Hun grad to play in Sunshine all-star game
By: Justin Feil
Like plenty of kids, Mike Arduini grew up with soccer occupying his fall seasons.
When he came to The Hun School as a freshman, however, he made a change to football.
"I knew I didn’t have the body to be a soccer player," Arduini said. "I figured I’d try something new. We always played football on the playgrounds and everywhere. I figured I’d give it a shot."
Then 5-feet-10 and 255 pounds, Arduini knew he’d found a sport to stick with as a freshman. With each successive football season, Arduini proved he had made the right decision and following his senior season this fall he was selected to play in next Thursday’s Sunshine Classic all-star game.
"I always wanted to play in it since I saw it a couple years ago," Arduini said. "Last year I went to see a teammate and the year before that I just kind of went. I’m so excited just to get in pads again.
"I think it’s just determination in the weight room and in the field," he explained of his rise to all-star status. "It’s your whole attitude toward the game."
Arduini has grown into a 6-1, 280-pound lineman that still shows evidence of that soccer background. His footwork in combination with his strength make him hard to handle on a football field. Besides a soccer background, Arduini always stayed active throughout his high school years.
"I played basketball, lacrosse and other sports," he said. "It all culminated in my football skills. Basketball, as much as anything else, allowed me to improve my movement, both my vertical and horizontal movement."
Arduini is slated to play offense for the West all-star team that will take on the East at The College of New Jersey 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Teams are divided by Route 1.
Arduini attended his first practice at Princeton Day School on Wednesday in preparation for perhaps the final time he plays offense before he will be joining the Hobart College football team for preseason practice in August.
"I’m playing defense in college," said the Hamilton resident. "They play a 4-3, almost a 4-4. So I’ll be at tackle."
Arduini could be at guard for the Sunshine Classic. He’s been a standout on both sides of the ball for the Raiders. He played tackle on both sides of the ball as junior before moving to guard on offense last fall to go with his defensive tackle spot on a defense that was dominant throughout the year. He is the lone representative from Hun in this year’s Sunshine game.
"I know a lot of the guys on the other team," Arduini said, explaining his connection to the East all-stars, "I live in Hamilton and I went to school with those guys. I played with a couple of those guys. The ones on the West team with me, I don’t know a lot of them. I’m looking forward to getting to know them.
"I always play to win and be a part of the team. My major goal in this game is to play hard. It doesn’t matter, win or lose. Most of us will be playing a good level of football after this and we’re just trying to make each other better."
Since the end of Hun’s season in the fall, Arduini has been working to make himself better in preparation for Hobart. It has him feeling ready for the all-star game Thursday, a perfect starting point for getting ready for college.
"Preseason weight training and speed training started a couple months ago," he said. "We start practice on the 16th of August. There’s a ticker on the Web site that tells you how many days left until the season opener against Dickinson. I check it a lot."
Arduini has played a competitive level of football at Hun, though he points out that his experience in other sports has helped him just as much to become the player he is today.
"Going to Hun gives you the opportunity to prepare yourself academically as well as physically," said Arduini, whose brother will be a freshman at Hun this fall. "They force you to play more than one sport for your athletic requirement. It allows you to be a more sound athlete, not just a good football, basketball or baseball player."
Arduini is expecting the Sunshine experience to be a way for him to get a glimpse of what to expect in August when he will shift his attention solely to football at the more serious college level.
"It helps because it puts me in a position again where I don’t know many people on the team," he said. "It allows you to come together with different guys and play the game rather than guys you’ve been playing with for four years. It’ll help to get to camp and put on pads. It’ll get the fire completely lit again."
After a week of practice and Thursday’s game, it might make taking the pads off for a couple months all the more difficult. It certainly won’t help the start of Hobart’s season feel as though it is coming any sooner. Arduini has always looked forward to his time on the field.
"It’s always tough to take the pads off," Arduini said. "I felt it the most after senior year. You’re leaving your field and your friends."
Arduini seems unable to leave the field for too long. Following a steady career at Hun, Mike Arduini has the chance at a bonus game after being recognized as one of the top players in the area with a selection to the Sunshine Classic. It’s the next step in what quickly grew to become his favorite sport.
"I started playing football freshman year, and I was new to the game," he said. "I wasn’t expecting anything. I fell in love with it. Ever since freshman year, I knew it was what I was going to do."