The following article is sponsored by D.K. Reel Sports on behalf of the Springfield girls’ basketball team. To learn more about D.K. Reel Sports, which creates simple and affordable sports videos, visit the web site at the following link: http://dkreelsports.com/
By Mary Jane Souder
They’re not the biggest and they’re not the best in the 24-team Suburban One League, but the Springfield Spartans certainly have found their niche. They play hard and have fun doing it, and this year, the Spartans – who notched nine wins despite regularly facing much larger schools - earned a berth in the District One AAA Tournament.
“ I don’t want to say we’re the underdog, but we are a smaller school in our league,” senior Maura Ryan said. “The other teams don’t really expect a lot from us.
“Sometimes they see us as the easy team to beat, but it’s never that way. We beat Cheltenham, which is always a challenge, and we’ve never beaten them as long as I’ve been here. We’re in a good position because we’re always challenged, no matter who we play.”
Just as they take pride in their accomplishments on the court, they are equally proud of their off-the-court project that’s become an annual event. The Spartans collect items for care packages as part of the Philly Treats for Troops.
Last year, the team received a letter of thanks from one of the service women who had been on the receiving end of a care package.
“It was a girl from Allentown, and she was so excited,” assistant coach Laurie Kristiniak said. “In her last paragraph, she said, ‘and tell me if I can do anything for you girls.’ It just blew your mind.”
The team packed 24 or 25 boxes with everything from toiletries to tablets to candy to non-perishable food items. The boxes are sent in honor of a fallen soldier from the Delaware Valley, and this year, the team saw a 
video that made the project feel a whole lot more personal.
“It definitely feels good to know it’s actually making a difference because a lot of things like that – you go, you do it and then you leave, but to make that connection, it definitely makes you want to come back and do it the next year because it means something instead of not knowing what happens to it,” Ryan said. “Activities like that we really can bond and we become really close.
“I feel like it translates over onto the court. It’s just like healthy bonding.”
“It’s always good to see us helping someone out,” junior Rachel Harmon said. “This year they showed us a video of where it was actually going, which they didn’t do last year, so I thought it was good to see so that we weren’t just packing food. Now it’s like – oh, it goes there.”
“It’s a really great project,” sophomore Farrin Petty said. “I don’t know how to describe it.
“It’s such a great experience all around. It really teaches multiple things on and off the court that we can use, like relying on each other and things like that.”
Each box included a signed letter from members of the Springfield girls’ basketball team, making that personal connection.
“It’s just amazing,” Kristiniak said. “We (collected) at our school at some of the games. I would like to do it sooner next year.
“They also need money for the mailings, so there’s a lot of different things you can do. A lot of times when people have a direction – they’re happy to do something like that.”
For coach Bill Krewson, the project is a highlight of the year.
“It’s a way to bring the team together,” he said. “If you watch the video, it’s life lessons.
“If I can teach as many life lessons as I can basketball lessons, I’m a much happier coach. You see things all the time and you hope the kids are for each other and not just for themselves.”
The Spartans’ season included several big wins, but ask the players what they enjoyed most, and none of them mention the games.
“For me, it’s the closeness of the team because there aren’t that many players,” Harmon said. “Last year we lost seven seniors, and to go from seven to two this year, it was different, but with the smaller team, it made everyone have to step up more and work harder to be prepared.”
“Honestly, I’ve just really enjoyed the laughs, the growth,” Petty added. “Considering this is only my second year playing basketball – the team has been so nice about helping me learn, and I’ve definitely grown a lot considering not knowing anything last year.”
The smaller team provides opportunities for newcomers to the sport.
“It’s a good experience because you get to know everyone, and there’s more opportunity to get on the court,” Petty said. “If it was a larger school, you wouldn’t have as much time, so it’s definitely a perk for that.”
“I didn’t play in middle school,” Harmon said. “I just started my freshman year.
“I went out because my friends said – ‘You should just play,’ and I was like, ‘Okay.’
“I had no idea how to play, but I know how to play now. I don’t regret trying it.”
For junior Sharyn Wilson, it’s the camaraderie that stands out most.
“Being with our team is like a family,” she said. “I’m competitive, so I love playing games, especially with my teammates.
“When we win, it’s the best feeling.”
Molly Dugan averaged close to 20 points a game this season, but like her teammates, the junior sharpshooter derives her greatest enjoyment from the bond the Spartans have created.
“I love everyone on the team,” she said. “We’re all friends, and if I spend every day with someone, I’m glad it’s them.”
With the graduation of seven seniors from last year’s squad, there were plenty of question marks entering the season.
“The freshmen that came in this year, Siana Wynn and Grace Barraclough especially – they stepped up huge this year, and it made a humongous difference my junior year,” Dugan said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I knew Maura, Jamy (Krewson), Emily (Giampietro) and Sharyn were all coming back, but I didn’t see Siana and Grace coming. They’re two of our starters, and it’s great to have them here.”
Dugan acknowledged that making an impact off the court is significant as well.
“It’s awesome,” she said of the Treats for Troops project. “We generally (show) sportsmanship on the court, and to see we’re nice people outside of basketball and doing things as a team outside of basketball is awesome.
“We can bond whether it’s on the court or off the court.”
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