Male Athlete of the Year: Sean Cuffe

As a captain of the hockey and football teams, in addition to being a member of the lacrosse team, senior Sean Cuffe ended his Pascack Valley sports career on a high note. To Cuffe, being able to lead a team is perhaps the greatest reward to being a captain of a team.

“Being captain of the sports teams is definitely one of the best awards you can get, because when you’re a captain of a team you’re one of the leaders of the team and that’s really where you develop yourself along with the team,” Cuffe said.

Cuffe has committed to the United States Military Academy at West Point to play sprint football, selecting one of his three sports to pursue in college. Choosing one sport to take to the next level may seem like a hard decision for many, but Cuffe more or less had his sights set on pursuing football all along.

“Football has always been my favorite sport. It’s always been the sport I’ve loved,” Cuffe said. “I love the team aspect. It’s never about one individual. It’s always about the team.”

The 2020-21 school year was the first year Cuffe was able to play all three sports, after having the spring season of his junior year cancelled due to COVID-19. Even though playing three sports takes up much of Cuffe’s free time, he enjoys the hard work.

“This is my first year doing 3 varsity sports since we didn’t have a spring season last year and I loved it,” Cuffe said. “Sometimes you want a break but personally I love grinding each sport. Even when I’m off [from sports], I’m in the weight room.”

Cuffe uses all his time wisely, as he is able to stay involved in extracurriculars at PV in addition to his three sports. He believes that time management is a skill necessary for everyone.

“[Time management] is a skill that everyone needs to work on,” Cuffe said. “I’ve always been strong with my time management. Some days I work out at [5:00 or 6:00 a.m.] so I can have more time after school.”

To Cuffe, setting an example for teammates is an important aspect of being a leader, and one that will likely serve him well in the future.

“I’m always able to be the best possible version of myself everyday and to my teammates,” Cuffe said. “I try to always try to be a leader so other people can follow my lead and lead to better examples.”