Welcome to episode 34! A few months ago, I sat down and watched the Netflix series We Are the Brooklyn Saints. This series highlights a youth football program in East New York, dedicated to saving lives. When I was growing up, I had friends playing for the Saints, as well as other teams across the city. After watching the touching show, I made it my mission to increase the spotlight on the team. I subsequently reached out to 9u Coach Edwin Gawuala via Instagram. Coach G is the heartbeat of the program, seen jumping around and screaming praise and support in the series. He invited me to the Brooklyn Saints award ceremony , where I met players, coaches and family alike. We talked about the origins of the Saints, having been founded in 2009. In addition to coaching the kids, he coached behind the walls of Rikers Island, again focusing on saving lives and growing the game. Coach Gawuala will be the first one to tell you that coaching kids comes with it’s challenges. Because he is the emotional leader, his players often look to him during and after games. “Win, lose or draw, we have fun.” During the series he is even seen cheering the team up after losses, reminding them to have fun and improve week to week. Coach is also known as “Mr. A.D.D.”, which stands for Any Darn Day. The saying is powerful in it’s simplicity, and stands for perseverance, power, family, and much more. Speaking of family, the Saints would be incomplete without the mention of family. Coach G praises them for their universal support of the team, regardless of if it is their child making a play or not. It was with the help and support of these same parents that the Saints went camping during the show. Coach G enjoyed teaching the boys life skills, but also wanted to show them that there’s more to the world than their 4 walls. Being able to see his team outside of their natural habitat, exposed to something completely different was invaluable to Coach G. Again, it was phenomenal to be out in the Saints environment, interviewing a true Pillar of the community. Right at the end of the episode, Coach Gawuala allowed me to take part in a Saints ritual: 3 claps and reciting the word “Easy!” Day made. Enjoy the sounds of a 70 degree Saturday in East New York! Peace and Blessings! Recorded 5.1.21
