Soccer, Basketball
Favorite athlete: Dwayne Wade
Favorite team: University of Connecticut Basketball
Favorite memory competing in sports: My entire sophomore year of basketball.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: Blatant handball during a soccer match.
Music on iPod: Mainly rap, anything that pumps me up for games
Future plans: Go to college for chemical engineering
Words to live by: "Play for the player next to you."
One goal before turning 30: Graduate college and start a career
One thing people don't know about me: I wear glasses and can sort of play the guitar.
By GORDON GLANTZ
If a high school coach could get their hands on a holiday gift catalogue and order the ideal team captain, there would likely be a picture of Central Bucks West senior Jared Kelly staring back at them.
Kelly is not only a rarity in that he plays, and excels, at two scholastic sports – soccer and basketball – but he is the captain of both squads.
“I always gravitated toward (leadership roles),” said Kelly, also a top-flight student with his eye on being a chemical engineer. “I always wanted to win and tried to get the team to do the best we can, so I find myself in a leadership role. It comes from my competitive spirit.
“I would say I lead by example. I’m also a calm leader. I’m going to hold someone accountable, but I’m not going to get in their face. I just try to show them where I’m coming from.”
That may explain why Kelly is actually the returning team captain for the basketball team, having been tabbed to be the leader as a junior returning starter from a team that had achieved great heights the previous season.
“He started as a sophomore and has natural leadership skills,” said Bucks’ basketball coach Adam Sherman. “He was our most experienced player, and he fit the profile. He put the time in during the offseason. It was an easy decision.”
A year ago, from the point guard position, Kelly led the Bucks in scoring and assists with averages hovering around 11 and five per game, respectively.
Kelly would be fine with not repeating that feat this season.
“The way I look at is that, starting the game out, I’m trying to set up teammates,” he explained. “We have a lot of good shooters on the team. I’m trying to feed them the ball and get them hot. Down the stretch, if I need to make shots, I’ll try to make shots. But, I’m trying to set other guys up first.
“We have an optimistic outlook for this season. We’re returning a lot of experience. We just need to focus on the right things. We’re hoping to have a good year this year.”
And there is no reason for Kelly, who considers basketball his No. 1 sport – despite measuring in at only 5 feet, 8 inches – not to be optimistic after a fall season where the soccer team soared.
“We had our best year yet,” said Kelly, a midfielder/forward who had three goals and two assists on the season. “We had a good team spirit. Everybody bought in. We were the furthest team to make it (in the playoffs) from our conference, which was a huge accomplishment.
“It was a really successful year, one like we hadn’t really had in a while.”
And it would not have been possible without Kelly’s leadership, on and off the field.
“Jared is the true definition of a leader and a captain,” said West soccer coach Stefan Szygiel. “ He has an innate ability to raise the level of those around him both on the field, on the court and in the classroom. He's an exceptional young man and I look forward to following his future endeavors.”
As Szygiel indicated, there is more to Jared Kelly than success on the hardwood or soccer pitch.
He carries an overall GPA of around 4.1 but registered a 4.8 the last marking period.
One would think that between two varsity sports and hitting the books, there wouldn’t be much time for anything else.
One would be wrong.
Kelly was the school’s only student-athlete chosen for the Wharton School Leadership Program this past summer. As a matter of fact, he was one of 36 chosen out of 1,000 applicants.
He is deeply enmeshed in the school environment, holding a deep commitment to improve it.
Add to that the Key Club, National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America and The Pride Club.
Due to his association with these activities, Kelly could be found ringing a bell for the Salvation Army outside a department store or helping grade-schoolers with their homework.
“Jared is a great student-athlete,” said Sherman. “His teammates often refer to him as ‘Mr. Perfect,’ because he is such a good student, basketball player, and teammate.
“He has great attention to detail in everything that he does, both on and off the court. Whatever college that Jared ends up going to will be very lucky to have him. As a basketball player, he is an extremely hard worker that always puts the extra time in. He is been a great role model for all our younger players.”
Kelly shrugs off the Mr. Perfect moniker, realizing that it is all about priorities and time management.
“I just love being involved,” he said. “(I) don’t have a problem at going from one thing to the next. I’ve gotten good over the years at time management.
“It’s about planning ahead and getting good at that.”
Admitting that it is “definitely going to be different” not having offseason sports workouts with his teammates after basketball season, Kelly – who cites his mother, Shannon, as his greatest role model – is looking at time a little differently as a senior in his last season.
“Taking each moment as it comes right now,” said Kelly, who will likely continue playing hoops at the Division III level, with Washington and Lee in St. Louis and Swarthmore currently the frontrunners for his services.” I’m living in the moment and trying not to look too far ahead.”
