Basketball
Favorite athlete: Kawhi Leonard
Favorite team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Favorite memory competing in sports: My entire senior year of basketball
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: During my freshman year, I played water polo for the first time. It was very hard, to say the least, as I had never swam competitively before. During preseason, I was by far the slowest person in the pool, and I had no idea what I was doing. I thought I was going to drown.
Music on iPod: Alternative, Country, Hip Hop/R&B
Future plans: Attend Penn State University and major in business
Words to live by: “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
One goal before turning 30: Graduate college and then live and work in Philadelphia
One thing people don’t know about me: I played the tuba in elementary and middle school.
By Mary Jane Souder
The phrase ‘team player’ is sometimes thrown around loosely, but in the case of Ben Wonderling, it’s another story entirely. The Souderton senior might well be the very definition of that phrase.
Although Wonderling’s numbers are hardly remarkable, he was one of the most important players on team.
“It’s hard to call a kid a professional, but Ben is so professional about playing basketball,” Souderton basketball coach Pete Chimera said. “Maybe it’s because he’s the third Wonderling, and he understands it and his mom played at Miami.
“Maybe he just gets it, but he is just a true professional. He would never do anything that would hurt the team. He might make a mistake, but it will never be a mistake of – I’m just doing something to be selfish. Kids are young and they do that. He doesn’t. He ‘s just a total team player. Ben was sort of the glue to our team.”
So it’s hardly surprising when Chimera asked his team to vote for captains heading into the season, Wonderling was elected along with Evan Slone and Tim Markow.
“Despite the fact that other kids played a great deal more, he was clearly the guy everyone recognized as a leader,” Chimera said.
During a season that was a roller coaster ride for an Indian squad that went 10-5 out of the gate but then lost four straight before recuperating to win three in a row, Wonderling was a constant.
“Sometimes when you talk to high school kids, you don’t know if they listen,” Chimera said. “You think they’re listening, you hope they’re listening. You always knew Ben was listening. He acknowledged you. He was a great listener.
“When I would get after a player and give them a hard time, Ben was the guy patting them on the back. He wasn’t patting them on the back saying, ‘Coach is a jerk for yelling at you.’ He’d say, ‘Let’s go. Forget about it. That’s coach.’ He’s just a coach’s dream.”
Chimera recalled his introduction to the team at an open gym after he took over the helm when Dennis Stanton stepped down.
“I remember Ben came up to me and said, ‘Congratulations, coach,’” the Indians’ coach said. “For a sophomore to do that is a big deal. Some of the seniors came up, but he was really the only underclassman who came up.
“I think back to that first year. Ben didn’t play much on varsity my first year. You’re not as confident as a coach, but I took confidence from Ben shaking his head, ‘Yeah, I get it.’ You think about it – he doesn’t have to execute what I’m saying because he’s not going to play, but the fact that he was nodding and acknowledging and understanding told me – you know what, the other guys do too.”
For Wonderling, it’s never been about the amount of court time he received or the statistics he posted. Rather, it was just a love of the game he has been playing since he was a youngster, following in the footsteps of older brothers Sam and Mark.
“They’ve just been outstanding role models,” Wonderling said of his siblings. “I’m so thankful that I can look up to the people I’m living with.”
His parents – Rob and Kristin Wonderling – both played as well with his mother receiving a basketball scholarship to the University of Miami.
“Obviously, basketball is a huge part of our family,” Wonderling said. “When we were little, we played all the sports in our backyard – football, baseball, hockey, and, of course, basketball.
“I don’t know if it was coincidental, but for all of us, basketball became our favorite, and all of us stuck with it.”
Ask Wonderling what it was about basketball that pulled him in, and his response is a telling one.
“It’s such a great game,” he said. “It’s a team sport, and you can’t be successful without being a team.
“I just enjoyed how it’s a 12-guy team so it’s more of a family atmosphere, unlike a football team with 40 guys where you’re not really as close with everyone. It’s a game that’s hard not to love.”
Wonderling acknowledged the significance of his parents’ support over the years.
“I can’t even put into words how much of an influence they’ve been on me in a positive way,” he said. “They’ve been always supporting me in anything I do.
“They ‘ve never forced basketball on me, and they’ve never said, ‘Just because we love basketball you have to play.’ I kind of feel that no matter what I did they would support me and appreciate whatever I do. I’m really blessed and thankful for that.”
Wonderling’s progression through the high school ranks began with seeing action in just two jayvee games as a freshman since the ninth grade team was dropped. He played significant minutes for the jayvee as a sophomore and saw limited varsity time.
As a junior, Wonderling stepped into the varsity lineup when starting point guard Steve Shaffer was injured and hit a huge three-pointer to help the Indians win the Wissahickon Holiday Tournament.
This year he’s been a steadying presence in the starting lineup.
“We always put him on the other team’s best offensive player,” Chimera said. “He held (Cal) Reichwein to two points at West in our win there. He did a great job on a number of the best players in our league.”
Whether a starter or deep reserve, Wonderling – according to Chimera -was always the first person to greet players when they came off the court.
“I think it’s all about loving my teammates,” the senior captain said. “I’d rather our team win and our team be successful than me personally.
“I’m a really positive guy, and I think that any way that I can bring energy to the team or pump the other guys up – I try to do that, and I think that can translate into success.”
When Chimera came on board, Wonderling – by his own admission - was one of the weakest players on the team. He did something about it, making a commitment to the weight lifting program.
“From seeing the guys go before me in the program and watching a lot of varsity basketball, it’s evident you need to be strong to play at that level,” he said. “A lot of people think weight lifting is just a football thing, but it’s just as important for basketball players too.
“I kind of told myself if I wanted to play at that level – I needed to work hard in the weight room. There are guys this year that were so much stronger than me, but compared to my sophomore year, I did progress.”
The season came to an end for Wonderling and his teammates when they fell to Phoenixville in an opening round district game.
“It was really emotional,” he said. “I’m not an emotional guy, but I never felt that emotional.
“If there’s anything I’ll remember, it’s my teammates and coaches and just the relationships I’ve formed. They were my brothers on and off the court, and I’ll never forget these guys.”
A leader off the court as well, Wonderling was elected president of Souderton’s student council.
“It’s kind of funny – entering high school I never really pictured myself as a leader,” he said. “It just kind of evolved and I found myself in these positions.
“I’ve definitely loved being a leader. Being a leader is an opportunity to help someone out. It’s an opportunity to give back. In helping others, it’s been just as beneficial to myself.”
Wonderling is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the LINK Crew, a freshman mentoring program. He is active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and teaches Sunday School at his church.
Next year, Wonderling will be attending Penn State where he plans to major in business.
“He’s going to be a tremendous success in whatever he does,” Chimera said. “Who knows what he’ll end up doing, but I know he’ll be a tremendous success because he can gather people quietly. He’s the guy behind the scenes who gets things done.”
A team player if ever there was one.
