Brothers earn respect of peers on and off the field
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Submitted by James Quatromoni Hull High Athletic Director/Community Outreach Coordinator
The story of Hull’s Shea brothers is compelling: three young men, all on the honor roll, all captains of their respective football teams, all respected by their peers.
Dylan, Danny and Jake – the three fine boys being raised by Bill and Amy Shea – are a solid example of good things happening in Hull Schools. While taking cues from each other, these young men have made it their practice to demand excellence from themselves in both the classroom and on the athletic field.
“They are tremendous young men that have pride in anything they do,” said varsity football coach Jake McGrath. “From the classroom, to the field, and as citizens, they will try to do the best they can.”
At the high school, coaches and teachers alike are certainly thankful for the presence and approach of Dan and Jake. We look forward to the arrival of Dylan to bring his own standard next year.
Memorial Middle School Principal Lynda Feeney described Dylan, an eighth-grader, as “a hard-working, dedicated and rock-solid student.”
Academically, Dylan is an all-A student. He is a captain of Hull Youth Football’s A Squad, coached by Bob Cambra, and has played under Coach Cambra for the last two seasons. “Dylan is a vocal, driven athlete,” he said. “He is quick to encourage a teammate, or give him that extra push to perform at a higher level.”
“Dylan is a very competitive individual, who just can’t stand to lose,” Hull High defensive coordinator and Memorial School physical education teacher Mike O’Donnell added.
You do not have to look far to see what influences young Dylan to strive for the honor roll, to captain a team, or to demand athletic excellence of himself. His two older brothers are showing him the way.
Dylan cites a combined Hull High /HYFA football practice as one of his proudest athletic moments. Yearly, the high school team works with the youth football squads. The three brothers shared the field that day, although Dylan could not participate due to injury.
The admiration that the youngest Shea has for his brothers is clear when asked what it is like to watch his older brothers participate for the Pirates: “It’s exciting because I get to see what’s in store for me next year. Jake will be gone, but I’ll get to play with Dan. It would have been great if we could have all played together.”
Danny Shea, a sophomore at Hull High School, is a captain of the junior varsity football team, coached by Scott Sivo and David Gibbons.
As we travel the journey of this season, Danny has begun to participate on a regular basis for Coach McGrath’s varsity team. It has allowed him to share the field with older brother Jake.
“I don’t only play with him, but next to him on offense and behind him as a linebacker on defense,” he said.
It is clear that the Shea household is a competitive atmosphere. Each of the boys bring competition and personal pride to the table, regardless of the setting.
“[He is] as competitive off the field as on,” said Coach Sivo, a high school history teacher. “Class is just an extension of the athletic field in the sense that he is constant competition with his best friend, Ethan Hanks. Danny doesn't care what he got on the test, the only question is ‘Did I beat Ethan?’”
“When I need the hard yards as a coach, I turn to Dan,” Coach Sivo added. “He is a hard-nosed, downhill runner who never stops his legs and accelerates through contact.”
Jake Shea is a senior at Hull High. This young man has set the bar for the other Shea boys. He is the president of the National Honor Society, an honor-roll student and a captain of the varsity football team.
“Jake is a shining example of student success at Hull High School,” HHS science teacher John Donohue commented. “His achievements as a student in my science classes identify him as one of the top students in his senior class. More importantly, he has challenged himself to excel outside of the classroom in a wide range of in- and out-of-school activities, and that may be the most impressive thing of all.”
One of those “outside-the-classroom” opportunities was a summer-long internship at the Roger Williams Zoo in Rhode Island.
“On the field he is fierce and determined,” Coach Sivo said. “Like so many good athletes he refuses to accept personal failure. He has that innate ability to convince himself that others do not respect his talent and ability, and he uses that notion to motivate himself in a positive manner.”
Their own words, though, clearly demonstrate to me that they will make our community proud long after they leave the halls of Hull High School.
“The lesson I can take most from football is pride – pride in yourself, your team, and your family,” explained Jake. “To take pride in everything you do and not to accept anything less. Because, at the end of the day, it is not your record that people remember, it is whether or not they respect you.”
Through a family-driven work ethic and challenges delivered on the athletic fields and classrooms, the Sheas have developed a recipe for success.
Danny Shea sums it up best: “Anything is possible if you want it bad enough – it’s up to you to put the blood, sweat and tears into it.” |
