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Freshman basketball player succeeds with one hand

Seneca Valley basketball player Sydney Ring, right, takes part in team practice at the middle school on Wednesday. The freshman player suits up for the varsity team and is the junior varsity's top 3-point shooter.

JACKSON TWP — Sports were going to be in Sydney Ring's future. Her parents just never figured it would be basketball.

The Seneca Valley freshman was born without a left hand.

“A congenital birth defect,” her mother, Cheryl Ring, said. “We've never made excuses for her. We've never babied her. We figured soccer would be a good sport for her, a better fit because you use your feet instead of your hands.”

But Sydney thought otherwise.

“She just gravitated toward basketball,” her mother said. “She's been playing since she was 4 or 5. She figured out how to dribble, how to go to either side. She's worked on her shooting. She's pretty much self-taught.”

And she's pretty good.

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Sydney suits up for Seneca Valley's varsity and is one of the top scorers on the Raiders' junior varsity team. She is the JV team's top 3-point shooter.

“We don't look at her as the girl with one hand,” said Ron Kelm, junior varsity coach. “We look at her as a basketball player. When we need a 3-point shot, we're usually going to call on her.

“Never once have we heard anybody from the stands or an opposing player on the court say, 'Look, that girl only has one hand,' and that's because Sydney blends in so well with the game. It comes naturally to her.”

Sydney admits to being a big fan of Steph Curry, the 3-point shooting guard of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors.“My dad loves basketball and we watch a lot of games on TV,” she said. “I watch how Steph Curry shoots and I try to do what he does. He's so accurate with his shot.”Sydney has worked on her game. She has a trainer who has taught her how to shoot, using her left arm as support.When she dribbles the ball, she uses the end of her left arm at times.“I've been doing this my whole life,” Sydney said of basketball. “Honestly, it's easy for me. I do it how everybody else does it.”The only part of the game that is different for her is catching a pass. She has to snare the ball with her right hand and pull it in to her left arm.“That was an issue with her at first,” Kelm said. “But she's worked hard at it. My concern was if she could catch a pass in traffic, while being guarded, but she pulls the ball right in.”Repetition has helped in that regard. Sydney plays basketball year round. She is a member of the Slam AAU team that is based in Pittsburgh.“I go through all the drills, It's only a matter of keeping the ball stable. It's easy for me,” Sydney said.

She has scored in double figures in JV games this season. Her position is shooting guard, but Sydney has dribbled the ball up the floor and occasionally blocks shots.She is a complete basketball player — which is the only thing Todd Schoeffel, Seneca Valley varsity girls coach, sees.“I forget Sydney only has one hand. Most of the time, I don't even notice it,” Schoeffel said. “That's a credit to her, how smoothly she plays. I suppose you could call it a handicap, but I don't consider it to be one because she never seems to be affected by it. I don't see it hampering her game at all.”Sydney hopes to see more varsity minutes as a sophomore next season, become a starting player at that level and eventually play college basketball.Schoeffel won't be surprised if she becomes a regular varsity player next year.“Why not? She's already in the mix,” he said. “We have a young team and she's coming along. There's other girls battling for time, too, but Sydney has as good a chance as anybody.”Her parents continue to encourage her passion for the sport.“We are extremely proud of her,” her mother said. “She's not only met our expectations, but far exceeded them. If she keeps the determination she's demonstrated to this point, I believe it's possible she can play in college.”Regardless of whether her basketball career extends that far, Sydney's message is being received.“Sydney shows that just because you may have a disability ... She isn't different from anybody else,” Kelm said. “You can go out and do what you want to do. That's the most inspiring thing.”

Sydney Ring, who was born without a left hand, has been playing basketball since she was 4 or 5 years old, said her mom, Cheryl Ring.
Sydney Ring, the Seneca Valley junior varsity girls basketball team's top 3-point shooter, said she admires Steph Curry, the 3-point shooting guard of the NBA's Golden State Warriors.

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