Junior pursues sports during every season, participates in extracurricular activities

Balancing multiple sports and academic work loads often appears as a challenge to high school students. Some feel the need to sacrifice extracurriculars, sports or individual interests in order to stay ahead in school. With a passion for music, athletics and academics, junior Ellie Scully embraces the activity while also prioritizing a balanced schedule.

Scully’s fervor for athletics dates back to kindergarten when she began to pursue soccer. From there she gained an interest in various other sports including volleyball, softball, swimming and track, which she played during middle school and her first few years of high school.

“I like playing soccer because it is a great way for me to stay active,” Scully said. “It also teaches you what it’s like to work as a team and rely on people. Whether you’re playing your best game or not, your team is always there to pick you up.”

Soon after coming to FC last year, Scully became friends with junior Natalie Arndt. As the two compete on the varsity soccer team, Arndt values Scully’s commitment to the sport and her ability to uplift team members.

“Ellie is quiet, but a crazy good player,” Arndt said. “I call her the ‘silent but deadly one’ because I think her aggressiveness takes the other teams by surprise. Ellie is always encouraging me to keep playing at my best ability and not to give up.”

Scully challenges herself by taking AP Calculus and physics, playing cello for the worship team, participating in a sport during every season and mentoring a junior high girl in the Sister to Sister program.

Transferring to FC from Storm Lake, IA during her sophomore year, Scully engages with the community on campus by getting involved in as many activities as possible.

Third-year girls soccer coach Matthew Markarian enjoys watching Scully’s growth and improvement from her prior year on the field. Now playing midfield for the soccer team, Markarian feels Scully carries a quiet strength that is an asset to the team.

“Ellie has an amazing ability to be shown something one time and she immediately is able to apply it to the game situation,” Markarian said. “This year, she has added the ability to distribute to her teammates, which makes her a lot more dangerous as a player. She is always in control no matter how things are going.”

In the following podcast, junior Jewel Chandler interviews junior Ellie Scully about her experiences in soccer.

Scully’s ability to take charge in difficult situations goes beyond the soccer field. As an AP student and member of the worship team, Scully creates a system to focus on homework while keeping up with her musical talents and participating in sports practices.

“It is pretty difficult to balance all of my activities, but I like to set time away every evening for the things I need to be finished with, or practice my instruments,” Scully said. “A good thing about being busy is that I have no time to procrastinate, so I am usually able to stay on top of my work.”

Watching her accomplishments and determination from the start, mother Karen Scully is a testament to Scully’s work ethic. As a major cheerleader for her daughter, Karen makes sure to encourage her daughter in whatever she puts her mind to and allow her to pursue it to the best of her ability.

“Ellie loves to be active, to be part of a team, to be outside and to try new things,”  Scully said. “She thrives on staying busy, and has learned to evaluate how much she can handle at a time. She also knows that our family rule is that once you commit to something, you must see it through.”

If you want to catch Scully’s skills on the field, girls soccer is scheduled to host Parlier at 6 p.m., Jan. 23. Be sure to come out and support your Eagles!

For more articles, check out Adam Smith coaches boy’s soccer team midseason, or Avery Jones exhibits leadership on, off the field.

Jewel Chandler can be reached via email and Twitter.

The following slideshow includes images of Scully’s various sports and hobbies.

Gallery • 7 Photos