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 for week of Sept. 12, 2018
Gillian Conner has a passion for volleyball. In truth, the Plymouth Whitemarsh senior can’t imagine her life without it and for the past two years has been a fixture in the varsity lineup. A veteran of the club circuit, she plays year round. It’s not the ending that even Conner might have imagined when – as a freshman – she was cut from the team. That could have been the end of her story. Instead, it was just the beginning. “I didn’t have too many expectations when I tried out for the high school team,” Conner said. “I knew I was a very new and inexperienced player. I was disappointed when I was cut, but instead of just giving up on volleyball, I decided to pursue it even further to become a more experienced player.”
A year later, Conner tried out again and made coach Seely Byler’s decision an easy one. “As soon as she walked in – oh my word, she absolutely belongs with this program. She was one of the most clear-cut (choices),” the PW coach said. “I’ve had several kids that were cut and come back the next year – you don’t see much progress and now they’re a sophomore, and you’re worried about taking a kid that might not even make it to the varsity level, but I knew as soon as she walked back in that second year that she was going to be with us the whole time.”
Conner’s turnaround shouldn’t have been surprising. When the PW senior does something, she typically does it very well. “She’s very detail oriented and always asking questions,” Byler said. “When we take the time to watch film in practice, she’s always the one who wants to go again, take the extra reps so she can really perfect whatever we’re trying to put in place.” In the classroom, Conner boasts a 4.0 GPA, and she has taken seven AP classes over the past two years. She is the copy editor for the school newspaper, Town Crier, and may add advertising manager to her list of responsibilities this year. She is part of the school’s Tutor Club and tutors second graders at Conshohocken Elementary School, helping to improve their reading skills. “I was amazed at what she’s been able to accomplish - she not only plays fall volleyball, but she also plays club year round,” Byler said. “To accomplish all the things she’s accomplished academically is pretty impressive. She’s always adding more things to her list whereas most kids would start to get overwhelmed and not be able to handle it. It’s not like she’s just joining these clubs, she’s running these clubs. It’s amazing to be able to balance so many balls in the air.”
A captain of this year’s volleyball team, Conner’s first priority is academics, and she has her sights set on one day becoming an elementary school teacher. She hopes to compete in club volleyball at the collegiate level, keeping a sport she loves a part of her life for as long as she can.
To read Conner’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/gillian-conner-0079940
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete for week of Sept. 12, 2018
As a former offensive lineman in college, Ryan Nase may have once subscribed to the theory that kickers and punters weren’t really football players. Then, later in life as the head football coach at Cheltenham, Nase met Justin Grady. Now, not only does Nase go out of his way to heap praise upon his kicker…he calls Grady the Panthers’ biggest asset. The perception of the kicking position in football varies depending on who you ask, but few will give the same credit to a kicker or punter as they will a quarterback or linebacker. However, under closer examination, a truly great football kicker has the ability to completely change a game when successful.
Not only can he put points on the board, but he can drastically alter the opposing team’s field position. Grady has done that through Cheltenham’s first three games, and believe it or not, football is his second sport. As it turns out, Grady is also the Panthers’ first-team all-league starting goalkeeper, but he has not only found a way to play football on top of his soccer commitments but play it well. “He takes his training very seriously,” Nase said. “During the offseason, he lifted with the football team and got substantially stronger and more muscular. If he wasn’t as good at soccer as he is, he would be a starting running back, wide receiver or tight end on our team, he’s that strong. Every football game he plays for us is his second game of the day. And he does all of that while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. It’s unbelievable.”
Grady was a soccer player first, playing locally for a Cheltenham youth team when he was seven. He began playing goalie when he was 9 or 10, and played for various club teams into his teenage years, including one that was ranked No. 1 in the country for a time. Grady was even invited to play for the Union Academy, a junior squad that was affiliated with the Philadelphia Union. He and his family ultimately decided against the time and commitment required and instead opted to continue playing club and high school ball, but the invitation alone spoke to Grady’s talent on the pitch. Grady is in constant communication with Nase and Cheltenham soccer coach Bill Tonkin in terms of being able to effectively juggle his responsibilities with both teams. It can become a bit of a balancing act, but Grady said it hasn’t been an issue, in large part because both coaches are lenient in their understanding of his unique situation. “Justin is a great kid and leader for our team,” Tonkin said. “His ability to find balance between sports and school is amazing, and he is a true example of what a student-athlete should be. He’s a great role model for the younger players on our team as well.”
In the classroom, Grady’s course load is littered with AP classes, and he maintains a perfect GPA. He’s interested in studying industrial psychology.“He’s a leader not only on our team but in our school,” Nase said. “Everything he does, he works hard at. He has a natural competitiveness, not just in sports but in the classroom too, where he challenges himself and does really well.”
To read Grady’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/justin-grady-0079939
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