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Sports

Student Athlete Spotlight: Bridget Judd

Get to know Bridget Judd, a junior on Branford High's soccer team and an avid Gaelic football player.

Name: Bridget Judd
Sport: Soccer and Gaelic Football
School:
Nominated by: Her coaches
Reason for nomination:

Want to nominate someone to be featured? E-mail the above information to Bing Miller at millerbhs@gmail.com.

Get to Know Bridget

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Branford Patch: What have you taken away from your experience playing soccer at Branford High school?
Bridget: One that stands out most in my mind is my drive to succeed. I have learned to push myself and succeed in many different aspects of my life, to never give up on my goals for they are always within my reach.  Something else I have gained from my academics and athletics is to always push the boundaries and use every bit of my potential in everything I do. The support system at Branford High School both academically and athletically is beyond measure. I have not only great friendships within my own peer group but with my coach, administrators and teachers that will carry on well beyond my four years of high school.

Branford Patch: Why was the soccer teams “PINK” game so important to you & your family?
Bridget: Like many of my teammates, cancer, breast cancer in particular, has affected my life. My grandmother, an aunt and two great-aunts have been affected by breast cancer. My mother and her sister are now in the process of their own genetic testing to see if they carry the breast cancer gene. It’s very important to me to help support breast cancer awareness and raise money to find a cure not only for my family and myself but also for the thousands of women diagnosed with this disease daily and for the millions of women out there that it could possibly affect.  Our PINK game took place October 11 and through the generous donations of spectators and the sale of Coaches vs. Cancer Memory Cards, our soccer team was able to raise $553 for the American Cancer Societies-Coaches vs. Cancer foundation. As a team we are hoping to participate in a similar event next season, in hopes of raising even more money for the fight against breast cancer. This is a cause I plan to support both through personal donations and through fundraising events until a cure is found.

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Branford Patch: What is Gaelic football and how are you involved?
Bridget: Gaelic football is most easily described as a cross between rugby and soccer, but it pre-dates rugby by hundreds of years.  It’s a very fast paced sport with two opportunities to score, one by putting the ball in the goal (which is very similar to soccer) and the second by punting the ball through the field goal posts that are connected to the goal. You receive three points for a goal, one point through the bars.  Unlike soccer you can use your hands to pass and take the ball down the pitch. It takes a certain level of skill and coordination to travel down the field as you must alternate between a bounce and solo; a solo is the term that is used when you drop the ball on the top of your foot and it comes back up to your hands so you can travel down the field.  Unfortunately I have aged out of the New Haven Gaelic Football program but I still go down to help the coaches of the younger kids, referee as needed for games, support my sister who also plays and practice with the older kids as much as I can.  Currently I am on the roster with two teams based out of New York, St. Brigid’s under-16/18 team and Na Fianna, a women’s team.

Branford Patch: How did you get started playing Gaelic football?
Bridget: I started playing when I was eleven after my younger neighbor Etta began playing and told me that I needed to come try it. From the moment I started playing I knew it was something I enjoyed and would play for a long time.  This is a very similar love that I have for soccer. I would have never imagined that some of the skills I learned from football, I could apply to my soccer career. Practices are as physically and mentally strenuous as soccer conditioning and the soccer season.  The benefit to Gaelic football is that it runs opposite of soccer season so I’m constantly playing and staying fit.

Branford Patch: What are your plans for the future?
Bridget: Right now I’m looking forward to the rest of my junior year, starting my senior school year and soccer season. I’m very hopeful for next season and very excited to see what we produce as a team. We have done a lot of growing this year and have built a solid foundation of teamwork to get the job done. I plan to enroll in college to pursue a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine/athletic training with hopes of playing soccer throughout my four years of college. Someday I hope to be able to return to find employment within the Branford High School athletic program. One of my goals is to be able to share my love of sports and all of the knowledge and support that has been given to me by Coach Kohut and the athletic department to all of the future students of Branford High School.

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