By Reza Murfi, Y 12
Jacobo Nonay, a 12th grader born and raised in Geneva, but a native Catalan, plays for Geneva’s American football team, the Geneva Seahawks. He has been playing for the U16 team for 3 seasons now, and this year the team was one game away from winning it all; they unfortunately lost 6-0 against the Basel Gladiators in the final.
We had the opportunity to interview him this week and ask him what it’s like being a football player.
What is your routine like on a regular basis playing for the Geneva Seahawks?
“We have training sessions 3 times a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Monday, we analyse all our errors, to see what we need to improve on. We have a team meeting, and after that, we do a bit of recovery cardio and stretching.
On Wednesday, we do mostly conditioning, physical training, and preparing our tactics.
Friday is a mix between Monday and Wednesday. We work a lot on our tactics but we also do a bit of physical activity, though not excessively, to prevent getting tired before our games on Sundays.”
How do you manage your time between school, sports and social life?
“I balance both my social life and sports pretty well, but at times I have to say no to my friends on a Friday, because I have to practice at night. Usually, we can go out before, or after practice though.
I try to do 90% of my work when I don’t have practice. So for example, on a Saturday, when we don’t have a game, I’ll do all my work for the whole week. But there are some days when the teacher gives us homework for the following day. Then, I just have to do it before or after practice.”
How did you feel after losing the final?
“It was sad, but we were also proud, because last season we lost all of our games, whereas this season we had won all of the others. That’s why we say we improved a lot. At the same time, however, when you win every game only to lose the final, it’s also kind of irritating. Ultimately, it is what it is.”
What have you learned since joining the Geneva Seahawks?
“I’ve learned how to deal with stress and how to balance my schedule. I think it’s made me more mature — when you get hit, you don’t stay on the floor crying, you get up and you play.
