Schaumburg's Young on the right track
Emily Young's favorite quote comes from Will Rogers:
Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.”
Young is on the track to become the first volleyball player from the Mid-Suburban League to play for the University of Southern California.
And it's because she rarely takes time to sit down instead spending hours polishing her volleyball skills or expanding on her academics.
After leading her team to the Mid-Suburban West championship this season, the Schaumburg senior has been named the Cook County honorary captain of the 2010 Daily Herald All-Area girls volleyball team.
The graceful 6-foot-2 setter-opposite hitter starred on the floor with 373 assists, 190 kills, 189 digs, 49 kill blocks, 47 aces and a 96.3 serving percentage.
Young's numbers in the classroom are just as impressive a 4.6 grade point average on a 4.0 weighted scale and a class rank of 14 out of 603 students.
In volleyball, she is a two-year captain for the Saxons. Off the court, she is president of the National Honor Society and also serves the community in a variety of service projects.
“I feel truly honored at being named captain with so many other outstanding players being recognized,” Young said. “I owe much of my accomplishments to so many that have guided me along the path. And coach (Jeanette) Pancratz is an excellent coach and has always been there to encourage and inspire me.”
Pancratz is grateful of the opportunity to coach Young.
“Emily is a player that few of us are privy to encounter in our coaching careers,” said Pancratz, a veteran of 26 seasons and 701 wins. “She has been blessed with God-given gifts and abilities and has taken responsibility to develop and utilize them positively to be the best that she can be. We are certainly grateful she chose volleyball as her arena.”
Young chose the sport in the sixth grade when she attended a park district class and followed that by playing in a park district league with friends.
Because she enjoyed it so much, she began club volleyball in seventh grade so she could make her junior high team.
“The atmosphere of tall girls, wearing protective ankle braces and knee pads, and enthusiastic cheers all drew me to the game,” Young said. “One of my early goals was to become a competitive collegiate player.”
Those goals really intensified after her experience playing in the USA Volleyball High Performance Program in 2007 and 2008.
“My ultimate dream and ambition is to be part of the USA Olympic Volleyball program,” said Young, who played for Sky High and Sports Performance. “My biggest inspiration to play competitive volleyball was wearing a USA Junior Olympic Jersey. Representing your country, even at the junior level was an experience I will always treasure.”
Young said all her coaches and her parents (Tim and Margaret) have always been there for support and encouragement.
Young's father is hardly a stranger to competitive sports.
Tim played football for Sullivan High School in Chicago, Ball State and coach Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys.
He played on Mike Ditka's special teams for the Cowboys and was also a center, snapping the ball a few times to Hall of Fame quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Danny White. His career ended after a year-and-a-half due to a shoulder injury.
“Though my dad played football in the NFL, I was never encouraged to play competitive sports,” Emily said. “I have enjoyed playing many sports through the years with the focus being on friendship, recreation and fun.
“When I fell in love with volleyball, I knew that it would be my own choices that would get me to the collegiate level, but I knew it was not an unattainable feat because my dad had accomplished it.”
Young obviously wants to accomplish more at USC, where she plans to study business or communications.
“USC has a highly-regarded academic and athletic program,” she said. “I look forward to playing in the very competitive (Pac-12). Winning a national championship is every player's dream and USC will challenge for the title.”
“Emily exemplifies a person of dreams, vision, and quiet passion,” Pancratz said. “Her desire, determination, and dedication transformed her from the scrawny freshman finding her way in our program to the elite player she is today.”
Young helped Schaumburg continue to be one of the area's elite volleyball programs.
“Schaumburg has one of the best, if not the best high school volleyball program,” Young said. “Coach Pancratz is a very knowledgeable and inspirational coach she always finds a way to help motivate our team. In fact, just this past weekend our team participated in several team bonding exercises.”
And, of course, nobody enjoys that anymore than Young.
Pancratz has enjoyed her four years of coaching one of the area's finest volleyball players of all time.
“It is said that everyone wants to win but not everyone is willing to prepare to win,” the coach said. “Emily not only prepares to win, but does so with perfection as her goal.
“She plays at a very high level in all aspects of the game.”
And there's not one aspect of the game Young prefers over another.
“I have been asked what position I do prefer, but truthfully I like all aspects of the game and I'm just happy to be on the court,” Young said.
“While most people witness her high level in setting, hitting, blocking, serving and digging, few see her ability to pass and her relentless pursuit to better the ball,” Pancratz added. “Few see her attentiveness to detail, her respect of the game, her sacrifices, her unselfishness, her loyalty, her integrity, and her courage.”
Pancratz marvels at Young's interaction with younger players.
“She works to instill a passion for the game in them,” Pancratz said. “Emily is a true winner and a true champion not because of her statistics but because of her commitment to excellence and her impact on others.
“Her leadership and enthusiasm raises the level of play of those around her and creates an atmosphere of persistence and determination. By her words, she encourages and she listens.”
She sure listened to the words of Will Rogers.