In game host Sophia Sargent invites BostonMan Magazine readers on the field with her in this exclusive look at the IFL’s Massachusetts Pirates in Lowell.
ONE of the most incredible parts about living in Boston is the great history of its sports teams.
Whether you’re looking at the seventeen NBA titles the Boston Celtics hold, or the legacy of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick with six Super Bowls, the Boston sports scene is something everyone has a connection to.
It’s one component of the city that always brings people together through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Over in Lowell, just thirty minutes outside of Boston, there is another team holding down the fort that you may not know that much of.
With the title of IFL Champions earned in 2021, the Massachusetts Pirates are a professional in-arena football team, a part of the Indoor Football League, as well as the National Arena League (NAL). Unlike many minor league teams, the MA Pirates Football team does not have a direct affiliate to the NFL. However, a number of players are on track to be drafted, or have played already in The League.
Starting in Worcester in 2018 at the DCU Center, the team recently switched to Lowell, signing a multi-year deal to play at the Tsongas Center.
Some of the incredible talent brought to town is included, but not limited to, quarterback Alejandro Bennifield who is in his fourth season with the Pirates. He leads the team by bringing his experience from his QB college days at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, to now holding a total of eight playoff records and three all-time achievements for the organization. Even with an injury taking him out for six games during his 2023 season, his season was highlighted in six of the ten IFL’s top quarterback statistics categories.
Not to mention wide receiver Issac Zico from Purdue University, who has been an incredibly strong asset to the team this season. As an experienced free agent with the Tennessee Titans, Zico has scored thirty four total touchdowns throughout his career. In the words of Bennifield, he is the “best player on the team right now”, channeling his love for Hulk out on the field, and showing us his Tiktok inspired touchdown celebration each game.
Let’s not forget the incredible coaching staff, with Rod Miller as head coach showing up with his experiences as the Defensive Coordinator of the Vegas Knight Hawks.
Mark Stout has an advantage being the Associate Head Coach, sharing his insight from his past three seasons in other IFL teams as well as the Pirates.
When you see Offensive Coordinator Bones Bagaunte, you’ll never forget him. Not only is he a prior player of the team, but he is the most fashionable while leading the Pirates to victory.
When I got the chance to catch up with Coach Bagaunte he shared that his relationship with players is unique, as they can “respect me on the field first, from winning the championship in ‘21”.
Not to mention the rest of the incredible crew, Defensive Line and Linebackers Coach Anthony Parker, Offensive Line Coach Patrick Carney, Defensive Assistant Billy Savary, Assistant to the Staff Donnie Williams, and Equipment Manager William Tanda Jr.
Last but certainly not least, the Pirates are lucky to not only have a native to Massachusetts as their owner, but one who is committed to the team as well. Jawad Hatim, the Founder, Co-Owner, President, and General Manager, was raised in Shrewsbury Massachusetts.
A football lover himself, he spent a good portion of his life on the gridiron playing in high school, college, and even for the IFL too. Alongside his father Hassan Yatim, CEO and Co-Owner of the team, Jawad Yatim shares in his interview his experiences with Ben Gottschalk in the article titled The Man Behind The Team: Jawad Yatim.
“It’s a great experience, we’ve been able to go through the ups and downs of running an organization together. I’m certainly grateful for it and will carry this period in my life with me forever.”
With so much character to the team, it’s impossible not to watch the sport. As much as it is fun to watch any sport out there, it’s even more exciting to get to know the players behind the game. It’s so easy to view these guys, as quite literally pawns, celebrities, or simply not like “the average Joe,” because they are put in the spotlight for their jobs. We forget that there are stories behind each and every player, some of which I didn’t even know could be possible. There are dreams, hardships, and quirks like sideline celebrations, that make them who they are on and off the field.
As the NESN sideline reporter for each and every home game, I get the opportunity to learn more about each player, reflecting who they are on and off the field.
Believe it or not, Issac Zico is a big Marvel fan, but you didn’t hear that from me! This team is an example and opportunity for so many others in the surrounding communities as well.
When I see the little kids in the stands, the young college aged staff, and the organizations the Pirates partner with, I realize as much as the team wants this opportunity to be on the field, the community needs them just as much!
Bringing professional sports to the city of Lowell is not only great for the team to continue to do what they love, but it opens doors for individuals entering the world of professional sports.
Students or aspiring athletes can get first hand experiences while still in school, with a team that works hand in hand with a league that’s the real deal. It’s an opportunity to try different areas of a team, to get real world experience, but also practice their craft with mentorship from management.
