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 Nov. 21, 2013)
Ashley Lyons has quietly and without fanfare made contributions to her Abington tennis team’s run to an SOL National Conference championship. It was her win at first doubles with partner Jeannie Van Buren that clinched the title in a match against Pennsbury that was played over two days – a week apart – after the match was halted for darkness in a tiebreaker. Abington coach Kristy Ashcraft was not surprised to see her senior captain rise to the occasion. “She had a lot of pressure, and she really stepped up to the plate,” the Ghosts’ coach said. “She’s shown a lot of growth. Ashley has steadily improved every season and has made excellent strides in her game. She was a team captain and was a good role model for her teammates. She was kind and respectful to everyone on the team and went out of her way to make sure everyone felt included. Ashley is a true pleasure to coach, and she never complains or makes excuses. She is always emotionally and mentally steady and calm on the court.”
Lyons, according to her coach, also is the consummate team player, a quality she demonstrated after the team’s title clinching win over the Falcons. “The Pennsbury match was pretty monumental, and she was so humble about it,” Ashcraft said. “She never made it seem like it was her. She was so unselfish. She wanted everyone to enjoy it. She really enjoyed being around the team and wanted the team to win and for everyone to feel together and a part of it.”
Lyons also is an accomplished bowler and last year missed out on earning a berth in districts by one spot. “You want to be in the top 12 to make it to districts as individuals without going to the league tournament,” she said. “I ended up 13th, so I didn’t make it. It definitely gives me the motivation to come back this year and improve and try to make it into the top 12.”
Lyons, who is uncertain of her future plans, has been involved in Abington’s Key Club, and according to Ashcaraft, she’s the kind of player any coach would want on their team. “She was so easy to coach and was willing to do whatever she needed to do for the best of the team,” the Ghosts’ coach said. “She played with any partner, she played in any spot, and she always did it with a smile on her face. She just worked her hardest and did her best to help the team. Off the tennis court, she’s well respected by all of the faculty, other coaches and teachers. She’s a true pleasure to have around.”
To read Lyons’ complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/ashley-lyons-0039513
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Nov. 21, 2013)
Glenn Van Orden was born a few decades after Garrett Morris’ character, Chico Escuela, helped put the original cast of Saturday Night Live on the pop culture map by repeating “baseball…been berra berra…good to me.” But that doesn’t mean he can’t relate. There are some subtle differences. Van Orden is a real person, not a fictitious former player, and his chosen game is soccer. But soccer – like baseball for Escuela – has been…very, very, very…good to him. As a young kid, like all young kids, he tried his hand at all sports. Up until sixth grade, baseball and basketball were still in the mix. But soccer was it. “It’s all I do, basically,” said the Upper Dublin senior, who plays club soccer for the Upper Dublin Force. And Van Orden does it well. The Cardinals were 24-2-2 in the American Conference the last two years with Van Orden earning All-League accolades for his versatility from the all-important center midfield position that he has manned with aplomb since his sophomore season.
Beyond his skills, Upper Dublin coach Rick Schmidt calls Van Orden “the consummate team player and an impressively versatile soccer player.” For Van Orden, there is no greater compliment that can be given. Especially from the coach who named him team captain prior to the season. “That’s how I want to be seen,” he said. “I don’t care about (statistics and individual honors). It’s really just all about winning for me.” While he was expecting to be named captain, Van Orden admits that he saw things a little differently once cast in the role of being the conduit between the coaches and the senior-heavy squad that wound up not only ending a five-year losing skid to Wissahickon but also shared the league title with Plymouth Whitemarsh. “I just tried to be myself, but I did feel some extra responsibility,” said Van Orden. “I just tried to stay positive. (The seniors) stayed together. We tried to get the younger guys incorporated, which they all were by the end of the season.”
When Upper Dublin’s season ended in the first round of the district playoffs, soccer only amped up a notch for Van Orden, who is determined to put himself in a position to control his own soccer destiny. With a daunting club schedule looming, a big TBD – to be determined – hangs over the future of the game that has been his life. He will be participating in college showcases, but his club team – made up of top talent from the area – approaches the games with the mentality that they can’t start showing off an individual. “We all realize that we have to stay together,” Van Orden said.
Van Orden hopes to one day coach soccer and work in a business-related field or teach at a high school.
To view Van Orden’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/glenn-van-orden-0039530
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