Tom Selemba, President & A Team Coach West Scranton Jr. Invaders

Summary

In this engaging interview, Justin Bradley of Sportswire speaks with Tommy Salemba, the league president and statistician for the West Granton Junior Invaders. Tommy discusses the team's remarkable success, including winning the Super Bowl for three consecutive years, attributing it to the players' early start and high football IQ. He also highlights the role of social media in promoting the team, despite his personal aversion to it. The interview concludes with reflections on the team's memorable experience playing the MetLife game, emphasizing the rewarding nature of the event for the young athletes.

Takeaways

• 🏈 The West Granton Junior Invaders have had significant success, winning the Super Bowl for three consecutive years.
• 🌟 The team's success is attributed to the players starting at a very young age and playing together consistently, which has built a strong foundation and camaraderie.
• 📈 Tommy Salemba, the league president and statistician for the ACCJFL, has played a crucial role in the organization's success through his coaching and leadership.
• 🧠 The players are praised for their exceptional football IQ, which has been a key factor in their achievements.
• 📚 Tommy emphasizes the importance of learning and implementing plays at a young age, which has allowed the team to excel without needing to re-teach plays as they progress.
• 🏆 The team's development from a young age has been impressive, with Tommy coaching them from the C team level up to the 18-year-old level.
• 🤳 Social media plays a significant role in promoting the team and the players, compensating for the lack of in-person spectators.
• 👍 The West Granton Junior Invaders have a strong social media presence, managed by the organization's board members, which helps in self-promotion and community engagement.
• 🏟️ The team's participation in the MetLife game was a memorable experience, despite the challenging weather conditions.
• 👏 The MetLife game was a rewarding experience for the players, with the organization bringing a large contingent to support the team.
• 📸 A memorable moment from the game was captured in a photo of Tommy with his quarterback in the huddle, symbolizing the team's unity and spirit.
• 🌟 Sportswire aims to promote positive stories and memorable moments for kids, parents, and coaches, highlighting the importance of community and sportsmanship.

Q & A

Who is the interviewee in the Sportswire video?

Tommy Salemba, the league president for the West Granton Junior Invaders and statistician for the ACCJFL.

What has been the success of the West Granton Junior Invaders in recent years?

The West Granton Junior Invaders have won the Super Bowl for the last three years.

At what age did the successful team start playing together?

The team started playing together at the youngest possible age, beginning at the D-team level.

What is unique about the football IQ of the West Granton Junior Invaders' players?

The football IQ of the players is described as 'out of this world,' indicating exceptional understanding and strategy in the game.

How does Tommy Salemba describe the players' development from a young age?

Tommy Salemba mentions that the players have been developing since they were extremely young, and they have bought into the coaching philosophy from the beginning.

What role does Tommy Salemba play in addition to being a coach?

In addition to coaching, Tommy Salemba is also the league president and statistician for the organization.

How does social media play a role in the promotion of the West Granton Junior Invaders?

Social media helps the kids promote themselves, as it is a way to reach an audience that may not be attending the games.

What is the significance of the MetLife game for the West Granton Junior Invaders?

The MetLife game is significant as it was their first season participating, and they found the experience rewarding despite the challenging weather conditions.

How many people from the organization attended the MetLife game?

Approximately 320 people from the organization attended the MetLife game.

What was the weather like during the MetLife game?

The weather during the MetLife game was described as a 'monsoon,' indicating it was very rainy and possibly stormy.

What is the goal of Sportswire in conducting such interviews?

The goal of Sportswire is to promote the kids, give back to the parents, kids, and coaches by providing feel-good stories and memorable moments.

Outlines

00:00

🏈 Success Story of West Granton Junior Invaders

In this paragraph, Justin Bradley from Sportswire interviews Tommy Salemba, the league president and statistician for the West Granton Junior Invaders. Tommy discusses the team's remarkable success over the past few years, highlighting their three consecutive Super Bowl victories. He attributes this success to the players' early start in the sport, their high football IQ, and the coaching philosophy that has been consistent from the youngest levels. The players have shown great development from a young age, and Tommy praises the coaching staff and the organization for their contributions to the team's achievements.

📱 The Impact of Social Media on Youth Sports

This section of the script delves into the role of social media in promoting the West Granton Junior Invaders. Tommy admits that while he is not personally active on social media, the team has a strong online presence managed by the organization's board members. The Facebook page is particularly effective in promoting the team and its players, which is essential in an era where spectators are less likely to attend games in person. The script suggests that social media is a crucial tool for youth sports organizations to increase visibility and engage with their community.

❄️ The MetLife Game Experience and Team Morale

In the final paragraph, the conversation turns to the team's participation in the MetLife game, a significant event that took place in winter. Tommy describes the logistical challenges of bringing 320 people to the game and the adverse weather conditions they faced. Despite these challenges, the team's victory made the experience extremely rewarding. The paragraph concludes with a personal anecdote from Tommy about a memorable photograph taken during the game, which he cherishes as a symbol of the team's success and the collective effort of the organization.

Keywords

💡Justin Bradley

Justin Bradley is the person introducing the video content, likely a reporter or presenter for SportsWire. His role is to facilitate the discussion and provide context about the West Granton Junior Invaders' success. His name is used to establish credibility and familiarity with the audience.

💡SportsWire

SportsWire is the media outlet that Justin Bradley represents. It is focused on sports-related news and stories, aiming to promote and highlight achievements in sports, particularly youth sports as evidenced by the interview with Tommy Salemba.

💡West Granton Junior Invaders

The West Granton Junior Invaders is the youth football team being discussed in the video. They have had significant success, including winning the Super Bowl for three consecutive years, which is a central theme of the video.

