Miami Palmetto Powderpuff Game 2022: Team Ur Mom in blue jerseys.
Miami Palmetto Senior High School, renowned for its strong academics and vibrant school culture, recently witnessed the highly anticipated return of Powderpuff. After disruptions due to COVID-19, students, especially the senior class, were eager for the revival of beloved traditions. Powderpuff, the senior girls’ flag football tournament, made a spirited comeback on February 28th, showcasing teamwork and school pride on Palmetto’s outdoor field.
This year’s Powderpuff event was a dynamic display of school spirit, featuring seven teams, each distinguished by brightly colored jerseys. The teams, formed and coached by senior boys, brought energy and enthusiasm to the field.
Team “Ur Mom,” easily spotted in blue, was coached by Mateo Jimenez, Bruno Wencelblat, and Tristan Wilson. Their roster included Mikayla Ashe, Catherine Bales, Caitlin Carmona, Ana Luisa Frable, Natalie Granja, Analysse Humaran, Gianna Hutton, Shiloh Markus, Isabella Reyes, and Valentina Vinces.
Coaches Hunter Anes, Ethan Herskowitz, and Austin Spiegelman led team “Space Cadets” to a commendable second-place finish. Donning hot pink jerseys, the Space Cadets consisted of Hanna Adams, Hayley Glassman, Angelina Gonsalves, Allison Gould, Rachel Graff, Alyssa Hunt, Isabella Martin, Alyssa Sedler, and Emily Shermer.
Team “Tortugas,” sporting the classic senior red, was under the guidance of coaches Jaden Clarin, Nicolas Garavito, and Taylor Marvel. The Tortugas team members were Gabi Koler, Emma Lopez, Ivanna Mantecon, Emily Mazzei, Isa Mendez, Chelsea Nicastri, Sabrina Pena, Caylie Salas, and Brooke Young.
Victorious in bright yellow, “Beauty Bandits” secured first place in the 2022 Powderpuff tournament. Coached by Pablo Junco, Marcos Tamargo, and Jeronimo Quintero, the winning team included players Jade Castellat, Lauren Chang, Jeff Coetzee, Sofia Dipietro, Sofia Garcia, Sofia Gutierrez, Thalia Jimenez, Isabella Lazaro, Regal Marley, and Alejandra Portales.
“Shawties of Terror,” identifiable by their green jerseys, were coached by Ian Chehab, Adam Cohen, and Michael Lago. This team featured players Daniela Hernandez, Isabella Jimenez, Caroline Kinkade, Luisa Lacayo, Criya Mahabir, Alexis Ortega, Julia Strasius, Samantha Trana, and Stephanie Viamonte.
Team “Goal Diggers,” a sea of purple, received training from coaches Adriano Guarino, Joe Corradino, and Ignacio Garcia. The Goal Diggers roster included Katherine Cruz-Alvarez, Marissa Bejar, Rebeca Blacher, Lexi Flores, Marlee Golinsky, Cayetana Jaramillo, Jessica Levy, Gabriella Martinez, Riley Tendler, and Grace Weinbach.
The “QTs,” wearing white t-shirts, were coached by Manuel Cutie, Josh Juarez, and Danny Sevilla. Team members were Ashley Alfonso, Daniela Andino, Angelina Atilano, Alyssa Escobar, Kayla Perez-Fontaine, Camila Gamboa, Cing Huai, Anastasia Perez, Gianna Perez, and Sarah Vreones.
Senior Catherine Bales took the initiative to organize Powderpuff, starting the planning process months in advance. Recruitment for senior boy coaches and team formation was announced, allowing senior girls to connect with coaches and build their teams.
“Me, Michael, and Adam, we just got a blend of all three of our friends to create a team that we thought we could combine together and have a good time,” coach Chehab explained, highlighting the collaborative and fun-driven spirit of the event.
Many senior girls were motivated to participate for various reasons. After periods of distance learning and limited social interaction, Powderpuff offered a chance to reconnect with peers and engage in school life.
“I knew all of my coaches and a couple of my players at first, but then I got to meet a bunch of people on the team that I didn’t know who they were before and a couple of them I’ve even hung out with after [practice],” player Garcia shared, emphasizing the social aspect of the game.
For participants like Bales, Martinez, and Shermer, Powderpuff provided a unique opportunity to be active participants in a school event, rather than just organizers.
“I thought it would be a fun idea and a fun way to get close with other people who I wouldn’t necessarily hang out with outside of school,” Martinez said. “It was fun to participate in a school activity where instead of coordinating it, I was actually a part of it and could get to play.”
Over several months, teams dedicated time to training, focusing on conditioning, learning flag football plays, and fostering teamwork. For many girls, Powderpuff was their first experience with flag football, creating a level playing field and a unique learning opportunity. Coaches focused on teaching the fundamentals of the sport while also instilling a sense of friendly competition.
“At first, we started by seeing how good certain people were with throwing a ball, catching a ball, all sorts of stuff,” coach Garavito explained. “So, we centered our practices around not only running, so they would get in shape, but also going through plays so that they would be able to perform them for the day.”
Coaches introduced the nuances of flag football, a new element for many participants. “The first practices were to evaluate what people could do and what their strengths were and identify that,” coach Austin Spiegelman said. “In the next practices, we just practiced plays mostly and flag pulling.”
Despite rescheduling due to COVID-19 related adjustments, teams adapted their practice schedules to prepare for the tournament. “We would warm-up, run little routes and show them how to do the plays and let them know what they can and can’t do in the games,” coach Guarino described. “We taught the quarterback how to throw and make sure she’s accurate and we would run a little scrimmage at the end of practice to make sure that everyone knew what they were doing.”
The referees for the Powderpuff games included faculty members, senior teachers, and senior boys. Linda Dwyer, Palmetto’s CAP Counselor, and senior Ari Rolnick officiated, as did Joel Soldinger, Palmetto’s AP Macroeconomics teacher, and senior Zach Blank. Kenneth Spiegelman, a respected teacher of AP U.S. Government and AP Comparative Government and Politics at Miami Palmetto, also served as a referee, alongside senior boys who chose to contribute their football knowledge from an officiating perspective rather than coaching. Mr. Spiegelman’s involvement highlights the dedication of Miami Palmetto faculty to student life beyond the classroom, including supporting events like Powderpuff which build school community. Students interested in government and politics at Miami Palmetto benefit from the expertise of educators like Mr. Spiegelman in courses like AP Comparative Government.
“I just really wanted to get involved in the senior activities. I’m really passionate about football, I know a lot about football,” referee Blank shared. “I was just introduced to the referee position by a couple [of] friends and it was with Mr. Soldinger, who was a teacher I had in the first two quarters of the year, and thought I would love to do it with him.”
This year marked Linda Dwyer’s first time refereeing Powderpuff, while both Soldinger and Spiegelman, with past high school football coaching experience, are familiar faces as Powderpuff referees. For senior teachers, it’s a chance to support their students in a significant senior activity.
“One of the best things about teaching in a high school and teaching seniors are events like these,” Soldinger reflected. “We hope that everyone has fun and that we can make it something that helps the seniors feel that their back into the swing of things by having a year filled with all the activities they missed.”
Despite the competitive nature of the games, the overarching goal for most participants was simply to enjoy themselves.
“It was really fun. Everyone tried their best and we all laughed so much. That’s the best part,” player Gonsalves said. “We really needed that especially with everything going on with college, it was really stress relieving. We just got to enjoy the day.” Powderpuff 2022 successfully provided Miami Palmetto seniors with a memorable and joyful experience, reinforcing school spirit and community after a challenging period.
