Photo Courtesy Godwin Yearbook
Sara Puglisi is a senior at Godwin and plays for the soccer and basketball teams.
Being a part of Godwin athletics, I have come to appreciate everything that this school is made of.
Also being accident prone, I realized that more than just an athlete’s ability goes into game days to help it run smoothly.
Two names stand out to me the most when I think about the people who put so much effort into creating the perfect game day: Coach Brill and Ms. Stevens. Both of these amazing people have been an integral part of the Godwin family and are deservingly being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Coach Brill has meant a lot to me over my past four years at Godwin. From all of the ankle tapes to broken ribs and back problems, he has always been there for me.
You will always see him first off the bench to help people, and after all of the games, you can find him at Glory Days celebrating.
Personally, he has been helping me ever since my freshman year when I sprained my ankle, and has continued to help me all the way up to my senior year when I fractured a rib. Coach Brill has always calmed me down, and I can always trust him.
If you know me, you know how superstitious I am. In fact, whenever Brill is not there to tape ankles, I never get mine taped. He is the only one I allow to tape my ankles because I am afraid other trainers will do something wrong, and I will get hurt.
I know that even past my years at Godwin, I will call Coach Brill for advice on what exercises I should do or how to treat my injury.
He does a lot of behind-the-scenes work, including communicating with all of the coaches on the status of their players, making sure the concussion protocol is up to date, and communicating with the Athletic Director about the schedule.
photo courtesy Tom Veazey Honoree Christopher Brill and sons at the Godwin Athletic Hall of Fame induction.
I have been fortunate enough to have such a close relationship with him, and I have appreciated everything he has done for me as many other athletes have been throughout the years.
Now for a lady who will forever be the person I look up to most for her selflessness and kindheartedness, Ms. Stevens.
Ms. Stevens has been such an important part of my life. I know that whenever I am down, or I need someone just to listen to me, I can go to her.
She always welcomes everyone with open arms and especially hugs. I was blessed to have her as a teacher and as a friend.
There are not enough words to describe her. The best representation I tell people when they ask me about her is that she is the face of Godwin High School.
In my mind, being a genuine person and being inducted into the Hall of Fame simply for her service to others speaks volumes to Ms. Stevens’ heart and spirit.
Photo Julia Grossman Health and Physical Education teacher Penny Stevens joined the GHS Hall of Fame in January.
Every event at Godwin means something to her, and she does her best to be at everything she can make. However, she makes it clear that family comes first, which is something I admire about her.
But she also makes it clear that Godwin is her family. Even if she doesn’t know you, she will still show love and care towards you.
She is inviting, and there is always a line to hug her whenever you come to games. Penny Stevens will always be a name that will be cherished at Godwin High School for her ability to brighten someone’s mood in an instant.
These two individuals are a huge part of the reason why Godwin is Godwin. They help it run, and if it wasn’t for Coach Brill and Ms. Stevens, I really couldn’t imagine what Godwin would be like.
These people are not getting inducted for their statistics in athletics, but are being inducted for their service and dedication to the community.
I know that I will not be able to forget all of the hugs and tape jobs that I got from these two spectacular individuals. Even though they do not get all of the credit they deserve, they will continue to be in all of our hearts once we leave Godwin.
