was hooked.
From that point on, his life
changed.
“Emotionally I felt they
fulfi lled a part of something
that was larger than myself,”
he said. “As a younger kid I
wasn’t particularly confi dent.
I didn’t feel a part of something.”
Schwartz knew he was bigger
than most kids, but now
it was time to get in shape.
He hit the weight room and
worked out non-stop. He described
the conditioning aspect
of athletic competition as
a “rude awakening” and was
shocked to see that some kids
were stronger than him. Assigned
to play offensive line,
his goal was to hit the defenders
hard, keep them away
from his quarterback and
create holes for the running
back.
“Coach took a lot of time
out of practice to work with
me individually,” he said.
Knowing many people had
several more years of experience
than him, Schwartz had
to work twice as hard. So, he
spent many hours watching
fi lm and learning the X’s and
O’s of the game.
By sophomore year, he felt
confi dent and helped lead the
team to a one loss season and
the New York State Association
of Independent Schools
(NYSAIS) semifi nals.
“No one on our team is going
to play college or the NFL,
but what it really means is
building a great family,” he
said.
While the pandemic
canceled the 2020 season,
Schwartz was named a captain
this year. He has come a
long way from not knowing
anything about the gridiron.
In refl ecting on the Heart
of a Giant Award, Schwartz
said he is quite humbled and
thanked Connolly for nominating
him.
“It’s a huge honor,” he said.
“This is a great way to fi nish
off my high school career.
I’m just proud of how far I’ve
come.”
Grant Schwartz, a senior at Riverdale Country School, was nominated for
USA Football’s Heart of a Giant Award presented by Hospital for Special
Surgery and the New York Giants. Photos courtesy Grant Schwartz
/Velocitytrack.org
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/Velocitytrack.org
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