AJ Moncman stands on the football field at East Stroudsburg University, listening.
BEYOND THE SCOREBOARD
An occasional sports feature highlighting the unique stories of local athletes.
He hears the way the long snapper releases the ball, the way it rotates through the air. He hears how the punter catches the ball and the way the player’s foot makes contact.
Moncman hears what he can’t see.
A member of the Warriors football coaching staff, and a junior communications student at the university, Moncman is blind.
The 20-year-old from Lehigh County was born with Leber congenital amaurosis, a condition that affects the retina. He can’t see the game — but he can feel it, hear it and love it.
Moncman’s passion for sports and the football team serve as an inspiration for the young men he helps lead — and for other members of the coaching staff, who say he’s helped change the way they look at the game.
“I love the camaraderie of a team. I love being able to connect with all these guys and all of our staff … and try and at least change somebody's life,” Moncman said at practice last week. “If I can inspire one person, then I feel like I've lived the way I'm supposed to live.”
A love of sports
Moncman’s love of sports started early. He’d listen to Merrill Reese’s play-by-play of the Philadelphia Eagles on the radio. By the age of 3, Moncman wanted to be a sports commentator.
His father, Tim, coaches football at Parkland High School, near Allentown. His mom, Kim, coaches swimming. His sister, Taylor, is an assistant lacrosse coach at High Point University in North Carolina.
He grew up going to games and meets, soaking in the energy and learning as much as he could. At Southern Lehigh High School, Moncman qualified for nationals as part of the powerlifting team, earning fifth place. During football games, Moncman played with the marching band, serving as captain of the drumline.
He began writing for D11sports.com, covering basketball games. He’d sit near the scorer’s table, listening so he knew the ball’s location on the court, the reaction from the fans and the directives from the coaches. He also helped report live on games broadcast on YouTube. The experience provided more confirmation: Moncman wanted a career in sports.
“I love the passion that people play with. I think there's passion all over the place,” he said. “There's passion in coaching, there's passion in players, there's passion in fans. And I just love that sports can bring people of all different backgrounds, all different walks of life, just together.”
Connecting as a coach
Moncman first met East Stroudsburg University Head Coach Jimmy Terwilliger at the age of 12. At the time, Terwilliger coached with Moncman’s father at Parkland.
When it was time for Moncman to pick a college, Terwilliger wanted him at East Stroudsburg.
“He's been around football his entire life. He knows the game of football better than most people do,” said Terwilliger, a record-setting, All-American quarterback who played at East Stroudsburg from 2003-2006. “He's able to bring so much value to our staff. He does things on the outside and the inside of our football program to bring tremendous value. He’s a wonderful human being.”
Music blared from the speakers at the stadium last week, as the players began drills. Terwilliger watched as Moncman worked with the specialists — snappers, holders, kickers and punters.
“It sounds odd, but he is able to perceive things that the normal human being doesn't perceive. He can hear things, sense things. He's great with energy," the head coach said. "He's been around this game for so long that he understands what it takes to have successful championship habits, and he's able to give our guys feedback.”
The team started the season with a 5-1 record. Moncman listened closely, as the team practiced for Saturday’s game against Shippensburg University. He offered suggestions and praise.
A common misconception is that people who are blind are born with better hearing than most people, Moncman said. Instead, he practices his hearing more.
“That's why we practice for football, right? To be better than somebody that doesn't. I think it's kind of the same thing,” he said. “My hearing is so practiced because I have to hear different doorways that are open and different stuff like that. So I think just hearing those things makes it more fine-tuned.”
Matt Hagelgans serves as special teams coordinator and has watched Moncman develop as a student assistant.
“He uses his ears a lot to be able to diagnose the things that are going on. So he's really good at being able to hear when the ball is released and then also when it's hitting the punter's hands, or even when the ball is kicked,” Hagelgans said. “His perspective is so unique because he has to rely on his sense of feel and the relationships that he's making with the players … It's easy to be able to see and diagnose, but what AJ is able to do is he’s able to tell us, this is how he feels. The guys trust him because they know he's there for them.”
'Like a brother'
Connor Walsh credits Moncman for helping him learn the position of long snapper.
“Each snap he tells me where it is. He can hear where it goes, which is pretty awesome. So he tells me how to adjust, how to finish my hands, all that stuff,” Walsh said. “He's helped me get better every day.”
As a student, Moncman attends classes with some of the players, and he lives with a couple, too.
“It's kind of fun having a coach that's also your friend. He's there for us, for football things and also personal things,” said punter Adam Noll. “He's just someone that you want to have in your corner every single day.”
Another roommate, Ty Quintois, said Moncman helps him believe in himself.
“He is more like a brother,” the kicker said. “He's always there for me, and he's been there since I came in, and he's helped me mature and become a better man.”
Blindness Awareness Month
October serves as Blindness Awareness Month. Wednesday also served as White Cane Day, observed nationally each year on Oct. 15, and recognizing the independence, achievements and rights of people who are blind or visually impaired.
Moncman uses his white cane on the sidelines and around campus. He has the locations of his classes and the steps to get there memorized.
He uses a BrailleNote — an electronic device for people who are visually impaired — and a regular computer with a screenreader for his schoolwork. He uses the VoiceOver feature on his iPhone to listen to text messages, and sometimes has special accommodations for test-taking and other assignments.
He balances a busy class schedule with his responsibilities as a coach, including attending practices and meetings and traveling with the team.
Working toward a degree in communications and a concentration in sports media, he hopes to follow the dream he had at 3 years old, or to be a football coach.
“I would trade all the wins … to develop great young men, because I think that's what coaching is all about,” Moncman said.
Setting high expectations
The late afternoon sun illuminated the football field in the Poconos. While Moncman can't see, he can sense bright light and is bothered by it. The sunglasses he wore to practice helped.
A colleague guided him around the field, visiting the players who were stretching and preparing for the next part of practice. He offered fist bumps and a few hugs.
“Shoot high, set your expectations high. Pursue greatness. Try and be elite at two or three things. Put in the work to be deserving,” he said. “Your work leads into your outcomes. Like we always say here, winning is an outcome of what you do, and you have to be prepared and put in work to be deserving of a win … work hard and do things the right way.”
