2023 Fall Athletes Proud to Represent Milton Hershey School
Milton Hershey School’s 2023 fall athletes are busy balancing Breakthroughs in the classroom and on the field, court, and cross country course. To celebrate the commitment our senior athletes have shown to Spartan athletics, we asked them what they are most proud of and what advice they want to impart to their teammates.
Marilyn Purcell, Girls Soccer
What are you most proud of as a student-athlete at MHS?
As a student-athlete, I am most proud of the commitment it takes to be on a team while balancing school, home life, and other extracurricular activities. We are not an average high school and I think all athletes are flexible and handle it very well.
What is the best piece of advice you can offer your fellow athletes to achieve a Breakthrough?
Advocate for yourself and your team. You are the ones on the field/court and are there to enjoy your sport, so don’t be afraid to make the change that needs to be made to ensure you and your team can love playing. You only have a maximum of four seasons which means you only have maximum four tries to make the best out of each year and get back what you put into it. It goes by so fast!
How can the MHS community support you and your team this season?
The MHS community can support my team and I this season by understanding we are building up the team more and more every year. Complete change doesn’t happen in one practice or even a season. With Coach Kelsie and Coach Maloney coming in this year, I can already see the difference in the program just from their new approaches to us. They are patient and have a positive and optimistic attitude every day.
Although this is my last year, and I wish I could be here for many more with our coaching staff. I see this team having an upcoming Breakthrough just like our boys team has had the last two years. I love my teammates and I love my coaches.
Dante Thomas, Boys Soccer
What are you most proud of as a student-athlete at MHS?
I am most proud of the effort my teammates put in and seeing the results of that hard work. As a senior, I strive to push my teammates to work their hardest in everything that they do, because I know hard work makes the dream work. My coach has empowered me to use the stuff I’ve learned from past years to boost them and show them how they can be better.
What is the best piece of advice you can offer your fellow athletes to achieve a Breakthrough?
The best piece of advice I could offer for my fellow Spartan athletes is you can teach talent, but you can’t teach heart.
How can the MHS community support you and your team this season?
The MHS community could support my team and I by attending our games throughout the fall. We appreciate all the support that we are given already, but a few extra voices cheering for the Spartans would be a great energizer.
Tajha Johnson, Field Hockey
What are you most proud of as a student-athlete at MHS?
Unlike any other school, Milton Hershey School gives us a family connection to always be near each other and to know when someone else is not feeling themselves. Having the team there is refreshing. It’s good to know that there are people who care about you and will help you whenever it is needed. It is a second family.
What is the best piece of advice you can offer your fellow athletes to achieve a Breakthrough?
Don’t fall behind and bounce back.
Not falling behind can benefit you as a student-athlete in multiple ways. Staying on top of your schoolwork is very important when being an athlete, you need to be able to pass all your classes to maintain your spot on the team.
Bouncing back means to not give up, even in times of defeat or failure. It is very easy to make a mistake during a game or practice, but how you react is very important to help your team members. Being a good teammate shows that you care about others and the success of the team.
How can the MHS community support you and your team this season?
The MHS community can support our team this season by coming out to cheer for us at our home games and to positively encourage all Spartan athletes.
Jason Burney, Football
What are you most proud of as a student-athlete at MHS?
As a student-athlete at MHS, I am most proud of my ability to balance my schoolwork and my sports schedule.
What is the best piece of advice you can offer your fellow athletes to achieve a Breakthrough?
The best piece of advice I can give to my fellow athletes is to stay committed because there are a lot of things athletes must juggle during their sports season. They also must stay committed to completing their work and performing in their sport.
How can the MHS community support you and your team this season?
The MHS community can support me and my team this year by coming out to the games and cheering on everyone who’s out on the field.
Ashley Spence, Girls Cross Country
What are you most proud of as a student-athlete at MHS?
Something I am most proud of as a student-athlete is the progress I am able to see, both academically and physically.
What is the best piece of advice you can offer your fellow athletes to achieve a Breakthrough?
The best piece of advice I can offer my fellow athletes is to make sure your head is in the right place. As long as you believe you can do it, and as long as you stay focused, you can achieve so many things.
How can the MHS community support you and your team this season?
This season, it would be great if the MHS community could come support Cross Country during some of our home meets. Simply cheering makes a huge difference for us runners.
Jayce Householder, Boys Cross Country
What are you most proud of as a student-athlete at MHS?
I am most proud of my effort and ability to adjust to changes.
What is the best piece of advice you can offer your fellow athletes to achieve a Breakthrough?
I would say that no matter how tired you are keep pushing and give it everything you got, don’t forget to finish strong.
How can the MHS community support you and your team this season?
We would benefit if we were to get more spectators to come and support the team. The team will feel more supported and prouder of our hard work and effort after races.
Rose Singleton, Volleyball
What are you most proud of as a student-athlete at MHS?
Reflecting on all my years of being an athlete here at MHS, I can say that I am most proud of being a captain and being the person that my teammates look to whenever they need someone on and off the court.
What is the best piece of advice you can offer your fellow athletes?
Two things I can say I live by are being coachable and selflessness. Being able to take feedback from coaches and realizing the intentions as well as wanting to benefit from it is extremely key to bettering yourself as an athlete. Selflessness is extremely important in team sports. Understanding that not everything is centered around the individual but for the good of the team.
How can the MHS community support you and your team this season?
We can always benefit from a lively and supportive audience. Coming to games and bringing lots of energy to fill the gym is always appreciated. Some big games to come to are the Oct. 3 match against Boiling Springs in Copenhaver Gym and Dig Pink (Senior Night) on Oct. 19 in Spartan Gym.
Stay Up to Date on Spartan Athletics Check Out the 2023 Fall Sports Schedule
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