School: Hatboro-Horsham
Lacrosse
Favorite athlete: Dusty Payne – professional surfer
Favorite team: Phillies
Favorite memory competing in sports: Spring training in Disney with my lacrosse team.
Most embarrassing/funnies thing that has happened while competing in sports: “When our goalie in soccer went to kick the ball and lost his shoe, and instead of going for the ball, he went for his shoe, and we lost the game.”
Music on iPod: “Anything and everything from Dave Matthews to Metallica to Jay-Z
Future plans: Attend University of Maryland and move to California
Words to live by: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
One goal before turning 30: “Direct a film that wins at The Sundance Film Festival”
One thing people don’t know about me: “I hate clowns.”
By Alex Frazier
Hatboro-Horsham lacrosse coach Dave Sowers paid Ryan Kreston the highest compliment he could.
“If I had a daughter,” he said. “I would introduce her to Ryan Kreston.”
Unfortunately, Sowers is the father of three sons, so Kreston will just have to serve as a role model for them.
The fact that Kreston is an outstanding lacrosse player is only the tip of the iceberg.
Among his other fine qualities, Kreston is intellectually curious. While many teenagers tend to be singular focused, Kreston is always game to try something different.
“Any opportunity I get to try something new, you might as well,” he said. “The worst you’re going to do is not be able to do it and then you move on. It’s better to try it than never have tried it and wonder if you could have or not.”
Last year, for example, he signed up for Guitar 1 as a junior elective. It turned out to be one of the hardest courses he has taken.
“A lot of things come easy like sports,” he said. “Guitar was not one of those things that came easy. It was a lot of practice.”
He became so enamored with the guitar, he bought himself one. One of his good friends also plays, and he helped Kreston. Now they spend a lot of time at the shore playing together.
Earlier this year, he signed up for a film making course, not something you might expect an athlete to do. He figured it would be an easy class, something light for his senior year.
One of the requirements of the class was to make two films. His teacher suggested a Halloween scenario in which an intruder enters a house and kills the owner.
His teacher liked the film Kreston created which fueled his motivation.
“My film teacher thought it was pretty good,” said Kreston. “I started getting into it.”
He entered the film in the Greenfield Youth Festival.
The film, called “The Intruder,” took second place out of 70 entries.
“That was pretty cool,” he said. “It was just a short format clip we put together.”
Sowers even had the time of the Pennridge lacrosse game changed from 7 p.m. to 5 p.m. so that the team could see the film at the festival.
“This kid’s a genius,” said Sowers.
His second film, a music video of a friend’s song, which he is also using for his graduation project, won him another award.
His two films are now entered in a national film festival in New Jersey next weekend.
“I’m hoping to meet a lot of people that can push my films through to the next level and start my career,” said Kreston.
His meteoric success has spurred Kreston to strongly consider a career in filmmaking.
“That’s what I want to do if I’m able to do it,” he said. “I’d really love to do that.”
And aside from the possibility of a career, Kreston has been introduced to a new fraternity of friends.
“It’s a lot different than I’m used to in sports,” he said. “It’s a whole different world for me. I definitely like it. It’s another way to express myself other than playing sports. The kids at the film festival were definitely a lot different than the kids on my lacrosse team.”
For Kreston that’s just a plus.
“It broadens your horizon and let’s you meet new people you usually wouldn’t meet,” he said. “I met some cool kids through the film that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”
In his leisure time, Kreston likes to surf and snowboard.
Lacrosse is another sport he explored as something new.
He started in fifth grade.
“I was sick of baseball,” he said.
He almost didn’t get to play that year.
“My mom was rushing to the meeting because she had just found out lacrosse signups were due, and she got there just in time,” said Kreston. “I was the last kid on the team.”
He was by no means an immediate success, but he kept plugging away.
“The first two years were rough trying to learn the skills,” he said. “I started taking off around eighth grade year.”
This year Kreston scored 58 goals and 44 assists for 102 points. His biggest goal might have been the one he scored in overtime against C.B. East that gave the Hatters a share of the Continental Conference title.
Not surprisingly, he was named the Continental Conference MVP and recently received all-state recognition for a Hatter squad that advanced to the state tournament.
“I’ve worked hard,” he said. “I’m definitely glad to have that recognition.”
Kreston was also one of the team captains this year.
“I had more points last year, but I feel like I’ve been playing better this year,” he said. “I’ve been more of a leader on the team and contributing a lot. On the field I don’t talk that much and try to lead by example.”
“He’s one of the greatest character young man you will ever encounter,” said Sowers. “Integrity and work ethic top Ryan’s list.”
And that extends to the classroom as well as the athletic fields. He carries a 3.5 unweighted GPA and takes numerous honors and AP courses.
“I work hard at school,” he said. “You have to work hard to get into a good college.”
Sowers paid him the ultimate compliment.
“Whatever Ryan puts his hands on, he does it to the best of his ability,” the Hatters’ coach said. “In my 22 years of coaching, Ryan Kreston is one of the best young men I have ever coached. He brings joy to coaching.”
Next year Kreston will attend the University of Maryland. Although Maryland doesn’t offer a major in filmmaking, it does allow students to create their own majors.
“I’m either going to do that or major in communications,” he said. “That incorporates film and radio and television. My options are open right now. I’m hoping to make it as a film maker.”
Lacrosse next year is questionable. Maryland is always one of the top programs in the country every year. He wasn’t recruited, so if he gets a chance to play, it will be as a walk on.
“I’ll give my best shot at it and see what happens,” he said. “Whatever happens, happens.”
Of course, if lacrosse doesn’t work out, Kreston will have a host of new opportunities awaiting him.
“I’m definitely going to try and explore new things in life,” he said.
