 |
BARBARA CAMPBELL Athlete, North Penn High School, 1970 9 Varsity Letters: 3 Field Hockey, 3 Basketball, 3 Softball 1969 Captain of Field Hockey Team 1970 Co-Captain Basketball Team 1970 Captain Softball Team and Softball MVP 1970 Softball Team Bux-Mont Champions 1970 NPHS Female Senior Athlete Award 1969 Softball Season Batting Average .630 16 RBI’s, 17 hits, 1 home run 1974 NCAA Tournament Playoffs in Basketball & Softball East Stroudsburg University, BS, 1978, MS, 1996 Inducted 2019 |
|
North Penn High School, 1970 I am honored to be a part of the 2019 class of inductees for the North Penn Alumni Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Being the oldest of five children, competition has been a part of my DNA for as long as I can remember: whether it was to out run the others for the best seat in front of the television, being the first to yell ‘shot-gun’ to sit in the front seat of the car, the one-on-one basketball contests in the driveway, wiffle ball games in the backyard or the constant jockeying of time for our parents’ attention. Competition played a part in shaping our identity, helping to develop who we were becoming as individuals. Reminiscing about my involvement in sports, I had difficulty remembering things like goals scored, strikeouts pitched or baskets made. My entire life had revolved around these many snapshots and events, yet I can only recall a precious few. What I do remember are the numerous conversations I had with my mom during the early 60s, questioning why I was not allowed to play Little League baseball. As I stood watching from outside of the baseball fence, I thought I was as good as, if not better than some of the boys who were playing. When I asked my mother why I couldn’t play, always in her most nurturing and sympathetic way, she could only say “because you are a girl”, which I just didn’t understand. At that point, I didn’t even bother asking about why I couldn’t play Pee Wee football because I knew the answer was the same. Almost daily I would walk down to the basketball courts at York Avenue Elementary school, with the hope of somehow being asked to play in a game with the boys. Many days I just sat on my basketball, watching from the sidelines. Occasionally I would get into a game and did everything I could to prove that I could hold my own. Suddenly things began to change. Bud Cliver and Don Gibson, along with several other parents, started the North Penn Girls Softball League. I was a member of the very first group of girls to begin playing in the league. I thought who needs Little League. We had our own uniforms and playing fields, and even better, we always got a hot dog and soda after the game, even if we didn’t win! That led to me playing ASA travel softball for the next 20 years. Around the same time, the softball league began, at St. Stanislaus, where I went to elementary school, started a CYO girls’ basketball program. I was a little confused as to why our uniform was a dress, actually a tunic, but at that point, it didn’t matter because I was on a team playing basketball. During the summer, my parents insisted we take swimming lessons. Every morning I rode my bike to the 4th Street pool for a lesson and one morning Mr. Cash, the lifeguard who taught the lessons, said to me, “you should try out for the swim team”. The next thing I knew, I was a member of the swim team. Without really knowing it at the time, each of these competitive opportunities helped lay the groundwork for what was to come in my life. For me, sports and activities were the “other half” of education. Reflecting back on our own lives, the lessons that we have all learned from our own participation goes far beyond the game itself. In fact, it helped shape who we are, the friends we chose, the decisions to go to college, and for me, it led to a career path; giving me an opportunity to give back and reteach all the life lessons that I learned at such a fragile time in my life. It taught me about work ethic, dedication and what it meant to set a goal and achieve it together as a member of a team. It helped me excel academically and held me accountable in the classroom. Participation in sports is like a leadership laboratory, where we learned about failure, how to overcome adversity and how to rise above it. Sports have taught me persistence, patience, self-control and helped me develop self-esteem and self-confidence. I’ve learned what it takes to be a real competitor and not just someone who wants to win. I cherish those feelings of excitement and emotion when walking into a gym or on to a playing field; of being a part of something bigger than myself; being part of a team, of a community that comes to cheer and support your efforts; glancing up into the stands and seeing family, friends, neighbors, teachers, classmates and even strangers, sitting there to cheer for our team’s success. I recall playing basketball against Immaculata College, the defending NCAA Women’s National Basketball champions. Looking into the stands, I spotted my family and to my surprise, sitting next to them was coach Dot Ball and some of the NP girls’ varsity players who made the trip to cheer for our team. What an extraordinary feeling of pride that gave me! Later that same year, as a player on my college team, I stood in the basketball arena at Kansas State University for the opening ceremony of the NCAA Women’s National Basketball Championships. Listening to the announcer and the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner, surrounded by all of the flags and teams competing in the tournament, I thought to myself, “I’m from the little town of Lansdale. How did I make it to this moment? How did I get to this place?” Lightning struck twice when I was able to experience that again in the NCAA Softball National Tournament the following year. My athletic experiences have led me to incredible places, afforded me the opportunity to interact with extraordinary people, and opened doors to my future and my career. I feel fortunate to have been coached and mentored by so many inspirational individuals, many who are “Hall of Famers” in their own right. Many thanks to Laura Kehler, DotBall, Joan Moser, Don Ryan, Len Tulio, Donna Kleinert, and Dottie Bunting. Thank you to the many teammates I had the honor of competing alongside. Most importantly, I thank my parents and siblings. My parents helped create moments so each of us could find and pursue our passions. They embraced us, loved us unconditionally, and shared in both our failures and our accomplishments. They were always there to help us find the answers to life’s questions. Finally, I’d like to thank the board members of the NP Alumni Athletic Association. This honor creates yet another forever memory of being selected to this Hall of Fame’s “Dream Team.” |
|