This is the first in a series of nine articles profiling the 2012 inductees into the Butler High School Athletic Hall of Fame.EASTON, Conn. — Following in his brothers’ footsteps proved to be a wise decision for Peter Steenbergen.He took up tennis because his older brothers played. He became teammates with older brother John at Butler High School. He went on to Haverford College after eldest brother Chuck attended there.It’s all added up to ensuing induction into the Butler High School Athletic Hall of Fame.Steenbergen and his eight fellow inductees will be recognized at a 5 p.m. reception Sept. 14 in the high school cafeteria, then on the field prior to Butler’s home football game against Pine-Richland that night.“I’m amazed by all of this,” Steenbergen said. “When I think of all the great athletes Butler has produced ... I’m humbled by it.”Now 57, Steenbergen is employed as a radiologist and has been for years since graduating from medical school. He studied pre-med while playing tennis at Haverford.“The connections I made through tennis, the people I got to meet — those experiences proved very helpful through medical school,” Steenbergen said. “Tennis is a sport you can play for a lifetime and I still play.”When he played at Butler, he rarely lost.In fact, Steenbergen was undefeated in regular season singles play throughout high school. He lost singles matches in the playoffs his junior and senior year.Steenbergen was a WPIAL singles semifinalist during his senior year of 1973. He teamed with David Stein to reach the state semifinals in 1972.BHS Athletic Hall of Famer Dave Barnes coached Steenbergen and his brothers throughout their high school careers.“I began playing tennis in seventh grade and Dave Barnes allowed us to practice with the high school team in eighth grade. We had no junior high team,” Steenbergen said. “I started playing junior tournaments when I was 13.“Dave Barnes was a very encouraging coach. He was a good instructor who always came on the court and hit with us.“He was a fair coach. You had to earn your spot on his team and he kept track of every player’s singles and doubles wins throughout their careers,” Steenbergen added.Barnes awarded one point for each singles win, half a point for each doubles win.“I wanted the school record for most career points and got it with 35 or so,” Steenbergen said. “That was very motivating to me.”Also a basketball player at Butler, Steenbergen started for two years as a guard-forward under coach George Everett. He won the Billy Kummer Award for academic achievement on the team.At Haverford, he became a three-time tennis team MVP and played No. 1 singles and doubles for the school all four years. He was the Metro Atlantic Conference singles champion in 1976 and earned Division III All-American his junior and senior seasons.“My junior year was my big one,” Steenbergen said. “I was undefeated in the regular season, won the conference championship and reached the national semifinals.”Steenbergen will be returning to Butler for the first time since entering the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.“My daughter (Sarah) couldn’t attend that one, but she’ll be there for this,” he said.His daughter also attended Haverford and played women’s lacrosse there. She is also studying to become a radiologist.