The first time I ever saw Hope Wasserman she was eight years old and playing goalie for the Green Hornet’s Twisters. She wasn't the tallest girl on the team, nor was she the broadest. But she had the most important quality needed in a goalie - fearlessness.  Hope showed absolutely no fear, whether the ball was heading at top speed in a direct line towards her or whether it was being followed by another player heading straight for her. That same year, Hope started playing rugby through the Green Hornets touch rugby program.  And though she still plays soccer, batting the balls out of the air …

With cooler temperatures and low lying clouds, Saturday morning was a perfect day for the Third Annual Karen Stevens Memorial Kids Triathlon, held to honor the memory of the late Karen Stevens, a swim instructor with the SPY Aquatics program who passed away in 2009. The event hosted almost 100 kids, ranging in age from 5 to 14 years old. “Karen taught me to swim,” was echoed by many of the children as the reason they chose to make this their first triathlon.  The Stevens family, Chris, Karen’s husband, and sons Matthew and Michael were on hand to award medals and help out along the course …

The first time All County Track star, Ashley Hayes ran she wasn't sure it was her sport. “The summer before I started high school, I went out with one of my friends from the neighborhood to run with the cross country team for one of the summer sessions,” Hayes said. “And I thought I wouldn’t make it. I couldn’t believe how hard it was.” She pushed through that summer attending more of the informal training sessions and getting a little more comfortable each week, but it wasn’t until the season officially started and she began working with Coach Ed Purpura that she realized she might have some…

As the rain whipped against the windows of the Atlanta Bread Company on Saturday afternoon, Billy Zito sat across from me explaining how he juggles everything in his busy schedule. “I like the pressure,” Billy said, “It motivates me.” As Billy heads into his senior year at Severna Park High School (SPHS), pressure is something he has plenty of.   Currently fifth in his class, Billy is taking six advanced placement courses.  He belongs to the National Honor Society, the Spanish National Honor Society, and Spanish Club.  He is a member of the math team, plays on a player managed and coached …

Maeve Doherty started her sporting career as a Shipley's Choice Elementary School first grader.  Playing soccer with the Green Hornets she had her first taste of athletics on the local  fields and didn't fall in love with the sport. By the next fall, she found her true athletic calling – field hockey. Since second grade Maeve has moved up through the ranks of field hockey in Severna Park, playing with the Green Hornets every fall and eventually joining SPark Field Hockey, the local indoor program. With years of  training under her belt and sports specific strength, directional change and …

Carson Scholar Megan Killpatrick, 12, plays select soccer and lacrosse through the Green Hornets and swims for the Shipley’s Choice Dolphins each summer. And, like most Severna Park athletes, she takes her studies seriously as a seventh-grader at Severna Park Middle School.  But there is more to Megan than meets the eye as there is a maturity level beyond her years due to an illness called Chiari Malformation that she was diagnosed with at age 7.  After an initial diagnosis of scoliosis, further testing at Johns Hopkins Hospital determined that Megan also has Chiari Malformation, a serious …

To take the most scenic route from San Francisco to Los Angeles, CA by car you would cover 545 miles and would be hard pressed to miss the beauty of the coast line, mountains and fields - but you may be unimpressed with the elevation, the heat, the cold, the rain, and fog.  If one were to take the same trip by bike, over a seven day period with a couple of thousand other riders, traveling as much as 108 miles in a single day, these factors would become more evident.  Even before Severna Park resident, Carol Coffin left Maryland for the AIDS Life Cycle Ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, …

The North Cape Arthur (NCA) Swim team completed its summer season undefeated, bringing home the title of County Champion for the first time in recent history.  Though the team had a lot of talented swimmers, the parents at NCA believe their coach, Sean Brandt, had a lot to do with their success. “Sean has done a fantastic job leading our team this year,” Molly Winkler said. A swimmer for NCA since he was 6 years-old and swimming for SPY since he was 11 years-old, and working as an assistant coach both at NCA and the Big Vanilla, Brandt had the experience it took to coach a winning team.  But …

When the Severna Park High School Cross Country team begins training again this fall, they will be joined by a world class runner. This summer, assistant coach, Elmer McPhail secured his place as second in the world in the 5000 meter track distance with a 17:00:60 finish in the World Masters Championships in Sacramento, CA. Coach McPhail’s second place finish comes on the heels of a spectacular marathon performance earlier this year.  In April, McPhail competed in the prestigious Boston Marathon, completing the course in a blazing 2:50:39 and placing second in his age group.  Speaking of his …

For the past week, as I have headed out the door for my workouts I have stopped, closed my eyes and used a tool I seldom pull out of the toolbox – visualization.  Though I sometimes visualize what a run will feel like or how I will perform while out on the trails, this week I have used a new vision to fuel my run.  I close my eyes and picture the smiling faces of five year old girls running a 50 meter race.  Seeing their faces in my mind’s eye reminds me of why I run – to have fun.  It reminds me that even though I want to be faster and better than I was last year or the year before, what I …

