Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

RED BANK: BLOCKING AND TACKLING IN CHINA

mario-williams-1-500x334-2385842Mario Williams demonstrating a block to football newbies in China, above. Below, Williams at the Danish Cafe in Red Bank last November. (Photo below by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

mario-williams-113015-220x165-8055850redbankgreen received the following dispatch last week from Mario Williams, a Red Bank Regional graduate who’s now spending a semester at Kean University‘s campus in Wenzhou, in southeast China:

My trip in China has been amazing so far, and I still have 3 months in the semester left. I have so many great stories to share. Today was one of my favorites! My name was apparently mentioned in a conversation recently to someone and, from that, I was invited to Jiù Shān Stadium to help run practice for the newly formed Wenzhou Redbucks Football Team.

mario-williams-3-500x334-4693314Chinese students running drills last week. (Click to enlarge)

These are guys who have never played football before, never touched helmets or shoulder pads before and have zero football knowledge. Yet, they have such a love for the sport because they sometimes stream NFL games online and they were ecstatic to be able to suit up and give the game of American football a try for the first time. Even though this is a country were football is pretty much non-existent, I was surprised at the amount of effort put forth from every single player on the team. They all gave 110% effort like they somehow already had a hidden passion for the game that they finally got to showcase.

Even though only 2 of them speak English and I have to communicate through a teammate who translates for me, They are looking to me as a leader because I have enough experience to get them heading in the right direction and get them familiar enough with the game so that when I leave China they can continue to build off the basics that I plan to teach them. These guys are intelligent, physical and show great potential in my eyes. So even though this is day 1 on their journey, I have no doubt in my mind that they will be improving tremendously over the next few weeks and shock some people and themselves! #CoachMario

Williams, who played football and ran track at RBR, graduated in 2014. redbankgreen wrote about his interest in studying in China back in December. Check out that article here.

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
NOT SO SCARY
Twenty times? Fifty times? How many times did we drive by this home on the corner of River Street and Shrewsbury and do a double take before ...
LOCAL 9 TAKE TROPHY
After a long hot two days of baseball, the Red Bank area-based Jersey Shore Raiders emerged as champions of the United States Amateur Baseba ...
RHAPSODY ON ICE
RED BANK: On a cool-ish summer evening, keyboardist NGXB entertained customers of Strollo's Italian Ice with renderings of 'Bohemian Rhapsod ...
PUDDLE BE GONE
A work crew was out this week attacking the site of the notoriously persistent puddle at the corner of Broad and Mechanic Streets. This phot ...
SMALLS FOR MAYOR?
We at redbankgreen remain neutral in political affairs and never make endorsements. But we have to say Borough Clerk Laura Reinertsen’ ...
CRASH ON LEIGHTON
The driver of this car was headed north on Leighton Avenue when they it hit an SUV pulling a work trailer headed in south in the opposing la ...
CAR VS STREET SIGN
The driver of this Mercedes hopped the curb and toppled the street sign at the corner of South Pearl and Drs. James Parker Boulevard Wednesd ...
SKETCHES OF RED BANK BY LOCAL ARTIST MICHAEL WHITE
Sketches of Red Bank scenes have been floating around on social media and we thought they deserved some spotlight. First appearing in our fe ...
POLE DOWN
Utility pole falls on English Plaza shop Forge after being struck by SUV shortly before noon. No injuries reported, though 86-year-old drive ...
YO, ADRIAN!
It’s a tough turn for our hero as Rocky Balboa is relegated to the curb for trash pickup on Locust Avenue. We’ll have to go back ...
“EL PALOMO” IS IN THE HOUSE
Jesus Rios, a mariachi singer who performs under the stage name “El Palomo” (The dove) pauses for a moment before entering a bac ...
CROC SPOTTED IN RIVER
Frighteningly hideous and green, a solitary Croc lurked ominously amid the flotsam and foam in the Navesink River alongside the Red Bank Fir ...
KISS ICON REFLECTS ON BROADWALK
A Swarovski crystal-bedazzled self-portrait painting of Paul Stanley, longtime singer and guitarist for the rock band Kiss peers out from a ...
CHISELIN’ AWAY
Marcelo Garcia Lopez works with hammer and chisel on a new feature for his flower garden on Shrewsbury Avenue: a hollow in a carved log in w ...
STORM CLEANUP CONTINUES
  Saturday’s storm sent a tree toppling on this house on Bank Street, damaging the roof. Workers Wednesday could be seen removing ...
SNAPPING IN THE BREEZE
RED BANK: Blustery winds had the flags in Riverside Gardens Park snapping Monday evening.
POWER LINE DOWN
Red Bank firefighters were on scene at Manor Drive dealing with a live power line Monday afternoon. There was no immediate report of fire. T ...
TAR BEACH SOLSTICE
Aldo Quiroz of Ocean Township came ready with his beach chair and found a shady spot to spend his lunch hour in a parking lot off Broad Stre ...
GOING GREY
Workers painting the stone facade of the PNC Bank at the corner of Broad and Harding Thursday morning. An upgrade? Maybe it’s just pri ...
COFFEE & WILDLIFE
RED BANK: The best wildlife show in town can be taken in from a waterfront bench outside the public library, and it's totally free.