Competitive sports brought an LI couple together

Sports have always been a major part of my life. I played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse at Plainview-Old Bethpage-John F. Kennedy High School and lacrosse at Emory University in Atlanta.

After graduating in 2005, I was living back on Long Island and working in Manhattan when my friend told me about ZogSports, a charity-focused, coed sports league for young adults. That November, I applied to work as a basketball referee. I thought it would be a great way to earn extra money, keep sports in my life and maybe meet someone special. I am so glad that I did.

That's how I met Joel. He is manager of operations at ZogSports and was training the new referees. I was 22. He was 24 and had grown up in Manhasset.

Our first communication revolved around Zog until our mutual competitiveness came out. We competed against each other on different soccer teams and were always talking about how we were going to beat each other in matches, at air hockey or in our March Madness tournament picks.

We began e-mailing every day and I spent the workday looking forward to what Joel would say next.

Six months later, around Passover 2006, I mentioned that it was my favorite Jewish holiday because I love baking all of the kosher-for-Passover cakes. Joel convinced me to come over with one of my cakes and watch baseball. That was the day I realized Joel thought of me as more than a friend. A few days later I met up with him and a few friends after work where we shared our first kiss.

The relationship blossomed from there. We began playing soccer on the same team and I moved to Manhattan. We continued to date and spent a wonderful two years together doing amazing things such as visiting Hawaii, fighting over the Mets vs. Yankees, going to Giants games and, most important, just having fun.

In May 2008, Joel was going out of town so I went to brunch with my sister. When I returned to our apartment I was not expecting him to be home, but the door was open with flowers outside.

As I entered, our song "No One" by Alicia Keys was playing. Rose petals and bouquets led to our balcony where Joel was waiting with more flowers and Champagne. He then got on one knee and proposed. On Aug. 8, 2009, we got married at Temple Judea in Manhasset and honeymooned in Italy. I now teach math at Soundview Academy in the Bronx.

Joel and I are always looking forward to our next adventure.