School: Council Rock North
Basketball, Baseball
Favorite athlete: Derek Jeter
Favorite team: Philadelphia Phillies
Favorite memories competing in sports: “Cutting down the net at Council Rock South after Council Rock North won the league championship. Playing AAU basketball at Nationals in Orlando, Florida, at the Wide World of Sports and also knowing that teammates look up to you as one of the leaders they can come to.”
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: “In a summer basketball league, I was back peddling, and I tripped over my own feet and broke my wrist, but I say I just tripped over the foul line.”
Music on iPod: Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and many different kinds of music.
Future plans: Attend college for physical therapy, get a job and have a family.
Words to live by: “No matter what, always work hard; it will eventually pay off.”
One goal before turning 30: “To be a successful physical therapist and to be a coach someday.”
One thing people don’t know about me: “When I was younger, my grandfather got me into model trains, and since then, I have always had an interest in them.”
By Nate Oxman
Tim Filer gets it.
He may be an all-league baseball player, a three-year varsity basketball player, a National Honor Society member, and a successful student, but the Council Rock North senior will be the first to tell you that those accomplishments aren’t exclusively the blessings of a talented athlete and a gifted student.
He’ll tell you that each one is the direct result of dedication and hard work, two admirable traits that were driven home by Filer’s parents, Bob and Mary Pat, from an early age.
“My parents have always supported me in everything that I’ve done, including playing sports,” said Filer. “I think they’re definitely one of the reasons why I’ve had success, and my extended family as well. I know they’re in the stands watching and that helps me when I’m playing.”
This winter, Filer has been a key cog on a Council Rock North basketball team chock full of hard-working, team-first, win-first players, including a gutsy group of seniors.
“We have a group of seniors this year who are willing to do whatever it takes to win,” said CR North coach Derek Wright. “And Tim is one of them. He’s willing to do whatever he needs to do to help us succeed.”
That usually involves taking on the assignment of shutting down the opposition’s top offensive weapon. Although you’ll routinely find Filer’s name spread across the stat sheet – he averages six points and three rebounds per game coming off the bench for the Indians - he relishes his duty as a defensive stopper.
A back-to-the-basket player and post defender through middle school when he was often among the taller players on the court, Filer leveled off at 6-foot-1 and has thus been pushed away from the basket at Rock North.
Filer admits the change wasn’t easy, but time spent working on his foot speed, coupled with heaps of AAU experience, helped to ease the transition.
“Playing AAU and going up against so many good athletes definitely has helped a lot,” said Filer, who played for Bucks County AAU. “I like the challenge of guarding the other team’s better players. I try to rise to the occasion. I’m happy to do it and it feels good to shut a player down. I take a lot of pride in my defense.”
Filer helped the Indians (22-6) finish atop the Suburban One National Conference, earn the sixth seed in the District One Class AAAA playoffs, and advance to the PIAA Class AAAA tournament by bouncing back to win three straight games after a second-round upset loss to Chester.
He played a big part in limiting Upper Dublin senior star Jamil Brown, who gouged the Indians for 37 points in the teams’ first meeting back on Dec. 12, to 14 points during North’s 39-33 win over the Cardinals on March 6—a win that gave the team the ninth and final District One spot in the state playoffs.
The Indians’ season ended three days later with a 58-55 home loss to Hazleton, the second seed from District 2, in a play-in game. Filer finished with three points.
“He’s a senior leader and he has been a big part of our success this season,” said Wright. “He fits into our team well.”
On a team with as much depth and talent as the Indians possess, there may not always be enough playing time to please everyone, but Wright acknowledges that Filer’s focus has always been on the team.
“He’s a great teammate,” said Wright. “He’s been a big part of what we’re doing. He’s a model student-athlete. He’s a National Honor Society guy. He’s committed in the off-season. He has listened and learned a lot this year as a player.”
Filer’s varsity basketball career at North began with promise when he became the team’s sixth man as a sophomore before reinjuring his left index finger forced him to miss the final six weeks of the season.
It was a painful injury and an unwelcomed flashback to the summer before ninth grade.
Filer was on the leg extension machine during a workout session when he rested his hand in the wrong spot and … crunch.
“It made this crunching sound and I looked down and it was basically hanging off,” said Filer, who needed surgery to repair the finger. “I almost cut it off.”
The second snap occurred when his dad was throwing passes to him in the driveway and Filer “…didn’t catch a pass right.”
He came back to serve another big role for the Indians last season, reassuming his sixth man duties. Filer said the injury doesn’t bother him on the basketball court, but does give him some trouble in baseball because it was to the finger that goes in the glove hole on his left hand.
But a busted digit doesn’t keep Filer from being a major contributor to the Indians’ baseball team as well.
The versatile Filer spent time at both left field and at first base while notching all-SOL National honors as a junior. This year, Filer said he might be asked to do even more.
“I have no idea where I’ll play this year,” said Filer. “I might catch. I might play some in the outfield, some at first base, we’ll have to wait and see.”
It will be a wait-and-see approach for Filer next year as well at Lebanon Valley College when he’ll make a decision whether to continue playing basketball or baseball.
“I’ll play whichever sport I feel I’m going to get more playing time, preferably as soon as possible,” said Filer, whose father, Bob, also played basketball and baseball in high school at Archbishop Ryan.
In addition to following his father’s athletic footprints, Filer plans to one day become a physical therapist, like dad.
“I’d really like to pursue physical therapy,” said Filer. “It’s something that has interested me since middle school really. I’ve been injured before and I’ve been through therapy. I’ve seen what my dad does. I’m taking anatomy right now. It’s not easy. It’s definitely not easy, but I like it. It’s interesting to me.”
The same work ethic that fuels Filer in athletics, powers his academic achievements.
“I think that definitely comes from my parents,” said Filer. “They push me to do the best that I can academically. It doesn’t always come easy. I put a lot of time in, but I know that if I don’t do that I can’t play sports.”
Wherever Filer ends up, he knows it will be his hard work that takes him there.
