Get to know rising Kingston area youth football player Alex Portyansky

KINGSTON, Ontario. — For Alex, determination is everything!

Playing football as a young student-athlete isn’t easy, but with determination and motivation, it is possible to defy the odds.

Alex is 14 years old. He plays football with Thousand Islands Minor Football League (TIMFL).

He tried out for the Junior Gaels team. Being 14 he should have been playing on the U14 but there wasn’t one so he tried out for the U16 team. This was challenging. Being younger than the other boys means Alex is also smaller. He was very aware of the difference in size and age gap with his teammates, however, he didn’t let that stop him. He even tried out for Team Ontario, where they are trying to find the best players to form a team, to then compete against other provinces. Alex not only went to every single virtual meeting, for months, during which he’d stop everything else he was doing to sit down for hours in the evening, taking notes and learning so much; he also travelled to different cities, going through extensive physical training. He did not make the Team Ontario team but he went to all the camps during phase 1. He made it through to the Regional Top 75. And he made it to phase 2, the high performance academy.

And he did make the U16 Junior Gaels team in Kingston. But eventually he had to make a tough decision. A player is not allowed to play on two different teams. If he stayed with the Gaels he would spend a lot of time sitting on the bench because of his size. So he decided to play with the Thousand Islands Minor Football League because in this league he would get playing time.

He is happy he tried out for the older team.  “My teammates were all older than me, and already in high school. I learned a lot from the Coaches and players. It was so rewarding to see them accept & respect me”. When he’s on the football field, he plays hard. It is a tough game, and it is fast. Alex’s desire, his dedication, his discipline, that’s what enabled him to be who he is. The way he puts it “I’m going to do my best, not only just play, but to get better”.

I am sure Alex is going to have great season with the Thousand Islands Minor Football League!

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