💡Tommy Salemba

Tommy Salemba serves multiple roles within the West Granton Junior Invaders organization, including being the league president and statistician. His insights are crucial to understanding the team's success and the organization's operations.

💡ACCJFL

The ACCJFL, or Atlantic Coast Central Jersey Football League, is the league in which the West Granton Junior Invaders participate. Tommy Salemba's role as a statistician for this league is mentioned, indicating the team's involvement in a larger competitive framework.

💡Success

Success is a recurring theme in the video, highlighting the achievements of the West Granton Junior Invaders. It is exemplified by their three consecutive Super Bowl victories and the development of the team's players from a young age.

💡Coaching

Coaching is a key factor in the team's success, as Tommy Salemba mentions starting to coach the players when they were on the C team. The coaching philosophy and strategies employed have contributed to the high football IQ and performance of the players.

💡Development

Development refers to the growth and improvement of the players over time, from their initial involvement in football to their current level of skill and teamwork. The script mentions the players' progression from the youngest age group to their current status.

💡Social Media

Social media plays a role in promoting the team and its players, as it allows them to reach a wider audience beyond those who can attend games. The script mentions the team's active Facebook presence managed by the organization's board members.

💡MetLife Game

The MetLife Game is a significant event mentioned in the script, where the West Granton Junior Invaders participated and won a Super Bowl. It represents a high point in the team's history and a unique experience for the players.

💡Community

Community is an underlying theme in the video, as the West Granton Junior Invaders and its members are part of a larger social fabric. Tommy Salemba's multiple roles and the organization's social media presence reflect a commitment to community engagement and support.

Highlights

Tommy Salemba, league president and statistician, discusses the West Granton Junior Invaders' success in recent years.

The team has won the Super Bowl three consecutive years, starting from the youngest possible age group.

The group has shown high football IQ, allowing them to advance quickly without needing to reteach plays.

Salemba attributes the success to the players' early development and consistent coaching.

Salemba also coaches the A team, demonstrating his significant role in the organization.

The organization uses social media to promote the team and players, even though Salemba personally isn't active on social media.

The team's Facebook presence is praised, highlighting the effort of the board members managing it.

The West Granton Junior Invaders had their first experience playing at MetLife Stadium, a memorable moment for the team.

Despite challenging weather conditions, the experience of playing at a professional stadium was rewarding for the players.

Salemba keeps a cherished photo from the event, symbolizing the significance of the experience.

The interview emphasizes the importance of promoting youth sports and giving recognition to players, parents, and coaches.

Sportswire aims to highlight positive stories and memorable moments in youth sports.

The interaction showcases community involvement and the dedication of those supporting the West Granton Junior Invaders.

The conversation concludes with good wishes for the upcoming season.

The interview highlights the impact of youth sports in fostering community and developing young athletes.

Transcripts

Justin Bradley here with sportswire

we're here with the West Granton Junior

Invaders and Tommy salemba uh league

president here for the West Granton

Junior Invaders also statistician for

the

accjfl Tommy you've had a lot of success

here the past few years here with the

West Granton Junior Invaders go ahead

and tell us a little bit about some of

that success what you guys you know kind

of kind of you know give that what are

you giving kudos to to to kind of uh

maybe at your coaches tell us a little

bit about the organization and and and

where some of that success is coming

from uh the group that has won the Super

Bowl to the last three years they

started here at the youngest possible

age they've been playing together since

dteam it team uh and I started coaching

them when they're on C team that being

said kind of like bought into what we

were doing they knew they could be good

uh the really football IQ was out of

this world and great to hear uh we

actually you know we put plays in at C

team last year B team we come back out I

don't have to teach them plays it was

just like all right we're going full

bore let's go and they never look back

the whole year that's awesome so I mean

obviously a lot of the uh a lot of the

development from when they're extremely

young

to where they are today and again you're

coaching the 18 as well in addition to

all the other roles that you do for the

organization and and uh Community but um

you know obviously hats off to you with

everything that you're doing with this

organization I see a lot of stuff on

Facebook tell us a little bit about

maybe social media and how social media

helps in any way uh for the West Granton

Junior Invaders uh I know that it helps

the kids promote themselves that's the

way it's got to be now that the guys

aren't coming to the game and watch it

so you got to kind of promote yourself

yep uh I am not a social media guy

understood understood but you guys have

a great Facebook I can tell you that

because I I I'm a fan of your your guys'

Facebook page uh just like I am all the

other uh organizations throughout the

ACC so you guys do a great job with your

with your social media presence um and

that's a testament to the folks you have

on your board yeah they they've run the

reminds remind apps and the the Facebook

post and everything else and you know

everybody in the world has it except me

I think and uh you know oh good hey tell

me a little bit about uh last year uh I

think was your first season doing the

the MetLife game yes right um obviously

a very rewarding experience winning the

Super Bowl and being able to go do that

game uh in the winter time with your uh

with your team tell us a little bit

about that experience and maybe how the

kids felt being on that field and what

that experience was overall as your for

your organization and I it's it's a lot

of work to pull off uh we brought about

320 people from the organization out to

the game uh you were there it was like a

monsoon true and then

uh at the end of the day being able to

play on the game and finish on that kind

of a note was very rewarding for all the

kids you took a picture of me I'm in the

huddle with my quarterback and it's my f

i I got it hung up at work it's that's

awesome man cool pick that's awesome man

I and again appreciate that feedback and

again that's that's what sports wire is

all about man we're really looking to

promote the kids we're looking to

obviously give back to the parents the

kids the coaches uh any way that we can

giving them some Feelgood stories some

Feelgood moments memorable moments um

and whatever we can do to give them that

shine that's that's our goal and uh we

appreciate you uh you know extending the

red carpet out here for the uh for the

sports wire crewk um you know again

appreciate the time uh look forward and

good luck this season thank you man