Discover Liberal Arts Student Scores Touchdown with Youth Sports

Originally from New York City, Viv and her family moved to Buffalo, N.Y., during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unsure about returning to Manhattan for college but hoping to study in a city larger than Buffalo, Viv set her eyes on Pittsburgh.
 
“I chose Duquesne because we’re in an urban area, and I felt like there was a lot of opportunity for me here,” she said.
 
Viv is settled on the Bluff and grateful for the sense of community and supportive faculty that walk alongside her and trust in her potential. “Every professor I have is for us and cares about our education,” she said. “They want to make sure we’re comfortable in class and want to know what they can do to help us.”

Getting kids in the game

Just as Viv appreciates her professors’ care and compassion, there are dozens of young athletes back home in Buffalo who feel the same about her.
 
Viv wasn’t a huge football fan growing up in New York City, but that quickly changed after her move. “You can’t really live in Buffalo and not like the Bills,” she laughed.
 

Her curiosity about the sport grew, and she began playing flag football her sophomore year of high school, having never thrown a football before. She quickly fell in love with the game and was inspired to share her joy with others.
 
“A family friend introduced me to Russ Kingsbury and Project Play WNY,” said Viv. “Russ runs Youth Advantage Flag Football and partners with the Buffalo Bills Foundation as well.”
 
Viv was quick to join Russ in organizing youth football clinics and summer camps in Western New York. Noticing that opportunities were disproportionately available in Buffalo and some neighborhoods remained underserved, Viv embedded herself in the local community, investing the time and energy that authentic collaboration demands. Her goal was to make sure every child who wanted to play had the opportunity to share in the experience—regardless of their ability to pay. 
 
“During the second week of our program, two boys came up to us in the park and asked how they could play,” said Viv.  
 
Her immediate thought? “How can we make this happen?” Viv and Russ sent the boys home with consent forms and hoped to see them the following week.
 
“They were some of the first kids there when we arrived,” she smiled. “We sent them right onto the field.”

Creating opportunity, driving change

Russ’ confidence in Viv continued to grow. She became a trusted partner, and he sought her input on the program’s growth. 
 
“He asked what I wanted to see next,” she said. “I told him I wanted an all-girls camp, an all-girls clinic, an all-girls something.”
 
Realizing that young girls may be intimidated to break into the traditionally male-dominated sport, Viv decided it was time for bigger goals. She wanted to create a comfortable atmosphere where she could build enduring connections and girls could learn and gain confidence, regardless of their skill level.
 
“It’s so important for me to create an environment like that,” she said. 
 
Two weeks after her conversation with Russ, they held their first clinic for girls between the ages of 6 and 18. Sixty girls showed up.
 
Motivated by this success, Viv contemplated what was next. “We have the facility,” she thought. “We have the footballs, flags and mouth guards.”
 
Just two weeks later, Viv led the second all-girls clinic. 
 
“It really speaks to the growth of the sport in such a short amount of time and also the passion that young girls have for football—they want to be part of it, too,” she said. “I want to make sure that girls who want to go into football are confident in themselves and in the sport and knowing that they're going into an environment that wants them to succeed as much as they want to.”

For the love of the sport

In addition to mentoring athletes on the field, Viv provides commentary on the radio, regularly joining Russ on WEBR 1440 AM and 105.3 FM. The pair analyze girls high school varsity flag football, discuss players’ performances and shoutout stellar coaching. 
 
Viv’s perspective on the airwaves and the impact she makes on youth athletes are just the first steps as she continues to discover what she’s good at and why it’s good for the world. Through it all, she remains modest and credits her youth athletes for changing the landscape of sports.
 
“I want to put a spotlight on these girls who are really the ones making an impact,” said Viv. “We have our coaches and schools, but these girls go onto the field and make it happen. They are the ones truly making the change.”