Softball
Favorite athlete: Rhys Hoskins
Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles
Favorite memory competing in sports: Winning my first travel tournament in 2017. It was special for me because I got to share it with some of my current PW teammates and other players throughout the suburban one league.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: My helmet is a couple sizes too big and whenever it bobbles around my teammates always make it known.
Music on mobile device: 80’s Music/ Queen
Future plans: Attend Gwynedd Mercy and major in Nursing and playing softball
Words to live by: “Everything happens for a reason. Everything leads to something better.”
One goal before turning 30: To graduate with a degree in nursing and to be able to help people throughout my career.
One thing people don’t know about me: I was in three musicals when I was younger and I love to sing but will only do it in private now.
By Mary Jane Souder
Mention the name Emma Carney to Dana Moyer, and there’s no mistaking the respect the Plymouth Whitemarsh senior commands from her softball coach.
“If one girl on my team could run and be president, I would say it would be her,” Moyer said. “She’s immediately likable, she always has a smile on her face. I don’t think you’d meet one person anywhere that has a bad word to say about Emma Carney. That’s the type of person she is.”
It’s safe to say Carney has no political aspirations. Instead, she’s chosen a path that is in sharp contrast to the volatile world of politics. The PW senior has her sights set on becoming a nurse.
“I’ve always been interested in studying the body and its functions,” she said. “I knew I wanted to help people when I was older and have any impact that I can on people’s lives so nursing is a great opportunity for that.”
For now, Carney is anchoring the outfield of a Colonials’ softball team that is having itself quite a season. Coming as no surprise, she brings that same nurturing spirit to the softball diamond where she is even sometimes affectionately called ‘mom.’
“She’s an old soul in an 18-year-old’s body,” Moyer said. “She is an obvious team leader, helping her teammates out of tough situations with verbal and emotional encouragement.
“The truth is, she’s always helpful but in ways difficult to articulate. Because she is so genuine and well respected, people listen to her. They know she always has their best interests at heart. I’ve heard her give words of encouragement to a teammate because of a flubbed play. In that way, she’s a great friend and teammate.
“She is planning on pursuing a career in the medical field, which is perfect. Believe me, you won’t get better care from a better person. Emma is truly one in a million.”
But don’t be fooled by Carney’s caring nature. The senior captain knows how to have fun.
“Emma is one of the funniest people I have ever met in my life,” Moyer said.“The things that come out of her mouth are just witty. She just has a great perspective on life.
“I’ve seen her diffuse a tense or potentially troubling situation with a funny look or a quirky retort.”
Carney will combine her love of softball with her pursuit of a nursing degree when she enrolls at Gwynedd Mercy University this fall.
“When I met with the coach, I was really concerned because I know nursing is a very hands-on major,” Carney said. “He told me about all the study opportunities and how I can work with the coach to figure out practice times and study times to balance it all out.”
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Carney began playing both softball and soccer at a young age, joined by her twin sister Molly.
“It was definitely competitive at times,” Emma said. “But we were always there to pick each other up if we were down or made an error in the field, and off the field, you’re always there for each other as well.”
The twins learned softball under the tutelage of their father, who also happened to be their coach. She began playing travel softball for 12U and continues to compete on the travel circuit. This summer she will play her final season of travel softball with Odyssey 18U out of Plymouth Meeting.
“I’ve been with the majority of my team since I’ve been 12,” Carney said. “A lot of my teammates are in the SOL so I get to play against them throughout the season.”
For the past three years, Carney has been the starting leftfielder for the varsity, earning honorable mention recognition as a sophomore and second team honors last year. This year she was elected captain by her teammates.
There’s nothing flashy about Carney’s game, but she is a key contributor.
“Emma is a talented and dedicated player,” Moyer said. “She assiduously hones her skills, both in the field and at the plate.
“Emma has phenomenal softball IQ and was absolutely instrumental in the success of our team in these past few seasons.”
Nine games into the season, the Colonials are 8-1, and they share the top spot in the SOL American Conference standings with a 7-0 mark at the midway point.
“It has definitely been a surprise my senior year,” Carney said of her team’s perfect start in conference play through seven games. “We gained three new freshmen this year, and right away, we knew they would be a good fit for our team.
“The team chemistry was off to a good start, and I think that’s contributing to the success we’re having this year. We’ve had a great start, and I’m really excited about the possibilities ahead of us.”
The team’s biggest win came over a Hatboro-Horsham squad that is a perennial SOL power.
“It’s never happened in the time I’ve been here,” Carney said of that win. “We were all thrilled about it after the game – even coach was congratulating all of us.
“We all know they’re a tough team to beat, but I just think we all went into it with a good mentality.”
A lot can happen between now and the end of the season, but it won’t change what Carney remembers most about her high school softball experience.
“The most memorable thing about playing softball for PW is how close the team has become over the past four years,” she said. “Everyone gets along so well with each other, and we all just click.
“There are eight seniors on the team, and we have become so close. Through wins and losses, the whole team has remained a unit and overcome many obstacles to be the successful team we are today.”
Carney is about a whole lot more than just softball. A member of PW’s badminton club, she helped plan the school’s Mini-THON, which raised $26,000 to fight pediatric cancer. She is also a strong student.
“In the classroom, Emma sets an example for her teammates as well,” Moyer said. “The work ethic she exhibits on the field is equally matched by her diligence in the classroom. She is an exemplary student.
“Emma is arguably one of the finest young women I have ever had the pleasure of coaching. She is respectful, kind, generous and affable. She’s a simple person and incredibly complex at the same time. An enigma – but the coolest enigma you have ever encountered.’
Carney points to Moyer as a mentor and can’t imagine her high school experience without softball as a part of it.
“Playing softball has taught me responsibility that I have needed to balance both academics and athletics every season,” she said. “It has also taught me how to work together with others, even if the odds are against you.”
Carney will leave big shoes to fill for reasons that go well beyond her contributions on the softball diamond.
“Emma is simply awesome in every way,” Moyer said. “She’s kind, hardworking, talented, funny and intelligent.
“She’s a person who could run for president and get 100 percent of the American vote. She’s just an absolute pleasure. I can’t say enough about that girl.”
