The Jewish Link and The Humble Toast would like to recognize Nicole Pruzansky as this week’s Sportstar of the Week. The Yeshivat He’Atid fifth grader has already amassed quite the local sports resume, however her most notable accomplishment to date is being the youngest player to earn a starting spot on a YMSSA team, when she started for the He’Atid Hurricanes as a fourth grader last spring. When asked about Nicole, He’Atid Hurricanes coach, Aaron Neufeld, told The Jewish Link, “In the world of basketball, age is just a number, and Nicole Pruzansky embodies that spirit. As the youngest player on our team, Nicole didn’t just embrace the challenge, she conquered it. Her eagerness to master our offense and her remarkable composure under pressure quickly earned her a spot as the starting point guard. On opening night, as the clock ticked down, Nicole emerged from the bench and fearlessly sank the game-winning shot. Her leadership, determination and skill played a pivotal role in our team’s success. Every team should be fortunate enough to have a player like Nicole.” Bergen Girls Flag Football Commissioner Ken Goffstein shared, “Nicole is a gifted flag football player. She’s electric and lots of fun to watch. What’s special about Nicole is while she’s a confident player, she’s also extremely humble. That’s a unique combination and those qualities helped her lead her Lions team to the 4/6 championship last spring.” Bergenfield United soccer coach, Jean-Windy Paul added, “Nicole joined our soccer team in Bergenfield about a year ago; she is a hard worker and a very engaged player. Nicole contributed to our wins being an excellent striker! She always played as an amazing team member and scored at least 15 goals last year which led the team to win the NCSA division championship!”
Nicole, congrats on being recognized as this week’s Sportstar of the Week! Who is your role model and why?
My mom and my dad are my role models. My mom always comes to all my games and helps me work on my skills. She does lots of different drills and footwork exercises with me and even gets every single rebound when I shoot 100 foul shots. She dedicates her life to all of my sports and she is always there for me. My dad always shoots around with me and has me pitch to him. We toss around the football and he makes up funny names of game-plays to make me laugh.
What is your favorite sport?
It is really hard for me to choose because I really love basketball, soccer and football—but if I had to choose one, I would say basketball because I have been playing it for the longest.
What is your pregame routine?
I like to run around the court or field and do some stretches. I then take some practice shots from different spots on the court and talk with my teammates and coach in order to strategize our game plan.
What is your greatest sports accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment was being the starting quarterback for the Bergen Girls Flag Football Lions and winning the championship in our very first season.
Who is your favorite athlete and why?
I have a couple different favorite athletes from different sports. I like Steph Curry, Patrick Mahomes and Lionel Messi. Of all of them, my favorite would have to be Steph Curry because of his work ethic. He is always the first one in the gym and the last one out. He shows the importance of hard work in order to excel at sports.
What is your earliest sports memory?
My first Bergen Broncos class was when I was in kindergarten. I remember the first day when my coach, Coach A was going to lower the hoop but I showed him that I was able to make a shot on a 10′ basket so he didn’t need to lower it.
What is your funniest sports memory?
When I was 6 years old, I was at my sister Samantha’s basketball game. During half-time, I was on the court shooting around silly backwards shots. The ref blew the whistle when the game was about to begin and my mom told me to come off the court. The ref told her to let me stay on so I could take one last shot. The whole gym was watching as I took a backwards shot into the hoop. Everyone cheered loudly when I made this basket!
What is your favorite thing to do when you are not playing sports?
I like to hang out with my friends and do baking projects. I love when my Safta takes me and my cousins out to fun places after school during the week. I love spending time with all my grandparents too.
What is your favorite sports memory?
My favorite sports memory was joining my school basketball team the He’Atid Hurricanes and hitting the game winning shot of the very first game.
What is the best thing about being a Sportstar?
Being chosen is a really special opportunity for me and I’m so proud of this special accomplishment.
The Humble Toast Star of the week will receive a $25 gift card to The Humble Toast. Please send nominees for an upcoming The Humble Toast Jewish Link Stars of the Week to [email protected].
