March 6, 2022
By Samantha Mayer
Staff Writer
March 9 will mark the start of practices for LHS’ newest club: intramural girls flag football. Head Coach Tuero, who also mentors the football team, will be leading practices, which will take place after school two to three times a week on the football field. Students can participate even if they are members of another spring sport.
Tuero said he decided to organize this club after being approached by the New Jersey Interscholastic Conference. He said the club was made possible by a grant from the New York Jets, which donated uniforms and equipment sponsored by Nike.
“I absolutely anticipate success,” Tuero said. “Students should join because it’s an opportunity to be a part of history. This has never been done before.”
Tuero said that since only seven players are allowed on the field at once in flag football and because about 40 girls attended the interest meeting, there will also be a junior varsity team led by Tuero and Coach Kesack.
Kesack is a gym teacher at the middle school and coaches football and girls junior varsity basketball at LHS.
“[Assistant] Coach Kesack and I are super excited. With our passion and attention to detail, I cannot see anything but success with this program,” Tuero said.
“The purpose of this club is to give all young women the opportunity to prove themselves and gain confidence in their ability to compete with boys.”
Tuero said his winning strategy is to teach the fundamentals of the game and do the little things right. He said he would like to win, but that is not his only goal.
“The biggest benefit will be an opportunity to learn and play football for our girls at LHS,” Tuero said. “I hope that one day I will get to coach my daughters in flag football.”
On Feb. 1, senior Alessandra Alberti, Kesack and Tuero attended an event at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford to celebrate National Women’s Sports Day and the expansion of the flag football program to over 40 teams in New Jersey.
“[The Jets’ and Nike’s] goal is to ultimately empower women in a male-dominated sport. It’s just another step to providing women with equal opportunities to men,” Alberti said.
Alberti said she decided to join the club because she had a lot of fun participating in the powder puff game during Spirit Week in the fall and because she wants to represent LHS at a whole other level.
“I’m not the most athletic, but I do know the game and am really eager and determined to play,” Alberti said. “Joining this club is a great opportunity that not many schools have, and I think not only is it going to be competitive, but it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
She said she believes the club will be successful and go on to become a letter-granting varsity sport.
“We have two of the best coaches putting together a potentially winning team,” Alberti said. “I hope the program continues to grow, not only in LHS but in other schools too.”
Alberti said she looks forward to creating positive memories with her teammates before she graduates LHS. She said when she gets to college, she intends to join its intramural flag football team.
“Even though I’m graduating, I want to enjoy my last year at LHS and make some sort of impression. By spearheading the program, people will see how fun and successful it is,” Alberti said.
Freshman Kyla Marino said she is looking forward to meeting new people and learning more about the sport.
She said her friends inspired her to attend the interest meeting, and after that, she was sure she wanted to participate.
“The purpose of this club is to give all young women the opportunity to prove themselves and gain confidence in their ability to compete with boys,” Marino said.
She said LHS’ athletes will have to work hard to secure a top spot in the league.
“To be successful on the field, you should want to play and work hard,” Marino said.
Students who were unable to attend the interest meeting can still join the team by reaching out to Coach Tuero before March 7th.
