Ben Graham Article

[Lil Bit Special]

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/04/16/2884_news.html

16Apr07

BEN Graham's first six months living in New York was not easy.

He was away from his wife and daughters and struggling to train with the New York Jets while trying to arrange such essentials as a social security number, US credit, driver's licence, health benefits, somewhere to live, even air-conditioning. Two years later, the whole family _ Ben, Katie, and daughters Rosie and Sophie _ are having a ball.

``We absolutely love it,'' said the former Cats captain and champion.

``Looking back, it was tough and Katie deserves a lot of credit for what she had to put up with but we are now definitely settled and relaxed and enjoying the experience, as we initially set out to do.

``We've met some wonderful and helpful people and found it extremely easy to develop friendships from diverse groups such as the Jets, the National Football League, neighbours, the girls' school and the local community.''

Ben Graham is now 33. He made his debut with the Cats in 1993 and played 219 games. He suddenly departed for the New York Jets at the end of 2004.

After a couple of false starts with accommodation, the family is now happily living in a fine house about 48km east of Manhattan in Merrick Woods, on Long Island.

It's a far cry from Buckland Avenue, Newtown. Life is different in America. Ben even finds it helpful to adopt a slight American twang in order to make himself understood when buying gas, shopping at the supermarket, visiting the bank.

``I have to thank the Australian accent because every time I spoke, people listened. Now whether it was because they couldn't understand me I don't know but they all loved it and wanted me to keep talking. I've had a lot of fun with it and in fact found myself speaking 'more' Australian.

``The neighbourhood is great. Most of our neighbours work in Manhattan, on Wall Street and so on. They are intrigued by their new Australian friends. Privacy is well respected so it is a very comfortable place to live.'' Young daughters Rosie and Sophie are attending a nearby private school where Ben says they are ``thriving''.

``It's a well-respected school and it will give them a great start to their education. America offers great sporting programs for kids and the girls love their tennis, soccer and athletics which take up most of Katie's weekends. ``They've made friends really easily. American families are big on `play dates'. All their school friends love having the Aussies over to play.

``The move to the United States was hardest for Katie. While I'm busy training or playing football, and Sophie and Rosie are at school, it's easy for Katie to get homesick because she is so close to her family.

``She misses the support, especially from her mum, but I'm really proud of her that she is standing on her own two feet. Katie isn't allowed to work in the US due to my visa status but she's very busy running the house, volunteering as much as possible at the girls' school and contributing to the Jets Women's Organisation, which is heavily involved in community charities.

``We love welcoming our American friends into our home on a regular basis for them to experience a bit of Aussie culture.'' Fortunately, the New York Jets train at a complex only about 8km from Merrick Woods. Ben finds the training sessions as a NFL punter less physically demanding than AFL training.

``In general, the NFL is a much more specific game, depending on what position you play. There is no aerobic component in the NFL so there is more time to focus on specific needs.

``Obviously, my main focus is kicking and working on the punting and holding techniques but I spend a lot of the week in yoga and Pilates sessions, boxing and martial arts, stretching, and learning about the NFL. ``I work hard to keep in good shape. Weight and body fat are monitored every week. But I wouldn't be able to run out in an AFL game today. Thanks to a more intense lifting schedule, I'm now stronger than ever before. And even though I might not see much playing time as a punter, there's still a huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes, week to week.''

He must be going well enough. A year ago, Ben signed a six-year contract with the Jets, reported to be worth nearly $1 million a year. He says there is a huge difference in atmosphere at a NFL game compared with an AFL match. This is mainly because the average NFL ground takes 80,000 spectators but the playing field is much smaller, resulting in a much more intense atmosphere.

``The stands are always packed and in the case of the Jets, there's a 14-year waiting list on season tickets. NFL games are more stop-start and because of the importance of every play the crowd erupts with jubilation or disappointment, depending on the result of the play.

``The facilities are poles apart. This is not a blight on any AFL club, it's just that NFL teams are privately-owned, therefore the resources available to each team are greater.

``There seems to be constant change in the attempt to gain that competitive edge every team strives for. The Jets are building a brand new state-of-the-art facility and stadium which will be ready to move into next year.''

Ben and his family have managed to get back to Geelong a few times since the move to the United States. He played recently in a golf tournament at Barwon Heads. It is easy for him to name what he misses most about Australia.

``Family, family and friends. We think it is important that the girls remain in touch with Australian culture. And because it's summer when we are back in Australia and we love the outdoors lifestyle, we really make the most of it.

``The internet makes the world a smaller place so it isn't hard to keep in touch, but I do miss watching the footy live.''

It's far too early, says Ben, to tell if their future lies in America or Australia.

``Right now, we are focusing on making the most of this opportunity. As long as we're enjoying the experience together as a family, the girls are well educated, and I am still contracted, we'll stay in America.''