This would include sideline reporters, photographers, journalists, and other components of the team as well!
As someone who graduated college last year, creating a career for myself has been a wild ride. Personally, I am not following the field of my college major. I’ve worked for every job I’ve had, by putting myself in the right rooms, with the right people. I often took the job nobody wanted, so that I can get the job in media that I have now. To be able to be a part of the Pirates, will allow me to flourish in my career, to practice being a sideline reporter in a sometimes stressful, yet professional position. Not only do I get to do this, but I notice I’m surrounded by my peers in sports who get their chance to practice and shine. I’m always supported by the team, even though I was internally freaking out when I knew I had my very first live broadcast to tackle! It’s been a joy to make connections and friends with others who are on a similar path as me, through positions at the Pirates.
In terms of support of the move from Worcester to Lowell this year, I caught up with Offensive Coodinator Bones Bagaunte to chat more on it. He states that the city of Lowell has been “phenomenal” in welcoming the team to the community. He gives a special thank you to Mr. Rady Mom, a state representative who has been there through the transition to Lowell, as well as the fans who have shown up for the team so far this season.
From a community standpoint, this is one of the most exciting experiences to be a part of in Lowell. With access to great athletes as well as opportunities to learn more about sports, anyone can really benefit from the organization.
Not only that, but it is so much fun to go to the game! Families, passionate fans, and friends of players, fill the stadium to experience the players themselves. Fans even get to be in on the action, as there are seats right next to the tunnel, the spot where the players sit in between plays. If you’re in the right spot, it’s a shot for all of the action as coaches give pointers to players, or celebrate a touchdown.
Don’t forget the t-shirt toss, in-arena host Brandon Clay playing trivia with fans, and of course the MA Pirates Cheer Squad! At the end of the game, everyone even gets one on one time with players as the field is open for autographs and photos.
Issac Zico made a point to share with me how rewarding his “interactions” with fans are so far this season, when coming to Lowell. Zico is consistently interacting with the high energy crowd throughout the game with high fives, and shares that “fans never go unnoticed.”
Players and fans “cannot get this experience somewhere else,” one where lots of money and extra passes are required to even get a good seat.
Not only does his defense inspire him to be better on offense, but Zico also notes that the fans play a role in that too. He shares when “kids see what we do on the field, they look at us like Lebron”.
Whether it’s high fives in the tunnel or autographs post game, Coach Bones Bagaunte shares a story of how he goes above and beyond to embrace excitement with fans. He describes one game in his playing career, where he was out on injury. The original mascot performer also happened to be out.
So Bones stepped in to fulfill that role, putting a smile on the face of a fan celebrating a birthday. He shares how special it was to bring her a birthday cake, without her even knowing it was him!
Furthermore, I’ve seen firsthand the importance for children, families, and even young adults to have the Pirates in their community. They are able to understand that the professional sports lifestyle is not so far out of reach.
I have realized it is so much more attainable than I thought to be involved in professional sports. I came to this season with zero live broadcast experience, just drive, a dream, and being open minded to always learning more.
As I continue to become further immersed with the advice the organization has for those looking to start somewhere in sports, Zico shares what he would tell a young aspiring football player.
He states to “keep working, striving for those goals, stay disciplined” and it will all pay off.
Baguante also adds that this is a “another stepping stone for” athletes “professional careers. Guys are coming from the NFL, have aspirations to go to the NFL, and have the chance to chase their dreams at a high level.”
When children can see their dreams right in front of their eyes like this, their conception of it doesn’t seem so distant. They can put themselves in the shoes of the players, to better goalset for the future, visualize reality, and most importantly never lose the dream of professional sports.
So next time a Friday night game rolls around, the lights in the Tsongas Center in Lowell will be flashing blue and white. There’s a crowd roaring as the hype begins for the game ahead. Smoke fills the air as the MA Pirates players bolt out of the tunnel and onto the field. The electric energy is contagious amongst the players, as the cheerleaders crush their routines. The medics are ready, the social media team is recording, and the photographers have taken their places. The fans are screaming, waving their signs; and the coaches have their game faces on.
Then, there’s me. I will have spent hours prior to the game picking out my on-camera outfit, practicing potential interview questions, and researching the team as much as possible before each game.
The more, I think, the more I get. What’s the right thing to ask? I don’t want to bother them mid-game to ask questions. Don’t ask, “how did it feel to get that touchdown?” Friday night in the Tsongas Center, is a number of incredibly talented individuals and dreamers, on their way to become the best that they can be. I’m honored to be one of them.
