Thanks to our continued partnership with Univest Financial, SuburbanOneSports.com will once again recognize a male and female featured athlete each week. The recognition is given to seniors of high character who are students in good standing that have made significant contributions to their teams or who have overcome adversity. Selections are based on nominations received from coaches, athletic directors and administrators.
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Female Athlete (Sept. 18, 2023)
Lily King’s field hockey career has not exactly been smooth sailing. As a matter of fact, it’s included more than its share of setbacks. In truth, it would be easy to understand if the Council Rock North senior had walked away from sports completely, but King’s love for field hockey and her teammates made her persevere even when the odds were stacked against her. And they were stacked against her. What began as discomfort in her knee as her sophomore field hockey season was winding down resulted in surgery for a shattered kneecap, an injury she believes occurred during offseason softball. The surgery was followed by extensive physical therapy.
King returned in time for the start of her junior field hockey season, but on the third day of preseason, she felt her knee pop during a drill. This time it was a torn meniscus that kept her out for the entire season and resulted in another round of intense physical therapy. “My heart broke a little bit,” King said. “It was just super frustrating, and I felt really down on myself, and I was even considering not coming back because I was like – ‘Is there even a point anymore? I only have a year left.’ It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through.” A year later, King is back on the field, and she’s not only excelling but is a captain and leader of a Rock North squad that got off to its best start in years. “I was afraid she was going to be a little rusty, but she just completely persevered and stepped up when she needed to, and she’s continually doing that,” Rock North coach Jules Singer said. “Skill-wise, she’s a great player, but I think the biggest highlight of her as a player is her leadership. Whether it’s on the field or off the field, there’s a reason why I made her a captain. She truly embodies everything – she’s the first person to go up to a player and tell them they did a good job. If she sees a player who’s down, she’s the first person to go check in with them. She steps up when she needs to. I can’t say it any other way than she’s just an amazing kid.”
For King, getting back on the field with her teammates has been worth every grueling minute spent in PT. “Honestly, it feels amazing,” she said. I’m captain this year with three of my best friends. It’s awesome, and I’m having so much fun. I’m just so happy to be back, and the feeling of being on the field again and the feeling of winning with all my friends is just awesome. I love the sport, but I also love the community that comes out of it, and I feel so close to all of my teammates.” The injuries have not only given King a new appreciation for the opportunity to play a sport she loves - they have also altered her career choice. King plans to pursue a career in physical therapy. “Even though at times it made me so angry and frustrated, the process for me was kind of beautiful – seeing how exercises and different motions can heal the body in such a cool way, going from completely destroyed to coming back to new,” King said. “I want to do that for people, I want to be active, and I wanted to find a way where I could work with people one-on-one. I think it’s the perfect role for me.”
Next fall, King plans to begin her pursuit of a doctorate in physical therapy. An excellent student, she is taking two AP classes in addition to anatomy and physiology to prepare for her major. Her list of schools includes a number of East Coast schools such as the University of Delaware, the University of Pittsburgh among others. A point of pride for King is her role as an officer of Rock North’s Student Executive Board. She is a member of the National Honors Society, which involves community and service work. She is also involved in a volunteer program called Share and serves as an officer of that organization as well. King is not planning on playing collegiate field hockey but hasn’t ruled out the possibility of playing club depending on the school she chooses. Wherever King goes, her coach is certain she will make major contributions. “Lily is the definition of a student-athlete,” Singer said. “Not only does she excel on the hockey field as a captain, but she dominates in the classroom. Lily has not only overcome adversity with her injuries, but she just gets it and is a phenomenal asset to CR North field hockey.”
To read King’s complete story, please click on the following link: https://suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/lily-king-00108786
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Sept. 18, 2023)
Mammas don’t let you babies grow up to be football players, huh? Soccer, considered the safer alternative, is not exactly badminton. That is especially true for goalkeepers. For proof, just ask CB West senior keeper Griffin Blokker about the inherent job hazards. “It feels like I have been in physical therapy once or twice a year,” he said. “I’ve had broken fingers. Last year, I separated both of my shoulders within a two-month span. That was not fun. I screwed up my hips a little bit a few years ago.”
Heeding the words of former West coach Stefan Szygiel – “no one cares, just work harder” – Blokker fought through those injuries, barely missing any playing time since becoming the starter his sophomore year. But, while trying to perfect his goalkeeping chops at a camp this summer, he met his match. “This happened a week before preseason, like in early August, when I was at a camp,” he said. “I went to dive for a ball on my left. As I went to push off on my left foot, my foot got stuck in the ground and I ended up breaking my fibula. They originally thought it was a high ankle sprain, but in the end, it turned out to be my fibula. I wasn’t sure at first because I managed to walk off the field on my own, but there was a lot of adrenaline. That’s probably what got me up and off the field, but I knew that something was wrong right away.”
Instead of feeling too sorry for himself for too long, Blokker began working to get back onto the field. “It’s my senior year,” he said. “I started all but one game, within the past two years – my sophomore and junior year – I was pretty devastated when I first heard it. But, now, I’m handling it pretty well.” Aside from the physical work, Blokker refused to go into an emotional cocoon. “I’m making sure I show up and can help out in any way possible, whether that is with the goalkeepers or helping the freshmen get acclimated to the program. I’m just being vocal and being present and helping out in any way that I can.” For first-year head coach, John Adair, Blokker’s willingness to be of assistance has been both invaluable and inspiring. “It’s a tough thing for a senior, going into his last season, but he has been great,” said the coach of Blokker, who serves as a captain. “He has been mentoring a lot of the younger guys, which is something that I, as a first-year coach, really emphasized. I really wanted to build a whole program, and not just focus on the top 25 guys. Griffin has consistently been working with and encouraging our freshmen goalkeepers and our JV goalkeepers. And, overall, he has just been involved and engaged and being an extension of us, the coaches, on the sideline. He has been a bigger asset than anything I could have expected from someone who is not playing in the games.”
Despite the ill-timed injury, Blokker is still looking to play at the college level, whether it is at a Division II or III school. “He was already on track, and fully ahead of the recruiting process, before the injury,” said Adair. “He is an incredibly bright kid. He really thinks about things and has a really good perspective on a lot of things. He doesn’t seem to look at things through the lens you would expect of a kid his age. He has an ability to take a step back, as opposed to being more reactionary. He is super mature, and incredibly well-spoken and well-mannered, in terms of what you could ever ask for, in terms of a representation of the program.”
Born in Seattle and moving to the area around the age of 9 or 10 because his father’s job, Blokker is looking return to his native Northwest, but all offers are still under consideration for the Academic All-American. He realizes that his work in the classroom, maintaining a 4.3 GPA, has kept him on the radar for interested schools. “I’m taking a lot of AP classes,” said Blokker, an officer in the school’s NHS chapter while also in some STEM clubs. “I’d like to do something with nursing. My mom runs a doctor’s office in our area. I’m constantly in that environment. I’m constantly around people like that. I think it’s intriguing, and that’s what I really want to do.”
To read the remainder Blokker’s story, please click on the following link: https://suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/griffin-blokker-00108784
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