By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/16/18
Germantown Friends 2018 defender Riley Knowles has been named the Pansini Law Group Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
The award recognizes senior and junior lacrosse players that excel in academics, service and athletics.
Riley Knowles Profile:
Grad year: 2018
Position: Defense
Club team: STEPS Philly
College commitment: Pitzer College (Pomona-Pitzer Athletics)
Lacrosse honors:
3 Year Varsity starter (10-12, began playing in 10th grade)
Most Improved (10th grade)
Other: 2 Year Captain and 4 year Varsity Soccer
Academic honors:
National French Contest Honorable Mention (10, 11)
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency – Outstanding performance amongst PA on the ACT (12)
School organizations, service:
Varsity Soccer (9-12)
Varsity Indoor Track (9-11)
Varsity Lacrosse (10-12)
Community Action Club (leader)
Environmental Action Club
What are your future college, service, future goals?
Knowles: “As far as college goes, I am really looking forward to taking a large range of classes and discovering new interests. I think I see myself in business or media, but at the beginning of my college process I wanted to be an English major – which is not something I see myself pursing now – so I am keeping my mind open to everything! That said, I am leaning towards a Political Science and Media Studies major. Pitzer is committed to social and environmental justice, and that definitely lends itself into the curriculum, but I’m excited to get involved with the many service opportunities near campus. I am thrilled to be able to continue my lacrosse career as a Sagehen, and to take advantage of all that Pitzer, and the Claremont Colleges have to offer.”
How do you describe leadership?
Knowles: “I think that true leaders are grown out of adversity. The ability to rise to a challenge and inspire those around you to do the same is what I recognize in the leaders in my own life. You don’t have to have the loudest voice, or the highest statistics, or a well known name to be a leader. What I admire are the people who never cease to work hard, who constantly encourage and support those around them, who can lead a team to victory and humble them through a defeat – those are some of the many qualities that I think are integral parts of leadership.”
How do you balance lacrosse, school and extracurriculars?
Knowles: “My success in the classroom is, without a doubt, indebted to my time on the field. Being a three sport student-athlete and being an active member of the student body at GFS has taught me the importance of staying focused, organized, and on top of my busy schedule. I set goals for myself in terms of what I hope to accomplish after practice, and try to head to bed at a reasonable hour. I take advantage of the library during my free periods which helps to minimize the amount of work I have to do later at night. Setting aside time for myself to socialize and relax is very important, and I also make sure that I am taking good care of my body in terms of sleep, hydration, and nutrition in order to be on top of game both in class, and at practice.”
High school coaches from Philly, Delaware, South Jersey, the Lehigh Valley and Central PA may nominate a player (junior or senior) for the Pansini Law Group Scholar-Athlete of the Week by e-mailing us at golax@phillylacrosse.com
