Q&A WITH MINUTEMEN STUDENT-ATHLETES

Isabela

McNeilly-Anta ’23 and Jelani Dean ’23

Interview by Nina Shirey, Sports Information Director

For many Newark Academy students, being part of Minutemen Athletics has been a pivotal part of their growth and development. We sat down with two-sport (soccer and fencing) captain Isabela McNeilly-Anta ’23 and with three-sport athlete (football, indoor track and spring track and field) and two-sport captain Jelani Dean ’23 to hear more about what has made their NA athletic experience memorable.

Q: What are the biggest lessons and skills you have learned as a student-athlete?

IMA: I think a big one is time management. I’ve had to learn how to balance my schoolwork with my athletic schedule. When I go to games or practices, I need to be completely committed to practicing, learning and playing the sport. When you step on the field, you don’t talk about your math test anymore, you are only thinking about your sport.

Q: What is your favorite memory as a student-athlete at Newark Academy?

IMA: This past soccer season we were in the state tournament and one game went to penalty kicks and I was the last to shoot. I scored the game-winning penalty kick goal, and the fact that it meant we would have another week of practices and another game meant the world to me. It felt like there was something I could do to keep the season from ending, and just being able to play more was amazing.

Q: What is special about being a member of a Newark Academy athletic team?

Isabela McNeilly-Anta: It’s the energy. We work hard day in and out on perfecting the small things. In the end, it’s all worth it, and we have fun working hard together. There’s no feeling comparable to the rush of winning a close game against a school rival and storming the field afterward.

Jelani Dean: Being able to get to know people that you wouldn’t know outside of the classroom context. There is a lot that people bring to the table that you might not be able to experience if you just get to know them in the classroom setting.

JD: The biggest lesson I’ve learned is collaboration. Through sports, we get to learn sportsmanship, how to cooperate with each other and accept and give constructive criticism. That pushes us forward and helps us develop as individuals in a more sophisticated setting.

Q: In what ways does participating in NA Athletics uniquely prepare you for the future in ways you might not have experienced elsewhere?

IMA: My main takeaway from sports at NA is learning how to lead. Even if you’re a younger player, you learn to step up to challenges and work with everyone else.

JD: It helps you get to know people. You become more personable and outgoing. That laid-back yet helpful environment where you’re genuinely pushing each other to get better improves you.

JD: Going to the Meet of Champions with my track 4x100 meter relay team during my sophomore year. That was the moment where I felt like I had really achieved something great.

Q: What would you say is the best part of being on a team at Newark Academy?

IMA: Team spirit, connecting with others and the camaraderie outside of the sport. Getting closer to people that way really brings the community together. I could not imagine Newark Academy without sports.

JD: You get to really grow yourself in a context that isn’t educational. You get the chance to prove yourself. Here at NA, you get the chance to become that fully-fledged athlete you see in yourself.