Soccer, Track
Rarely, if ever, has this part of the United States — Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and New York — seen hurricane devastation like that leveled by Sandy a week ago. Some areas resembled a third-world country, reminding many Americans of the tragedy and long-lasting destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast.
Peter Trueman saw the effects of Katrina up-close.
“It was a sobering experience,” said Trueman, a Springfield High School senior and center midfielder on the soccer team. “I kind of think we forget how blessed we are to live in an area that’s not prone to that type of storm — until this past week. We have to accept that some things aren’t in our control.”
Trueman, whose faith is central to his life, went to New Orleans in 2009 on a mission trip through his church. He helped the rebuilding effort, which continues to this day. He put up drywall to help build a house.
“He’s a quiet kid, he lets his actions speak for him,” Springfield soccer coach Dan Meder said. “He’s a kid you don’t hear much from, on or off the field, but he’s a very hard worker.”
Trueman moved here from Nottingham, England in 2001, when his dad was offered a position at a seminary, but said the transition wasn’t difficult.
“It’s pretty much the same here (as in England), but sometimes people have trouble understanding my accent,” said Trueman, who happens to be the valedictorian of his Springfield class.
As the soccer team’s center midfielder, the offense pretty much runs through him. His job is to direct the attack and spread the ball around, kind of like a point guard who also is responsible for scoring and playing defense. Meder could always count on Trueman and his wits.
“Our offensive creativity went through him,” Meder said. “He’s not the most dominant athlete on the field, but he combines athleticism with intellect.”
Trueman led the team in scoring while also racking up assists.
“Peter is the kind of guy that when the ball is coming to him, he’s not just thinking, ‘What am I going to do with it?’ but, ‘How do I get it to my teammates?’” Meder said. “He’s very much a setup player for us. He’s very clever.”
And integral to Springfield’s success.
“There was a stretch in the middle of the season when we stopped scoring goals,” Meder said. “We didn’t look the same, we weren’t moving the ball as well as we had been. As coaches, we weren’t sure what the difference was. Then we noticed that Peter was nursing his lower back. He had hurt it three or four games before that but didn’t want to say anything. He wanted to fight through it.
“We sat him down, got him healthier, and when he came back we ended the season with three straight wins,” Meder said. “When he was hurt he didn’t look awful or anything, but he didn’t look the same and we, as a team, weren’t the same.”
It turned out to be a strong season for Springfield (9-7-1, 7-6-1), which won more games than in the previous three years combined.
“It means a lot,” Trueman said of being part of a program that broke through to the positive side of .500. “The best part is winning. Everyone is happier. It’s much easier to have fun and make friends. People aren’t just going through the motions, because every game means something, every game matters.”
Springfield departed for the Bicentennial Athletic League a few years back, but this fall returned to the Suburban One League American Conference. The transition seemed to coincide with the squad’s maturing into a competitive force to be taken seriously.
“I think Suburban One offers a wider range of skill in terms of who you play, and it suited us better,” said Trueman, who overcame a broken collarbone as a sophomore. “The schools are a lot closer geographically, and that’s helpful.”
Trueman, who also runs track, has no idea what his college major will be.
“It’s pretty much wide open right now,” he said, although he has an affinity for both mathematics and history.
Most likely, it will be at either the University of Pennsylvania or Princeton where Trueman decides on his career path. In the meantime, he’ll continue to be heavily involved in his church, where he teaches Sunday school classes and also operates the soundboard during sermons.
A blessed young man, indeed.