Soccer, Track & Field
Favorite athlete: Mary Cain of New York
Favorite team: Philadelphia Union (doop!!)
Favorite memory competing in sports: Throwing 51’4” at the Burdette Invitational
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: My teammate ‘Spider’ peed his pants during the beginning of a soccer game and didn’t know until the end.
Music on iPod: Childish Gambino, Adele, Ke$ha
Future plans: To attend Millersville University and graduate with a degree in either economics or business administration and continue on to a good business school.
Words to live by: “The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!” and “It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that’s where transformation happens. That’s how change occurs.”
One goal before turning 30: Get married
One thing people don’t know about me: No matter what, I always psych myself out before meets so that I have a reason to throw as far as I can. My coach always told me to never rest on my past accomplishments and to always strive to do better.
Some people stand out no matter where they are or what they’re doing.
Paul Somerville is one such person.
The Cheltenham senior made his mark on the soccer team as well as the winter and spring track teams.
His true legacy will not be how many goals he scored or how far he threw a discus, but rather in his leadership skills and his dedication to the team.
“Being a good leader has always been important to me,” Somerville said. “I do see myself as a leader in the future and to be a good leader in the future you need to be a good leader in the present, so that’s what I try to do.”
“It’s very important for me to watch my mannerisms and what I do because a lot of the younger athletes are watching me to determine what they might do in the future.”
According to his coaches, he succeeds in this quest.
“Paul's best asset was his dedication to the team,” said Cheltenham soccer coach Chuck Gesing. “Over the spring and summer, between seasons, Paul would send emails to organize a workout or informal practice. Paul was instrumental as a leader on our team. Without direction, Paul acted as a role model bringing younger players up to varsity standards. He did this intrinsically through his words and actions.
“Paul was a pleasure to coach because he was open to playing several different positions at different times during the year. He never hesitated to put the needs of the team above his personal goals. He was an outstanding unsung hero and senior leader and I'll miss him next year.”
Cheltenham track coach Robert Beale concurred.
“He’s been with the program for four years, and he’s a wonderful young man,” the Panthers’ coach said. “He’s so coachable himself and he acts like a coach to the younger people coming into the program.
“He’s a student of the sport and he really tries to help the younger athletes. He’s just a joy to have around. He’s one of those kids you only get once in awhile.”
Somerville specializes in the throws, but he is game for racing as well.
“Paul has good foot speed and he runs when we need him to,” Beale said. “He does whatever we ask him to do for the sake of the team and not every kid is willing to do that.”
Somerville was a state qualifier in the shot put during the indoor season, and he is one of the top throwers in the SOL American Conference, boasting personal best throws of 48-4 in shot put and 135-3.5 in discus, but he doesn’t mind doing events outside of his area of expertise.
“I’ll do the 100 or the 200 if that’s what they need me to do,” he said. “It’s really not a big deal.”
While he does all three throws (discus, shot put and javelin), he considers the javelin to be his least favorite.
“It’s really not the one I’m very good at,” Somerville said. “But it’s important to sacrifice for the team.
“I wasn’t looking forward to throwing the javelin at all, but since no one else knows how to do it, I’m doing it so that we can score some points.
“Throwing the javelin does take away from my ability to throw the discus and the shot put because it’s a different type of throwing, and it’s difficult to manage practice time for all three but that’s what we need so that’s what I do.”
Somerville’s best hopes for going to the PIAA championships are in the discus, where he is already a District One qualifier.
“I didn’t get to districts last year, so already being qualified is a huge relief,” he said. “Last year I was fourth in the league in the shot put and fifth in the discus. This year I would like to win an event and I think my best chance is in the discus.”
Somerville wrestled for Cheltenham in his freshman and sophomore years, but eventually gave it up to participate in winter track.
“I finally decided to give wrestling up,” he said. “I had a bad ankle and I hurt my back my sophomore year and that helped me decide.
“But really, I realized I could either get really good at throwing or just be a decent wrestler so I went for winter track instead, and it’s been a very good decision for me.
“I would tell anyone who is trying to make a decision about a winter sport but is serious about running spring track that they should do winter track.
“If you do indoor, you are starting sooner so you get to a higher point quicker than you would if you just did track in the spring, and it gives you the chance to build on what you’ve accomplished in the spring.
“You just have more time to excel at your respective event.”
Somerville will continue his education at Millersville, where he plans to major in economics.
“I picked economics because I like math and I think the stock market is really interesting,” he said. “I might try to walk on to their soccer team or their track team, if they start it up again.”
Outside of school, he is a member of the Boy Scouts Adventure Crew.
“It’s for people who joined up too late to be regular scouts,” he said. “A friend of mine is in the troop and he got me to join last November.
“It’s been really fun. We do all the things the troop does like backpacking and camping trips.”
Beale sees a bright future for Somerville.
“He’s the type of person who will succeed in life no matter what he does because he understands what it means to be a part of something that’s bigger than he is and it’s refreshing to see that,” Beale said.“We’re going to miss him when he graduates.”
