SSF ATHLETES
Athletes that train with the sustainable sport foundation become A part of the ssf family, forever.
CONNECT WITH US TO LEaRN MORE ABOUT JOINING THE SSF FAMILY.
CONNECT WITH US to learn more about coaching + mentoring ssf athletes.
read about the athletes WHO TRAINED with the ssf during their youth, HAVE grown into RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITY, and continue to develop as LEADERS IN society.
A.J.
“ Training with Kevin made me more compassionate. Knowing how much work goes into being good at one's craft gave me the perspective to respect everyone on the field more.
A lesson I learned while being under coach kevin’s supervision is to always express yourself. I still believe in this as I begin a new journey of my career as a designer.. maybe even more now. ”
I believe in anything Kevin sets his mind to. The sustainable sport foundation will bring athletes together to express their ideas, their personalities and their skills in a space that is very safe and inclusive. I am confident this will lead to many positive experiences and strong bonds formed over many lives. “
A.J.’S BACKGROUND:
BORN IN JAMAICA, AJ MOVED TO NANTUCKET at a young age. he learned to play soccer through video games, and then self motivated to advance his skills on the field in training at middle + High school. aj played college soccer at mount ida, becoming captain, a deans list athlete, team mvp, and defender of the year.
AJ excelled in visual art studies and after graduating became a freelance web developer & designer in providence, rhode island where he applies what he learned on the field to both his creative work and his business development.
A.J.’s ADVICE TO CURRENT YOUTH ATHLETES:
“ Take your opportunities when they come and always use moments of defeat as a learning experience. ”
HOW TRAINING EFFECTED AJ:
“ I noticed my physical attributes changed. Such as stamina, balance and control. Which came with practice and determination.
I am forever grateful for the growth of my attributes and none more so than the ability to believe in my abilities. This allowed me to play with a more relaxed mindset, which in turn makes the game more enjoyable.
The training sessions were a great place to learn from others about their journey into the collegiate level. I learned about what to expect. My first year of playing in college was ripe with moments that showed my inexperience. I came home considering not playing because it demanded so much and seemingly only gets more difficult. That following summer I trained again with kevin, Focusing on what I needed help on. i was then able to make a major impact on the team when i returned to the team. ”
RENEE’S ADVICE TO CURRENT YOUTH ATHLETES:
“ Put in the time. If you want to go to the next level, athletically or eventually professionally. you have to be dedicated. It won’t be handed to you. and always remember that being a ‘student’ never stops. If it were easy, everyone would make it to the next level. the difference is the time you want to put in, both mentally and physically. And, whether it is your first year or your last… always stay coachable. ”
RENEE
“ There were no gender barriers training with Kevin, which is something that throughout sports, female athletes often experience. He would call me up and say ‘Are you in tomorrow?’ and I would show up and some of the best players on the men’s side would be there to shoot on me and there were no questions from them, there were no ‘She’s not good enough’. he taught equality really well.
Mindset was also a huge thing that he taught me. Goalkeeping is all mental. Like a pitcher in baseball, if you aren’t in the right headspace when you step on the field, or have any doubt, you won’t perform well. It was as much mental training as it was physical. ”
RENEE’s BACKGROUND:
born and raised on nantucket island, renee was a dual sport high school & college student athlete excelling in girl’s ice hockey and soccer in addition to her academics.
After graduating with a dual degree in marketing and environmental sustainability, renee’s entrePreneurial drive guided her to launch a highly successful digital marketing agency in 2020 which helps small businesses grow their reach.
BENNY
“ When I was going through the college recruitment process, Kevin was a resource I used to help market myself to coaches.
He gave me an idea of what I needed to send to coaches, camps to go to be seen, and helped me understand the recruiting timeline.
It is an intimidating process contacting coaches, and Kevin gave me confidence that I was approaching it the right way, and gave me an idea of what to expect. ”
BENNY’s BACKGROUND:
born and raised on nantucket island, benny developed his soccer skills at an early age playing for the massachusetts olympic development program when he was 12 years old.
his family made a commitment to travel (via ferry and then car) for practices with club programs and coaches that could help grow his skills. he played for nantucket high school, excelling as an all-state central midfielder and trained with the ssf during both high school and his college career.
benny now lives on nantucket after graduating from skidmore college, works in business development for a local non-profit, and just finished his first marathon in sub 3hr 30min.
BENNY’s ADVICE TO CURRENT YOUTH ATHLETES:
“ Play as much as you can. You will get better by being around the game. Organize pick up games. find teammates to train with. The best players on any team I’ve played on are the ones who play the most. They are always at the pick up sessions in the off season, organizing team workouts. They are the ones who are consistently working on their game. ”
BEN’s thoughts on the SSF:
“ Of course THE SSF will help young Nantucket athletes reach their goals. Nantucket has a disadvantage when it comes to college recruitment, a lot of that responsibility lands on the players themselves to showcase their talents to college coaches. No one wants to travel to Nantucket to watch a potential prospect play, especially at such a small school. Kevin has the connections and experience to help with that full process. ”
BEN
“ Kevin always checked in on me even when we both moved on from Nantucket High School soccer.
He actually cares about us alumni, always trying to help us in our next steps in life.
For me, I played DIII college ball and every summer Kevin was taking time out of his life to help me train and get ready for the new seasons.
He didn’t just do generic training, he did research and helped provide training for Central Defenders like myself. Drills to test my first touch, my agility, decision making, aerial battles, etc.
All of this helped me be the best player I could be heading into my colleague seasons. ”
BEN’s BACKGROUND:
born and raised on nantucket, ben went on to study film production + media at suffolk university.
on the soccer team, ben became a starter from his 1st game in freshman year. he won rookie of the year, became a team mvp, 2x defensive player of the year, and all conference soccer student athlete. he was all a two-year captain and won the sportsmanship award for his team’s conference in 2014.
ben now lives in boston, ma now working as a cinematographer + photographer, and plans on giving back to the ssf as a mentor to youth athletes as well as helping with video creation.