Mason Quinn
(Provided picture)
SARANAC LAKE — When pondering of the good technique to describe Saranac Lake highschool sophomore Mason Quinn, his junior varsity soccer coach, Austin Ecret, instantly had a solution.
“Hardworking is the best word,” Ecret mentioned. “He doesn’t let anything slide. He plays to the whistle all the time. His work ethic is unmatched compared to the kids on the team. He’s a leader, and he’s the coach’s dream.”
Quinn was nominated for USA Football’s Heart of a Giant Award on Monday. The award, which is offered by the Hospital for Special Surgery and the New York Giants, seeks to seek out and spotlight highschool soccer gamers, mascots, crew managers and flag soccer gamers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut who’ve all been nominated for the award by their coaches for his or her dedication, teamwork, will, character and dedication.
There are at the moment 20 student-athletes nominated who’re up for a grand prize vote, however to the Saranac Lake soccer employees, Quinn is properly deserving of the title. The voting interval is at the moment open and can shut on Oct. 19 at 11:59 p.m. To vote, go to tinyurl.com/422svey5.
Quinn has cherished soccer ever since he was a little bit child, in keeping with his bio on the USA Football web site, whether or not he was watching video games or enjoying with mates.
“When I was 6 years old, I joined my first team, and the sport quickly became a huge part of my life,” he mentioned in an announcement. “Ever since then, football has shaped who I am, both as an athlete and as a person.”
On the subject, as a fullback on offense and a linebacker on protection, Quinn is “tougher than nails.”
“When you look at him, you don’t see a middle linebacker, because he’s a bit of a scrawny kid,” Ecret mentioned. “But he plays the game downhill, plays it fast and he is tough … he’s as tough as it gets.”
But Quinn has confronted many challenges in his life, together with rising up in a single-parent family as his father left when he was younger.
“At times, I felt like the odds were stacked against me, but football gave me confidence and purpose,” he mentioned in an announcement. “On the field, it didn’t matter where I came from — what mattered was my effort and heart. With every compliment from a coach or encouragement from a teammate, I grew stronger. Football transformed me from a boy unsure of his future into a young man who knows he can overcome anything through hard work and determination.”
Ecret mentioned Quinn has a fantastic mom and stepfather, who has even been educating him to weld lately.
“Which makes me proud because I know it’s setting me up for a bright and successful future,” he acknowledged. “Balancing sports and new skills has taught me responsibility and determination.”
Even although Quinn is now a powerful chief for his crew, he wasn’t at all times the most assured, in keeping with Ecret.
“(There were times were) he didn’t think he could be the player he could be,” Ecret mentioned. “He actually took to my assistant coach really well, as they played the same positions in high school and he kind of took him under his wing to start the year. Then all of a sudden, Mason got the confidence and that was what he needed.”
This season, Quinn was named one in all simply two captains on the Red Storm’s JV soccer crew, which incorporates 21 gamers on its roster. While Ecret mentioned he’s not the loudest child on the crew, he leads by instance.
“When no one is looking, he’s doing the right thing,” Ecret mentioned. “It’s always about his play and his work ethic.”
Quinn has at all times been instructed that he was born to be a frontrunner, in keeping with his bio, and he enjoys serving to and inspiring others every time he can.
“Even as a child, I would look for people who needed help and insist on carrying their groceries to their car,” he mentioned. “That spirit hasn’t changed, because I still believe in making someone’s day easier through kindness. For me, courage means stepping up for others, even in small ways, and being the person who brings positivity to every situation.”
Ecret, who graduated from Saranac Lake in 2014, mentioned that as a younger head coach, it means the whole lot to have a participant and chief like Quinn on his crew.
“Without a kid like Mason, sometimes the coaches would have to do all the leadership, and it’s real hard to try to get the players to do something all the time,” he mentioned. “But when you have a kid like Mason, he holds everyone to his own standards and to his work ethic. He’s very important to this team.”
Quinn is one in all 20 individuals up for a vote, and solely the third Red Storm participant in recent times to be nominated for this — Zane Ragsdale final season and Rione Symonds in 2021. Those curious about voting can achieve this as soon as each 24 hours.
The nominee with the most votes will probably be named that week’s finalist. At the conclusion of the six-week course of, there will probably be a complete of 11 honorees (six weekly finalists and 5 honorable mentions) acknowledged for his or her work ethic and character.
Each finalist will obtain $1,000 grant for his or her highschool’s soccer program, with the grand prize winner’s faculty getting an extra $9,000 gear grant. The grand prize winner and his coach will probably be honored on the subject at a future New York Giants recreation this season.