Name: Marissa Johnson
Role: President, Old Rochester Youth Football
Age: 36
How she came to Tri-Town: She grew up in Central Massachusetts and Dartmouth before her family relocated to Rochester just before her freshman year at ORR.
What she’d change as the President of Tri-Town: I don’t know if I’d change anything. I can tell you something I think is great, I like how a lot of the sports are together. I think it’s so much better than from when I was younger, when it was all separate. The kids get to meet all the kids from different towns, and when they get to the junior high and high school, they know each other. So I guess I’d say I’d strengthen that even more.
Favorite place: Well, the place I am the most is here (Old Rochester football field), especially this time of year. But I think my favorite spot is the lighthouse, the Ned’s Point area, it’s beautiful.
Ever seen a celebrity? Well, I work at Turk’s (Seafood in Mattapoisett), so you see people. I’ve seen Jason Varitek, and – oh goodness, I can’t remember his name … (James Spader?) … Yes! James Spader. He comes in once and awhile and gets takeout. It’s nice to see him, but we want to make sure they’re treated like regular people.
By Jonathan Comey
Marissa Johnson isn’t a movie star, but she’d have fit in just fine with the cast of the summer blockbuster Wonder Woman.
As the president of the Old Rochester Youth Football League (and mother of four), she is the leader of a large group of volunteers working together to keep Tri-Town’s young players and cheerleaders organized and engaged.
“I’ve been heavily involved for eight years, but this is actually going to be my first year in charge,” said Johnson, who takes over for Tom Flynn. “It was kind of natural for me to take over, because I have done a little of everything.”
More like a lot of everything – running a youth sports league is a daunting undertaking, requiring hundreds of hours over the course of a single season.
But with her husband Dayne as vice president, and her three youngest kids all taking part in the league (oldest son Drew plays football for Old Rochester Regional), it’s definitely a Johnson family affair.
“So yeah, I’m busy, but I’m definitely used to it,” she said. She’s at the Old Rochester Regional football field just about every day from now through November, filling whatever role needs to be filled on that day.
As one of the few female presidents of a youth sports league in the area, Johnson doesn’t worry much about fitting in.
“It is obviously a very male sport, but everyone’s been so great,” she said. “I had a great relationship with parents and coaches before, and I think they’re used to asking me questions, so I haven’t had any issues at all.”
And she also knows that husband Dayne, a former player at Old Rochester Regional who is an assistant coach there, has her back.
“I know a lot about football, but it’s nice to have your husband as a go-to for any kind of technical questions,” she said.
It was through Dayne that she came to love the sport. She said she grew up around it, but it wasn’t until she started dating her husband that she really fell for football (and him).
The athletic culture in Tri-Town has always been good, and then-Marissa Rand was a standout for the Old Rochester soccer and basketball teams.
She was a member of the 1998 state championship team that was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame – fittingly she missed the ceremony because she was attending her daughter’s basketball tournament.
There are always tournaments to attend, logistics to grapple with, and problems to solve.
“My husband and I are completely straight out, especially now. With Pop Warner football, you have so many regulations, ages, weights, rules, making sure everyone’s safe,” she said. “That’s my nervousness going into the season, making sure it all runs smoothly as it can. But I have a huge group of parents that have already helped out, stepped up a lot. It’s really a great league, I’m happy to be part of it.”
Between now and the end of the season, there will be countless headaches, large and small, for Johnson to deal with, and she admits that it can be difficult at times. But it’s all worth it.
“For me, it’s when we get to the championship games, and the kids are celebrating winning that trophy, that’s what really makes it great,” she said. “Seeing that for the kids, knowing they’ll all remember it. I love that.”