The New Dealer  would like to congratulate the 2013 Female Athlete of the Year, Giovana Rosado. When I spoke to Giovana and told her she was the Athlete of the Year, she was ecstatic. She feels like it was only yesterday when she was a freshman learning how to shoot, throw, and even kick a ball. When I asked Giovana why she thinks she was chosen for this honor, she said, “It’s simple, because I am very determined to overcome every challenge that comes my way. And I am cool- at least my mom says so.” Giovana’s accomplishments grew in every sport that she played. She is definitely “Ms. Lady Cougar.”  It is one thing to be the best player in one sport, but Giovana is the MVP of Girls’ Soccer, Basketball, and Softball.

When I asked her if there are any people who helped her achieve her goals at FDR, Giovana said that she couldn’t have done any of this without the help of her coaches and teammates.  From Coach Buttacavoli to Coach Wright to Coach Papandrea- they all helped her develop as an athlete and a person.  Coach Papandrea has helped her achieve so much at FDR. He pushed her when things got hard or even if they weren’t. Coach Papandrea has shaped Giovana in a special way.  She will never forget him. She would also like to thank Mr. Gottesman for never giving up on her or her goals, and Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Yellen for their “$500 speeches.”  According to Giovana, “Being an athlete makes you want to do better in classes, because if you fail, you fail off your team and let other people down.  So, don’t mess that up and keep striving for the best!” Giovana intends to continue playing sports in college. She claims, “I plan on going stronger than ever. I love sports; it’s something that fills my heart.  Competition and sports are a part of me. Sports helped me build leadership, as well as fixing my attitude.  It’s also a great stress reliever.” Giovana would definitely change the attitude she had as a freshman.  She feels she would have achieved more goals. In addition, she also would have pushed herself to do better academically.   She believes that she was too worried about having too many friends.

The entire Cougar Family would like to thank you for entertaining us on the field and the hardwood. GOOD LUCK IN COLLEGE!