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GO APE: SportzWire, Serafin Sports Training Launch Impact Player of the Week

GO APE: SportzWire, Serafin Sports Training Launch Impact Player of the Week

By: Justin Bradley | SportzWire | September 9, 2026 | Photo courtesy Sportzwire

PITTSTON, PA — Big moments don’t always belong to the biggest name on the field.

Sometimes it’s the star who takes over a game. Sometimes it’s the backup whose number gets called unexpectedly. The lineman who controls the point of attack. The defender who makes one game-changing play. Or the player who simply steps into a moment his team desperately needs him to own.

This fall, SportzWire and Serafin Sports Training are teaming up to recognize them.

Beginning with Week 2 results of the 2026 football season, SportzWire will introduce the Impact Player of the Week, Powered by Serafin Sports Training, a new weekly feature recognizing one District 2 football player whose performance made a meaningful difference for their team.

One player. One opportunity. One performance that changed the game.

The weekly recognition will continue throughout the regular season and into the District 2 playoffs, with each selection receiving a dedicated SportzWire graphic and feature article highlighting the performance.

More Than the Stat Line

Impact won’t be defined by one formula.

A 200-yard night might earn it. So could a fourth-quarter interception, a dominant performance in the trenches, a backup stepping in because of an injury or a player embracing an entirely different role and delivering.

The question each week is simple:

Who made the impact?

That approach also makes Serafin Sports Training⁠ a natural partner for the feature.

Building the Complete Athlete

For owner Mark Serafin, developing an athlete means considerably more than adding weight to a bar or shaving time off a sprint.

A Marine Corps combat veteran with nearly 12 years of experience coaching football and baseball, Serafin has built his training philosophy around developing young athletes both physically and mentally.

Strength. Speed. Agility. Conditioning. Sport-specific development.

But also confidence, discipline, understanding and preparation.

Serafin emphasizes teaching athletes what they are doing, which muscle groups they are developing, proper technique and why particular movements can help them perform. His approach also extends into nutrition, recovery and helping young athletes better understand how to take care of their bodies.

He deliberately works with athletes in small groups, allowing training to progress at an appropriate pace rather than rushing development. That philosophy, individualized attention, progressively greater challenges and building confidence along the way has become central to SST’s approach.

That small-group, mentorship-driven philosophy is also reflected in outside coverage of Serafin Sports Training, where athletes have discussed improvements in both performance and mindset and Serafin has emphasized discipline and support extending beyond the gym.

For Serafin, the objective is getting the best out of each athlete, not creating the same athlete.

And that fits exactly with what SportzWire wants the Impact Player feature to represent.

Prepare for the opportunity. Respond to the moment. Make an impact.

Or, in SST terms:

BIG MOMENT. BIGGER RESPONSE. GO APE.

Impact Beyond Friday Night

The partnership won’t stop with the player recognized each week.

A portion of Serafin Sports Training’s partnership will support the SportzWire Community Impact Fund, established in partnership with The Luzerne Foundation.

The fund was created to help provide aspiring student journalists, photographers, broadcasters and creators with resources, equipment, professional development and real-world opportunities, while also supporting broader community outreach throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Learn more about the SportzWire Community Impact Fund and its partnership with The Luzerne Foundation⁠

It’s an added piece that gives the word impact meaning well beyond a football field.

Each week, SportzWire and SST will celebrate an athlete who answered the call for his team.

At the same time, the partnership will help create opportunities for the next generation waiting for theirs.

Ready to Go Ape?

Athletes and families interested in learning more about Serafin Sports Training can connect directly with Mark and SST on Facebook or call 570-817-1481.

Connect with Serafin Sports Training on Facebook⁠

The first SportzWire Impact Player of the Week Powered by Serafin Sports Training will be announced Thursday.

Big moment. Bigger response. GO APE.