Athlete of the Week: Joey Hebl

Armed with motivation and passion, senior Joey Hebl serves as a pivotal athlete on any athletic field where he plays. As a four-year athlete and the captain of the boy’s varsity football and baseball teams, Hebl is a model to Exonian athletes on and off the field.

 Hebl’s first experience in sports came at a young age. In third grade, he tried out football for the first time in his elementary school’s flag football league. Quickly discovering a love for the sport, Hebl then continued on in middle school to participate in tackle football at the local YMCA while playing for his local middle school in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. What had stemmed from a simple game of flag football eventually grew into one of Hebl’s everlasting passions.

Similarly, Hebl started playing baseball in second grade. He first played a variation of the sport by joining the town’s T-ball league, continuing his athletic career by playing in his region’s Little League for four years and in the Babe Ruth Baseball League for three years. When he’s not competing for Big Red here at Exeter, he enjoys playing summer ball for his town’s Legion Baseball League team. He has grown into an accomplished ball player throughout his baseball career, having been a part of five state tournament teams and two Wisconsin state championships.

 Hebl’s athletic ability was upgraded soon after his arrival at Exeter. He said that the talented coaching staff of Exeter aided him to hone his skills in his sports, emphasizing that they helped him maintain and improve his strengths as an athlete even with the academic pressures of the school.

 “At Exeter we have some of the best coaching around, which has certainly helped me progress physically and mentally as an athlete,” Hebl said. “From my coaches I've come to understand the importance of maintaining your physical abilities, even at a school that is so focused on our mental capacities.”

 Hebl’s coaches agreed that since prep year Hebl has improved significantly. The head coach of the boys’ varsity football team and Athletic Director Robert Morris said that although he has improved, Hebl has proved to be an impressive athlete overall since his first year.

 “Joe Hebl is fabulous all-around athlete who has a knack for making it all look so easy. He has been a varsity captain and impact player in football and baseball. [He] was also a very good basketball player,” Morris said.

Hebl’s teammates echoed Morris’ sentiments. Senior Matt MacKay, who has been part of the varsity football team with Hebl, said that his greatest strengths as an athlete are his dedication to the sports he plays and his willingness to encourage his teammates. “Hebl is a hard worker and real supportive player on the team. He's a great leader and a great football player,” he said.

 Lower Mykle Miller agreed and added that Hebl motivates other players of the team to push themselves to prepare to do their best. “Not only does Joey lead by example on and off the field, he inspires me and the teams he is part of to train and get better for the future,” Miller said.

 Hebl noted that playing team sports throughout his life and especially in Exeter was a choice that he would never want to reconsider. He said that he enjoys the coherence of a team as well as the victories achieved by collective effort.

 “I also think that I am best suited playing team sports. The camaraderie that comes with playing on a team sport is something I really enjoy,” Hebl said.  “The necessity of relying on each other, while also pushing your limits so that your team can win is what has attracted me to team sports since the beginning.”

 Another strength of Hebl’s as an athlete is his consistency. On the field, he makes plays that are crucial in games, but his unfaltering coherence is what drives the team to its victories.

 “He is a coach’s dream in that you can count on him, he is always there and he is a consistent player–he makes big plays for sure, but more importantly he makes the consistent plays that really spell the difference between winning and losing,” Morris explained. “He shows up everyday with a smile and bounce in his step.”

 Hebl’s personal qualities and athleticism are the definitive facets that make him a great athlete, but along with his assets as a player, he serves his teams as a charismatic captain as well.

 “He was a great captain,” MacKay said. “He was a solid leader and a real man of the people. He was good liaison to the coach [as well].”

 Whether it’s playing football on the field or leading the team in practices, Hebl noted that his athletic career was what helped him through his time at Exeter.

 “I've learned that playing sports has helped me survive my four years at Exeter.  Like all Exonians, there are moments when your anxieties seem to pile up–the bombed math test, the pop quiz on homework reading you didn't do, the desire to do well for your friends, family and yourself, etc,” Hebl said.  “But when I'm on the field playing, I become entrenched in the drill or the game and the stressful weight is lifted off my shoulders, if only for a moment, allowing me to find peace while also rejuvenating me.”    

 When his time in Exeter draws to a close, Hebl said that he will continue to pursue his sports in college. He emphasized that playing sports in college was a long-time goal for him, which he was able to achieve through the help of Exeter’s athletics.

“I will be playing baseball next year for the Sagehens of Pomona College.  Playing collegiate sports has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, and it could not have happened without the guidance and encouragement of my coaches at Exeter.”