Newest Blue Jays: Despite a Major Injury, Cianni Nieves Never Lost Her Drive for Sports

Cianni Nieves (Arts Academy of Benjamin Rush HS, Philadelphia) comes to Manor to study Sports Management.

Cianni Nieves started her blitz and rushed straight into the backfield, her eyes only on the bright flag hanging from the opposing quarterback’s waist.

As she turned the corner and reached for the flag, she collided with a teammate and fell to the ground, where she felt the crack in her shoulder. Nieves broke her collarbone and would be in a cast for eight months.

“But I got the flag,” Nieves said.

The injury kept her out of flag football for two years. Even with the time away, she never hesitated about returning to the field.

“I love training for it, because the feeling you get when the training pays off – getting on the field and realizing ‘I can do this’ – I just love that,” said Nieves, who played flag football for two years at Arts Academy of Benjamin Rush High School in Philadelphia. “I love the rush.”

Nieves has held a love for sports since she was a kid throwing a football with her dad and brother in the yard. After breaking her collarbone, she developed a greater appreciation for the game, interning as the basketball team manager for her high school.

“I learned about the stats, the travel, the plays, what goes on behind the scenes,” Nieves said. “It was seeing how much you can really support a team and put in the work while not playing for them.”

This Fall, Nieves will enroll at Manor College to play flag football for the Blue Jays and to study Sports Management. Her career goal is to work with children in sports to give them the experiences she had as a kid.

“Working with youth and teenagers, you can just build them up from a young age,” Nieves said. “You can still have fun, but you see how beneficial you can be to young athletes, to their mental state and to the team.”

Coming to Manor, Nieves hopes to break out of her shell and become involved in the community.

“I’m a closed off person, so Manor’s small campus will give me a chance to be more open, talk to other people and get out of my comfort zone,” Nieves said. “I’m excited to be on campus, live in the dorms and learn about other people’s lives.”