“I always want to make it farther and I always want to do better. I always want to be the best.”

Cecelia “Cissy” Lewis has made tangible contributions to the North Penn varsity field hockey team as a freshman at Penndale Middle School. At only 14 years old, she has made a lasting impact on this year’s season.

During the team’s first post season playoff game, Lewis had one goal and one assist, helping her team into their first win of the series against CB East, 2-1. Unfortunately, their momentum didn’t carry into their second game where they lost to Methacton 6-1.

“I think we did really, really well,” Lewis explained. “It’s just that they were a better team overall. They had better players, better communication. Everything about them was better. But we really stepped up to a difficult team and tried our best.”

This year, eight seniors on the varsity team will be graduating, leaving a gaping hole for the next generation of players to fill. This has especially affected Lewis, who claimed that a team dynamic is one of the core reasons field hockey means so much to her.

“[The team] welcomed me with open arms. They knew I was coming up and they expected me, but I think as soon as I got there, they were like, ‘Oh, she’s decent’… They really expected a lot from me and I like that because I like being pushed. They set a high bar that I think I was able to reach,” Lewis said.

However, when next year’s season comes around, Lewis is aware that their team will not be the same without some of their best players and leaders.

“It seems like a lot of our best players are our seniors. Having them not on the team is just not real at this point because they are such big assets. Some of them, just being here in general, make me happy and I feel great to be around them,” Lewis expressed.

Even with the disappointing end to their post season, Lewis always wants to work on her own skills personally to better help her team in the future.

“Sometimes, when I make mistakes, I just push back and say ‘I can be better. I can always be better.’ Even when I’m really, really good, I can always do something to be a little bit better,” Lewis said.

Although humble, Lewis herself has an impressive resume. In 2024, she participated on the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Junior Olympic Team as one among 108 girls selected from across the entire nation.

“It was just such a good experience to play with people that were on the same level as me,” Lewis explained. “That sounds a little cocky, but they just had the right mindset and at any time I could be like ‘Oh, I can trust you.’ I just knew I could be around those people forever.”

In the far future, Lewis wants to continue her field hockey career as long as she possibly can.

“I definitely want to go to college for field hockey, and I just really want to be successful in it. So if I could make a national team, if I could be a coach or something, I would definitely want to do that and take any chances I can get,” Lewis said.

But for now, in her short high school years, Lewis is focusing on her role on the team next year.

“It’s just the tiny things, the basic things, like passing and basic communication, that just helps the team grow. And I feel like we just really need to work on that,” Lewis said.

Overall, Lewis’ experience as a freshman on the North Penn varsity team has affected her playing for the better.

“Everybody, especially the seniors, were just really welcoming. They really helped me get on the team and assured me ‘You’re gonna be great.’ I’d say that especially Kylie Barwis and Tallie Smink, they really helped me and just brought me on in just every little way,” Lewis said.

Lewis isn’t done, though. She still has so much potential and so much drive to achieve whatever she wants in the future. Watch out for Cissy Lewis (#2) in future years, because she’s not finished doing great things.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m done. I’m not done excelling, I’m not plateauing. I’m accelerating,” Lewis said.