Delaware Sports Blitz Interview: Delaware Tech’s Kevin Nyandemo

Photo: Delaware Technical Community College

Delaware Technical Community College student-athletes interviews are back! Every Thursday, Delaware Sports Blitz will feature interviews with student-athletes from the Community College.

The student-athlete we are featuring this week comes from Delaware Tech’s men’s lacrosse team, which is Kevin Nyandemo.

Nyandemo talks about everything from why athleticism and leadership are his greatest strengths, and what’s the best part of being a midfielder.

Check it out below!

Related:

Delaware Sports Blitz Interview: Delaware Tech’s Zach Hart

How did you start playing sports?

“I started playing sports in sixth grade when I joined the Providence Creek Academy, football team.”

What adjustments did you have to make from the jump from high school to college, regarding the sport you play?

“Lacrosse at the college level goes at a faster pace, and I had to adjust to that, along with the increased competition. When you start playing teams from Maryland or New York, you realize how good teams are in comparison to Delaware. I had to focus on my stick skills over the summer to keep up.”

How do you keep yourself in game shape in the off-season for your sport?

“I go to the gym two or three times a week. I also love being outside; during the offseason, I am always outside playing different sports with my brothers.”

What is the best part of playing your particular position?

“I think the best part about playing midfield is our impact on the game. Everything moves through the midfield. It is up to the midfielders to use their athleticism to get the ball to the offensive side of the field, or to get back and play defense.”

What has a former or current coach taught you, that you still use today on or off the playing field?

“Everything my former coach has taught me I try to use on the field, whether it is always selling out or using two hands to pick up a ground ball. One thing my high school coach taught me that really resonates with me is body language. I always try to control my body language. If I have poor body language, my opponent may take advantage of my poor attitude. In addition, coaches are always looking at body language, and if I showed poor body language on the field, it may lower my chances of being recruited.”

What is a typical day for you when the season is in full force?

“I usually try to get out of bed before 9 or 10 a.m. I try to get some homework done before logging into my scheduled class for the day. After class, I’ll try to get some more homework done before taking one or two hours to myself before practice, which starts at 6 p.m. During these couple hours, I will either watch some TV, or if it is nice I will go outside and work on my craft.”

What do you feel is your greatest strength?

“I think my greatest strength is my athleticism. I’m confident no one on a lacrosse field can guard me when I am running at full speed. Another one of my strengths is my leadership. I spent four years at First State Military Academy learning about leadership, but I haven’t been able to show this much since I am not a captain of the team. Hopefully, next year I earn the title of captain, and I can showcase my leadership abilities.”

What do you feel you are weakest at and what do you work on to improve it?

“I feel like sometimes I am too hard on myself. I have high standards for myself, and when I don’t meet them, I beat myself up. In order to improve this, I have to start giving myself more credit for the things I do right, rather than focusing on what I did wrong.”

Describe some of the highlights of your athletic career.

“In my first high school lacrosse scrimmage, I remember getting a ground ball on defense and sprinting to the offensive side of the field. While I was running, I heard the crowd screaming, cheering me on and all I could do was smile. Here I was, a kid who had no idea what he was doing, yet the crowd still showed support.

Another highlight of my career was during my senior year. We went down to Sussex Academy to play them on their senior night, and I scored six goals on them.”

What is the best part of playing on a team?

“The best of playing on a team is building relationships that I will have for the rest of my life.”

How do you stay motivated during the highs and lows of a season?

“I always know that I can get better and that keeps me motivated.”

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced and how did you overcome it?

“One of the biggest challenges I have faced is trying to catch up to the players who have played lacrosse longer than me. You can tell when someone has been playing lacrosse since they came out of the womb, and that’s the level I want to be at. In order to overcome this, I had to focus on my stick skills. I was always outside practicing groundball, shooting, and even using the stairs on the deck in my backyard as a bounce back.”

In what ways, does playing a sport, help you with your studies?

“Playing sports keeps me motivated to keep my grades up. If it weren’t for the sport of lacrosse, I would not be in college right now.”

How would you like to be remembered by your teammates and coaches?

“I would like to be remembered as a hard worker who is willing to do anything for his team.”

Why did you choose to play at Delaware Tech?

“I chose to play at Delaware Tech because it was local, and it would give me a great chance to showcase my skills. If I chose another school, I may not have had the chance to get on the field as much as I do here.”