The word "powerhouse" describes the Severna Park High School Falcons girl's lacrosse team. In the past four years, the team won three state titles. But it didn't happen by luck or happenstance.  According to her players, coach Carin Peterson knows the game better than just about anybody else. But she also has a work ethic to produce winning teams and expects a lot from her players. She is not a molly coddling coach.  Instead she pushed her players to be the best every time they step on the field. But having a great feeder system doesn't hurt. Because many of the girls have been playing since …

If you have been to a Severna Park High School game of any kind in the past five years or so, you have seen Kenny Elkert.  You might have also seen him at the Giant  ood  in Severna Park where he works several times a week and never fails to wave hello. Kenny is a special part of the Severna Park community.  “We knew about Kenny before we even started high school.  We knew that if you were going to go to be an athlete at Severna Park, you were going to eventually become friends with Kenny,”  said Kiersten Muhly. After four years on the field hockey and lacrosse teams for the Falcons, Muhly …

This year’s Dawson’s Father’s Day 10k was yet another reminder of the popularity of running and racing in Maryland.  As the larger races in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. are filling up ever faster,  locally runners are looking to clubs like the Annapolis Strider’s to provide well organized events at a fraction of the cost of the big city races.  With the help of 60 volunteers including club members and local families, race directors, Ross Heisman and Rick Aulbach and the Annapolis Strider’s hosted 478 runners despite the soaring temperatures and humidity.  The race started in the bus loop at…

Seven years ago Kathy Zingler became the head coach of the Severna Park High School tennis team.  A year later she was joined by assistant coach Nan Littlejohn.  Together they brought two key ingredients to the team – experience and fun. Both Zingler and Littlejohn actively compete in adult leagues.  When they tell their players they know how it feels to miss that serve, have an 'off day ' or even kick a little butt on the tennis court, they aren’t talking about their glory days or long dormant memories.  Instead, they apply and share the lessons they learn on a daily basis through practices …

When we moved to Severna Park six years ago, we were guided to the Green Hornets.  Our neighbors told us how much of a difference the club and the sports available through the club, had made for their children.  While many people spoke of the improvements their children made in individual sports, most spoke about the life lessons learned on the fields. I recently came across a quote by the late Terry Robinson, who coached girl’s lacrosse in the Green Hornets program for 12 years.  Coach Robinson said that the Green Hornets program was about more than winning or losing.  Robinson said the …

When Severna Park resident, Angela Ashe sent an email about the Warrior Dash to all of her friends, her neighbor and running partner, Mara Whiteman responded immediately.  “I am totally there,” Whiteman emailed back.  Though the race is not your typical 5k, Whiteman knew she wanted to be a part of it. She wanted to step outside of her everyday life and try something completely unique.  “Sometimes life becomes like a treadmill.  Treadmills just propel us along without much input from us,” she said, “Our schedules get like that sometimes, we just keep going and going without having say in the …

Michael and Nicholas Disanti are graduating from Severna Park High School in just a couple of weeks.  As though this event alone were not enough to send their mom, Kathy into full organization and planning mode, their graduation is punctuated by another big event for the family.  Their 25 year old sister, Samantha, has qualified for and was invited to the Special Olympics World Games. Less than a month after the boys walk across the stage to collect their diplomas, the entire Disanti family will board a plane to Greece.  “We have been walking around like we won the lottery,”Kathy Disanti said…

As the saying goes “Age is a state of mind” and never has that been more true than for the four members of the relay team from the Mid-Delmarva YMCA Swim Team who competed in the National YMCA Swim meet in Florida last month.           Coach Nancy Brown knew she had something special when she began pulling the relay team together.  Nancy’s Dream team consisted of Sarah Allnut, Chuck Eremchuk, Doris Russell and because she needed a fourth and he knew it, her own husband Geoff Revett.  “Nancy conned me into this swimming thing about 11  years ago,” Revett said. Revett, who had sailed …

Off the field Erik Schuh is a quiet, unassuming young man.  On the field, he is a force to be reckoned with.  Which field?  Take your pick.  From his earliest days as a Severna Park athlete, first with the Green Hornets and later with Severna Park High School, Schuh has excelled at both soccer and lacrosse.   Whether he is juggling the ball through defenders or charging for the goal, he is known as a player that keeps his opponents on their toes.  But for Schuh soccer and lacrosse are more than a game.  They have given him a skill he will carry with him the rest of his life.  “Teamwork,” …

Bill Voelp stepped up to the plate as commissioner for boys baseball only four short months ago.  It was a natural step for a dad who loves baseball, loves the Green Hornets program and wants to see it grow. “The program has been run really well,” Voelp said. “But there is always room for improvement." Currently there are almost 800 boys playing Green Hornets baseball through the club, travel and select programs, but Voelp would like to see that number increased.  “The numbers begin to drop off as the boys begin to get older.” Voelp said. “It is our goal to make baseball and the entire …