On Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012, Central Bucks South senior Ryan Kelly was recognized for making a commitment to play lacrosse at the U.S. Naval Academy.
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Ryan Kelly – United States Naval Academy (Lacrosse)
Major: Engineering
Final list of colleges: Naval Academy, Princeton, St. Joe's, Holy Cross, Amherst, Dartmouth
Reasons for choosing the Naval Academy: “Navy has so much to offer. A great education, world class leadership training and the opportunity to serve my country. When I made my visit there, the whole experience was incredible.”
What was the progression that led you to playing lacrosse at the collegiate level? “At the beginning of my junior year, I wasn't sure what to expect from the recruiting process. I was thinking I would probably end up playing D-3 since my high school team wasn't very competitive at the time, and, therefore, I didn't get a lot of exposure. Fortunately, I was selected to play for a very competitive club team and played well in summer and fall tournaments against some very good teams with some highly talented players. All of a sudden, I started receiving interest from a lot of great schools, but Navy was my dream school since my freshman year, so it was an easy choice.”
Coach Mike Sharman says: “Ryan started out as a catcher in baseball, and when you’re a catcher in baseball, you’re used to getting your body behind the ball, blocking the plate, seeing the ball, so I think that helps him find the ball really, really well. He doesn’t have any fear of the ball, and he has such fast hands, and he’s really good at reacting to shots, whether they are near or far. He just has an uncanny knack for finding the ball. In my experience coaching the last 14 years, goalies that are really good have really fast hands, and they see the ball. They see it coming out of the stick. I’ve had two great goalies in my career, and they both were exactly the same – they can handle the ball outside of the crease and stop it inside.
“He’s a really good student, and he’s a leader on the team. The kids absolutely love him. There is not a spiteful, mean bone in the guy’s body. He’s all about winning. When he makes a mistake, he’ll say, ‘I made a mistake,’ and when he sees people not doing what they need to do, he has a way of saying it without people getting offended. He’s hard working, and people respect guys that put forth the effort. He’s always trying to work hard and get better.”
About Ryan:
Favorite food:Buffalo chicken cheese steak
Favorite movie: Wedding Crashers
Favorite music: Mumford and Sons
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