Story courtesy of Rob Palardy, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Looking for a change from the typical gym routine that he had been doing in the past, Lesley men’s soccer goalie Nigel Leahy (NEW PALTZ, N.Y./New Paltz) adopted a new workout style that has transformed his off-season soccer preparations. He hopes that his hard work in the offseason will translate to even further success for the Lynx who reached the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament for the first time in program history this past fall.
Leahy, an Elementary Education major with aspirations of teaching fifth grade after graduation, began his quest for a more inspiring gym workout regimen in high school when he grew tiresome of his usual routine.
“It was such a typical workout,” says Leahy. “I would work out a couple of different muscle groups each day with some cardio mixed in and it wasn’t doing it for me anymore.”
Leahy then discovered GunXCrossfit (gunxcrossfit.typepad.com/gunxcrossfit), a fitness program that combines aspects of gymnastics and weightlifting and is geared towards participants of all ages and ability levels. Anyone interested in making a change in their athletic routine was encouraged to get in contact with personal trainers who would help with setting attainable goals.
With exercises that feature pull ups, push ups, sit ups, rowing, box jumps, kettle ball training, rings, and a variety of “race against the clock” routines, Leahy gravitated towards the new program. Access to specialized personal trainers kept Leahy motivated and enthusiastic about the program’s benefits.
His offseason workout regimen prepared him for the soccer season this past fall where he spent the year as a backup goalie. He played in one half of a 4-2 Lynx victory over Nichols College on October 8th, giving up just one goal and another half against NECC opponent Wheelock College without allowing a goal in a 2-0 win. Leahy is in full swing with his offseason training and hopes to have more of an impact with the Lynx next season.
“Nigel is a great kid, we are very lucky to have him here at Lesley,” says men’s soccer Head Coach Paul Vasconcelos. “He has an incredible work ethic which will serve him well long after he graduates from Lesley. Being a goalkeeper at the collegiate level at times takes a lot of patience, sometimes you have to wait your turn. We realize he could have gone elsewhere and started, but we feel he made the right choice.”
Nigel Leahy and the Lesley University men’s soccer team will begin their quest towards their first ever NECC Championship and an automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament on September 1 at home against Eastern Nazarene College.