Soccer, Volleyball
Favorite athlete: Dwight Howard
Favorite team: Orlando Magic
Favorite memory competing in sports: Playing in an AAU basketball tournament at Wildwood, NJ, with the Perkasie Knights.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: When a teammate attempted to clear a rolling ball in the 18 without anyone near him, whiffed, and it rolled back past our goalie and caused an own goal.
Music on your iPod: Anything from alternative rock to hip hop.
Future plans: Attend the University of Pittsburgh, attend Medical School, and pursue a career in medicine.
Words to live by: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” –Michael Scott
One goal before turning 30: Get married and buy a house.
One thing people don’t know about me: I was born in Heidelberg, Germany
By Mary Jane Souder
Sam Handy isn’t a headliner.
As a matter of fact, the Pennridge senior’s value might not be noticed until he’s out of the lineup.
“He was one of our mainstay guys who was very important,” Pennridge soccer coach Pete Valimont said of his outside back. “If he ever got hurt or was out of the game, we took a hit defensively.
“He’s a quiet leader, and he’s a very humble guy. Even if he does great things or scored a goal, he’s not in your face about it or the kid that would then take the next day off because he played really well the night before. The guys loved him. He’s a great teammate, very coachable, extremely bright and intelligent.”
This spring, Handy brings those same traits to a Pennridge volleyball squad that is fourth in the state in the latest rankings. The backup outside hitter is not a player that will jump out at fans, but his importance to the team is not lost on coach Dave Childs.
“He’s not a starter for us, but he would be on most other teams,” the Rams’ coach said. “He’s a high level player.
“He’s a guy that’s a hitter, and he can pretty much hit wherever I need him. He knows how to play every position on the court, which offers me a lot of flexibility as a coach because I know I can put him in any different spot, and he knows what to do.
“His versatility is a major strength. He does everything pretty much well on the court.”
In Handy, Childs found an eager student of the game.
“He’s kind of a quiet kid, but he goes about things in a professional manner,” the Rams’ coach said. “He just does his job whatever it may be.
“He’s very coachable. He’ll ask the questions that need to be asked or make the adjustments that we talked to him about.”
Volleyball entered the picture when Handy – a lifetime soccer player - was in ninth grade.
“Me and my friends just enjoyed playing in gym class and decided – why not, so we went out for the team,” he said. “I’ve been playing ever since.”
Volleyball turned out to be a perfect fit for Handy.
“Since it’s a smaller team playing together – only six versus 11, it’s more of a team sport where you have to rely on every one of your teammates,” he said. “When you do succeed, I feel as though it’s more of a reward because you know you contributed to get that win.
“I feel like it’s a much better bonding and team experience than any other sport that I’ve played.”
Pennridge volleyball, under Childs, has been one of the school’s most successful sports programs.
“We get some great athletes from other sports teams,” Handy said. “Every year it seems there are more and more freshmen coming out for the team because they see how successful we are, how good Dave is as a coach and how we’ve been improving over the years.”
Handy points to Childs as the singular reason for the program’s success.
“I think it’s because he starts coaching for varsity at the freshman level,” Handy said. “He really starts training all his players to succeed in varsity starting when they’re in ninth grade.
“He has a really strong jayvee program. All the coaches are great – they know what they’re doing. He really just enforces the fundamentals, which are important. Dave really encourages playing through the whole year to stay sharp with your skills and just progress for the school season.”
If Handy needed motivation to work on his game, he got it during his first year in the program.
“My freshman year when I was brand new to the team, brand new to volleyball, the senior class made it all the way to the state finals,” he said. “I was able to go with them and sit on the bench during the final playoff game, which, unfortunately, we didn’t win, but it was still a great experience just being there.”
Handy began playing in the offseason after the completion of his freshman year, joining many of his teammates on the Indian Valley club team. He also played in a summer league but had to forego the fall since he was a key member of the soccer team and continued playing with his Deep Run club team through this past fall.
Handy, who was born in Germany, began playing soccer in kindergarten when his family was living in Washington. When his family relocated to Massachusetts the following year, he continued playing and then joined the Deep Run soccer family in second grade when his family moved into the Pennridge School District. Handy has been with the same group of players ever since.
Handy and several of his soccer teammates are key members of this year’s successful volleyball squad with Handy excelling in a back-up role.
“He understands his importance to the team,” Childs said. “To be able to do that and come in – we don’t miss a beat when he does.
“He’s put his time into making himself a better player during the offseason. He’s another depth piece, and he’s the kind of kid a coach wants to have. He’s very willing to listen, he’s very respectful, and he’s very good at pretty much everything he does.”
This year represents the final year Handy will be playing competitive sports. In the fall, he will be attending the University of Pittsburgh, choosing the Pennsylvania school over Virginia Tech for its pre-med program.
“They have hospitals all over the campus for volunteering,” he said.
He is considering a biology major but may switch to pre-med with a minor in business. Handy, who aspires to one day be a surgeon, comes by his interest in medicine honestly – his father, Robert Handy, is an orthopedic surgeon with offices in Doylestown and Warrington.
“I’ve been around doctors and medicine my whole life,” he said. “I’ve shadowed my dad in the office, and I’ve seen what they do.
“I definitely like the idea of being able to help people every day and have a job that’s rewarding (rather) than just getting a paycheck month to month.”
Handy boasts a 4.3 GPA with three AP classes on his schedule this year. He has made the balancing act of competing in sports year round and handling a rigorous academic schedule look effortless.
“I’ve never felt overwhelmed with sports or school,” he said.
A member of the National Honor Society, Handy also an active member of Pennridge’s Ski and Snowboard Club.
Although his days of competing in sports are numbered, Handy walks away with nothing but good memories.
“It’s really made my high school experience more enjoyable,” he said. “It’s made being part of the Pennridge team and Pennridge as a whole better because now I have this great experience not everyone can go through.
“All the friends I’ve made and what I’ve learned from Dave and the other coaches – it’s all just been beneficial to everything I’ve been doing in high school and will continue to do as I progress.”
Valimont, for one, sees nothing but good things in Handy’s future.
“Whatever he does, he’s going to be tremendous,” the Rams’ soccer coach said. “Hopefully, he’ll be my family doctor someday.
“This guy gets it. He’s going to do great things. I wish him the very best – I know he’s going to do very well.”