[McGraw38]

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/04/16/2884_news.html

16Apr07

BEN Graham's first six months living in New York was not easy.

He was away from his wife and daughters and struggling to train with the New York Jets while trying to arrange such essentials as a social security number, US credit, driver's licence, health benefits, somewhere to live, even air-conditioning. Two years later, the whole family _ Ben, Katie, and daughters Rosie and Sophie _ are having a ball.

``We absolutely love it,'' said the former Cats captain and champion.

``Looking back, it was tough and Katie deserves a lot of credit for what she had to put up with but we are now definitely settled and relaxed and enjoying the experience, as we initially set out to do.

``We've met some wonderful and helpful people and found it extremely easy to develop friendships from diverse groups such as the Jets, the National Football League, neighbours, the girls' school and the local community.''

Ben Graham is now 33. He made his debut with the Cats in 1993 and played 219 games. He suddenly departed for the New York Jets at the end of 2004.

After a couple of false starts with accommodation, the family is now happily living in a fine house about 48km east of Manhattan in Merrick Woods, on Long Island.

It's a far cry from Buckland Avenue, Newtown. Life is different in America. Ben even finds it helpful to adopt a slight American twang in order to make himself understood when buying gas, shopping at the supermarket, visiting the bank.

``I have to thank the Australian accent because every time I spoke, people listened. Now whether it was because they couldn't understand me I don't know but they all loved it and wanted me to keep talking. I've had a lot of fun with it and in fact found myself speaking 'more' Australian.

``The neighbourhood is great. Most of our neighbours work in Manhattan, on Wall Street and so on. They are intrigued by their new Australian friends. Privacy is well respected so it is a very comfortable place to live.'' Young daughters Rosie and Sophie are attending a nearby private school where Ben says they are ``thriving''.

``It's a well-respected school and it will give them a great start to their education. America offers great sporting programs for kids and the girls love their tennis, soccer and athletics which take up most of Katie's weekends. ``They've made friends really easily. American families are big on `play dates'. All their school friends love having the Aussies over to play.

``The move to the United States was hardest for Katie. While I'm busy training or playing football, and Sophie and Rosie are at school, it's easy for Katie to get homesick because she is so close to her family.

``She misses the support, especially from her mum, but I'm really proud of her that she is standing on her own two feet. Katie isn't allowed to work in the US due to my visa status but she's very busy running the house, volunteering as much as possible at the girls' school and contributing to the Jets Women's Organisation, which is heavily involved in community charities.

``We love welcoming our American friends into our home on a regular basis for them to experience a bit of Aussie culture.'' Fortunately, the New York Jets train at a complex only about 8km from Merrick Woods. Ben finds the training sessions as a NFL punter less physically demanding than AFL training.

``In general, the NFL is a much more specific game, depending on what position you play. There is no aerobic component in the NFL so there is more time to focus on specific needs.

``Obviously, my main focus is kicking and working on the punting and holding techniques but I spend a lot of the week in yoga and Pilates sessions, boxing and martial arts, stretching, and learning about the NFL. ``I work hard to keep in good shape. Weight and body fat are monitored every week. But I wouldn't be able to run out in an AFL game today. Thanks to a more intense lifting schedule, I'm now stronger than ever before. And even though I might not see much playing time as a punter, there's still a huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes, week to week.''

He must be going well enough. A year ago, Ben signed a six-year contract with the Jets, reported to be worth nearly $1 million a year. He says there is a huge difference in atmosphere at a NFL game compared with an AFL match. This is mainly because the average NFL ground takes 80,000 spectators but the playing field is much smaller, resulting in a much more intense atmosphere.

``The stands are always packed and in the case of the Jets, there's a 14-year waiting list on season tickets. NFL games are more stop-start and because of the importance of every play the crowd erupts with jubilation or disappointment, depending on the result of the play.

``The facilities are poles apart. This is not a blight on any AFL club, it's just that NFL teams are privately-owned, therefore the resources available to each team are greater.

``There seems to be constant change in the attempt to gain that competitive edge every team strives for. The Jets are building a brand new state-of-the-art facility and stadium which will be ready to move into next year.''

Ben and his family have managed to get back to Geelong a few times since the move to the United States. He played recently in a golf tournament at Barwon Heads. It is easy for him to name what he misses most about Australia.

``Family, family and friends. We think it is important that the girls remain in touch with Australian culture. And because it's summer when we are back in Australia and we love the outdoors lifestyle, we really make the most of it.

``The internet makes the world a smaller place so it isn't hard to keep in touch, but I do miss watching the footy live.''

It's far too early, says Ben, to tell if their future lies in America or Australia.

``Right now, we are focusing on making the most of this opportunity. As long as we're enjoying the experience together as a family, the girls are well educated, and I am still contracted, we'll stay in America.''

Love Grahmy, the only punter worth a damn in recent memory