At Kennedy, it’s more than a game

The Kennedy girls’ soccer team marched from under the bleachers onto the field on Oct. 11, with the players donning pink warmup shirts that read “Playing for a Cure.”

The Lady Cougars hosted the Massapequa Chiefs in a Conference AA-1 showdown that was dedicated to breast cancer awareness. It was the first time in Kennedy history that a girls’ team was playing a night game under the lights.

The portable lights, donated by the towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead, lit up the field, which had pink sidelines and was adorned with pink ribbons to mark the occasion.

The initiative was a joint effort between the Kennedy varsity and junior varsity girls’ soccer teams, according to varsity head coach Janine Bizelia. “Sometimes you overlook the little things,” said Bizelia, “but just coming together with the girls and having them bond over something like this is rewarding as a coach. It’s bigger than just the wins and losses sometimes. It’s about the team and respect.”

Kennedy has hosted only one other athletic event at night, last year’s Homecoming football game. “We’ve been talking about playing under the lights all week,” said senior Deanna Santo. “For girls’ soccer to be playing under the lights is a really big deal.”

Behind the bleachers, the junior varsity squad ran a donation booth with cupcakes, hot chocolate and raffles. Though the JV team wasn’t playing that day, its coach, Katie Longaro, said her players were excited to help out. “The girls are really coming together for this cause,” she said, “and it’s really nice to see that.”

The pink shirts were designed by the players, and were also available for sale. “We’re representing the team as a whole,” said Emily Okun, a JV player. “Not just varsity or JV, but the whole school.”

The Massapequa players wore pink socks as a symbol of their support, and minutes before the game began, the two squads gathered for a group photo. “I think it’s a great cause,” said Kennedy captain Sara Rothery. “This is something that does hit a lot of families, and it’s definitely close to a lot of people, so being able to help is a good feeling.”

More than 100 supporters stood in the bleachers, including parents, teachers and students.