There are many sportspeople for whom height represents an advantage – think of Shaquille O’Neal on the dunk, or Tyson Fury using his reach behind the jab. But, for Hungarian born, Csecs Laslo Norbert, his height of 6-feet-8-inches provided no such advantage in his ability to participate in sport.
The 20-year-old found it difficult to play sports such as soccer, or any sport which required a lot of running. This is one of the reasons why Norbert was seduced by American Football and decided to try out for East London Phoenix.
Phoenix To The Rescue
“I just wouldn’t fit the most popular games because I was too tall and there was too much running involved,” Laslo said.
However, the Offensive Lineman quickly realised that playing American Football at the University of East London afforded opportunities to all, so it was a no-brainer for the Hungarian to take an interest in the sport on his arrival at the UEL.
“I really like American Football because of this, as on the very first day you could see that it requires people of many shapes and sizes who all work in harmony for a few crucial seconds per down.
“UEL’s strength was always its sports,” Laslo added. “So I was highly motivated to go and see what I can do to add to the University’s reputation. Thankfully, most other beginners were amateurs like me.”
One of Laslo’s earliest memories watching sports was when he was 4-years-old. Laslo would spend most of his time watching soccer with his father as they followed their local club, Ujpest Football Club, from the capital Budapest, where his dad used to compete at fencing.
Back in Hungary and before he began playing American Football, Laslo and his father followed the Minnesota Vikings. However, due to the time difference in Hungary, he would find it difficult to watch the NFL games as they would be televised at 2-3 AM Hungarian time.
Life Lessons
The Hungarian’s time at UEL is now coming to an end, which also means his time at East London Phoenix will also finish. But, the experiences he will take away from playing the sport be with him throughout his life.
“It has been a great challenge, a great mix of triumphs and failures,” Laslo said. “Our team’s biggest achievement during my 3 years was perhaps winning the Varsity game against ARU last year.
“The former and current UEL captains, Connor Facey and Tatum Etchegoyen have shown strong leadership; from teammates, I learned endurance and strength. American Football teaches you to find strength from yourself and your friends, perhaps deity and ritual.
“It’s all part of American Football and in my opinion is a great thing to experience and one that I would recommend for many future students to take up.”
With Phoenix having a female captain and the experiences learnt by Laslo, it’s a good advertisement for the club for future students at UEL.
