Coming to Andover with a lot of leadership experience already, Sebastian Valasek ’24 has and continues to use his knowledge to cultivate a powerful team bond, rooted in confidence, team spirit, and most importantly, communication.
Coming from Montreal, Canada, where American football is not very prevalent, Valasek embarked on a remarkable journey to showcase his dedication to the sport and his unwavering commitment to being a true team player and leader.
“I first started playing football in 2018 in Montreal, which is where I’m from. I played [some] sort of backyard football with my friends before, but nothing beyond that. My first experience with contact sports was in eighth grade when I started playing [football],” said Valasek.
When first starting, Valasek faced limited opportunities for high-level training and gameplay. His physicality often restricted his performance against opponents with more strength, experience, and superior athletic prowess. Only one year into playing, he began to lose motivation for the sport he loved so much.
Valasek said, “I played on a pretty bad team and I was undersized and so I have some memories of just getting, like, completely smoked by, much bigger, stronger, more athletic players. And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep playing.”
The following year marked Valasek’s breakthrough season. Persuaded to stay for another year, he devoted himself to rigorous offseason training, experiencing significant physical growth. This transformation earned him a spot on a competitive team, as its new captain. For Valasek, size became a pivotal element in his football journey. As he gained strength and height, the sport became more entertaining, enabling him to relish the sensation of being one of the larger players, a stark contrast to his previous year’s experience.
“My school coach sort of convinced me to come back for another year and I really enjoyed it and I was then chosen as captain, for that team and, you know, being a little bit bigger and stronger and being on a better team made the sport a lot more enjoyable and I would say it was my second year playing football that had me hooked,” Valasek said.
From an eighth grader who had just been introduced to football, to now leading Andover Football as a captain, Valasek hopes to inspire others with his journey. With hard work, perseverance, and outstanding performance from all his teammates, he hopes this year will mark a new journey for Andover Football.
“Certainly as a team, the goal is to win games, that’s not a surprise. We think that we’ve done a good enough job with recruiting and with our off-season program to be a competitive team in every single game that we play. We enter every single game with the attitude that we can win, which is not something that this program has had in the past and individually,” said Valasek.
Carter Aime ’25, a cornerback on the team, recognized Valasek for his tenacious spirit on the field and his ability to keep his team motivated. Regardless of the score, Valasek’s ability to remain optimistic is respected by his teammates.
Aime said, “My first impression of Seb[astian] was his ability to work hard through fatigue and adversity and his amazing energy toward the team. He is also high-spirited and trustworthy. No matter how badly we are losing or how greatly we are winning, Seb will always be there cheering us on the sidelines.”
While Valasek is not a recruit, he has become a driving force behind the Andover football team’s resurgence. His first impression of the Andover team and coaching staff, along with his journey exemplifies the power of determination and natural talent.
“I came into Andover honestly not knowing if I was going to play Varsity Football or if I even wanted to. I was very apprehensive about the whole thing. I didn’t apply to and over for sports or for football. I sort of came for the general experience and the academics and all that. Immediately upon meeting the guys on the football team and the coaching staff and getting the practice, I sort of realized that this is really somewhere that I could be very comfortable and have and forge very meaningful relationships,” Valasek said.
