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 Oct. 6, 2016)
If Jessica Smith is going to find her name on an easy Internet search of female trailblazers, it is likely to be in her desired goal of being a pediatrician. But she will do so knowing she was also a first – the first Univest Female Featured Athlete who is a student-athlete from the oft-misunderstood world of cheerleading. “That’s awesome,” she said of being the first to receive the honor. And as proud as she is of the accomplishment, she is equally proud of the craft she began as a sixth grader in middle school. While some may scoff that a cheerleader is not really an “athlete,” at least not in the traditional sense, she knows otherwise.
Smith’s is a demanding schedule, particularly for a high-achieving student with a 4.0 GPA while holding down a course load with three AP classes and also a job at Rita’s Water Ice. While Springfield will not be taking part in cheer competitions this year, the schedule remains as demanding as it is for any varsity athlete. “We practice every day for an hour and a half after school – except for Mondays when there is a JV football game,” she said. The reason why cheerleading takes place on Monday for junior varsity football is well known. It sent ripples through the regional scholastic sports community when the decision was made – after one game – to cancel the varsity football schedule due to lack of numbers. It was a difficult time, and the need was there for school leaders like Smith to step up and fill the void. She was part of developing Plan B for homecoming that will include a week full of homecoming activities with the homecoming court event taking place between a girls and boys football team.
Smith also faced adversity head on last year when the numbers were down for her sport. “We only had maybe seven or eight at the beginning of the year, but we were able to keep it together for the whole year,” she said. “I tried my best to keep a positive attitude, and it rippled through the rest of the team.” The resulting payoff was immense as this year’s squad is close to double the size. “Jess is a hard-working dedicated athlete,” Buckley said of the senior co-captain. “She is a true team leader who strives to make everyone on her team better and wants the team to succeed as a whole just as much as she wants to achieve as an individual. She also is a leader in helping develop all-around school spirit and pride.”
As much as she has loved her experience cheerleading, the end is in sight. Smith is settling down to apply to colleges – Scranton tops her list – and says that being a pediatrician is her biggest goal. Smith also delves headfirst into school activities. She is in the National Honors Society and Social Leadership Club while also working for the crew for school plays and serving as a peer tutor.
To read Smith’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/jessica-smith-0065244
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Oct. 6, 2016)
Paul Duddy calls Mike Kohler “a coach’s dream.” The senior captain is on Duddy’s short list of the top players to come through North Penn during his years at the helm. Ask the veteran coach what stands out about his senior captain, and it isn’t the goals or even the assists that Kohler regularly contributes. “He’s definitely and absolutely a leader,” Duddy said. “He’s not a screamer, but he gives directions to our players. He will then step up – if we need somebody to find a way to score a goal, he’s usually the one that does it. If we need somebody to set another player up, get an assist, he does that. He’s very unselfish. He’s a coach’s dream.”
Although he’s the consummate finisher in the box, Kohler is equally adept at setting up his teammates. Duddy recalls the Knights’ recent 5-2 win over Pennridge that saw Kohler have a hand in all five goals – which included four assists. The first assist was vintage Kohler. “He came down the right side, he beat one or two defenders, and he did exactly the right thing – he put the ball back where he saw an open teammate,” Duddy said. “For the guy who finished, it was a fairly easy goal because it was so well set up. He draws the defenders and then gives the ball up. The keeper couldn’t react – it was just too good a play.” According to the Knights’ coach, no one works harder than Kohler. “The other kids look up to him because they see how hard he works every day at practice,” Duddy said. “He’s a good kid, he has fun, and he knows how to laugh, but when we work, he works, believe me.”
Although he has plenty of options, Kohler isn’t sure that playing soccer at the collegiate level is in his future, but he is keeping his options open. He points to Penn State as his dream school. “My whole family went to Penn State,” he said. Kohler plans to major in computer science and places academics as his top priority. “Academics are my future,” he said. Coaching is something that will undoubtedly be part of Kohler’s future as well. “This past summer I worked as a camp counselor at the YMCA,” he said. “I can’t even tell you how much I learned from that. It brought me back to when I was that age. The kids just play for pure enjoyment. There’s something about the kids that brings out the best in everyone.”
To read Kohler’s compete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/mike-kohler-0065258
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