SuburbanOneSports.com recognizes a male and female featured athlete each week. The awards, sponsored by Univest, are given to seniors of good character who are students in good standing that have made significant contributions to their teams. Selections are based on nominations received from coaches, athletic directors and administrators.
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Female Athlete (Week of May 8, 2013)
Sarah Derstine doesn’t have to say a whole lot to make an impact. The Souderton senior, according to her coaches, has been a leader from the moment she stepped onto the softball field as a freshman. “From the time I met her as a freshman, I knew that she was special,” former Souderton coach Courtney Hughes said. “At that time, she was playing basketball. She would come to our offseason workouts after her basketball practices or games and work her tail off while she was there. I was so in awe of this kid and the intensity she brought. It was my first year (as head coach), and I was just so excited to see someone that really was excited to grow and get better. She was one of the best players as a freshman, and she’s continued to get better every year.” Coach Steph Rummel echoed similar sentiments. “Sarah is one of those role models that shows you through her actions,” she said. “People look at her actions, they look at how she plays and the attitude she brings to the field – she’s just an overall great leader.”
Derstine has been a fixture in the Indians’ starting lineup since she was a freshman. A standout defensive player at shortstop, Derstine is also a superb hitter, boasting a batting average of over .500 this season. “She goes through slumps,” Hughes said, “But she has that ability to refocus herself, which I haven’t seen in a lot of people, and she’ll get herself right back where she needs to be. She doesn’t let things bother her. Her leadership skills have been evident from the very beginning, and that’s a major strength. You don’t see kids that just get that leadership.”
Just as she excels on the softball diamond, Derstine, who is a member of National Honor Society, also excels in the classroom. “That’s always been my number one priority,” she said. The recipient of a softball scholarship, Derstine will attend West Chester University where she will major in nursing, an interest that was fostered during mission trips with her church to both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. “I’ve worked with children, and I’ve seen the devastation around the world, and that’s tugged at my heart and pushed me towards a career in nursing,” she said. “This past year when I went to Haiti was kind of when it put my life in perspective. That’s pretty much when it hit me, and I knew I wanted to be able to help others and work with people as a career. I’m hoping to one day go back and help that way.” Derstine is getting a jump on her education in the medical field. She is one of just 12 students selected to participate in a class called Allied Health, which is held at Lansdale Hospital. “She’s a very balanced person, and she knows how to handle the good with the bad and how to turn the bad into good,” Rummel said. “She’s a great leader, and I can’t really say enough about her.”
To read Derstine’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/sarah-derstine-0034723
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of May 8, 2013)
Ryan Kelly was paid the ultimate compliment by Hatboro-Horsham baseball coach Pete Moore. “I have a four-year-old,” said Moore. “To be able to watch Ryan grow up and handle himself the way he has, well, let’s just suffice it to say that if my son turns out the same way as Ryan, I would be very satisfied.” Moore would know about as well as anyone about Kelly’s development. He taught him in fifth grade and followed the growth of he and his mates until they appeared under his tutelage on the varsity diamond. “It has been a pleasure to watch him develop, both as a player and as a person,” Moore said. “Ryan, even then, was always a competitor. The competition is what gets him going and that’s something you can’t teach. He was part of a special team last year that went to the state semis. This year, as a senior captain, he takes a lot of pressure off of me. He is more of a leader by example, but he has learned when it’s appropriate to say something. And because he isn’t vocal all the time, it has an impact. When he does speak, people listen.”
Kelly’s competitive spirit might explain why, in an era of specialization – particularly for a young man whose ultimate ticket to college was his pitching arm – he was a three-year, three-sport varsity athlete. In addition to baseball, he was an All-SOL selection as a golfer and a solid third scoring option and fierce defender for a Hatters’ basketball team that captured the SOL Continental Conference crown. Like Moore, coach Dennis Steinly reaped the rewards of Kelly’s character and work ethic on the hardwood as well. “He was a great team leader,” said Steinly. “He really was the guy who kept the team together – and not just in games, but in practice. He was always there to do what we needed him to do. He was a great leader by example, but he was willing to speak up too. He did a lot for us. He didn’t get the credit he deserved. He played solid defense, rebounded and had that stretch in January where he averaged like 15 points a game. He’s a great kid with a great work ethic. That’s why he’s going to St. Joe’s next year.”
Kelly has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at St. Joseph’s University where he will major in business. “St. Joe’s was actually a late addition for me,” Kelly said. “I was set to go to Bloomsburg. When I visited and went on campus, I just fell in love with the place. There were the academics and the whole team made me feel welcome. It just fit my personality.” And as Kelly’s coaches and teammates will attest, it is a personality worth having on your side.”
To view Kelly’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/ryan-kelly-0034724
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