Syers named NYIT Female Student-Athlete of the Year
Community news
“The measure of who we are is what we do with what we love,” said Vince Lombardi, one of the greatest football coaches to date, and East Meadow resident Emily Syers embodies his words.
A young woman with a passion for volleyball, Syers was introduced to the sport in sixth grade and just completed her final season as a starter at New York Institute of Technology under the direction of Gail Wasmus.
Culminating her career as a student-athlete, Syers was stunned at the senior awards dinner on April 30 when it was announced that she was the recipient of the Patty Burnside Female Student-Athlete of the Year, an honor named after her East Meadow High School coach who also played under Wasmus.
“I’m 100 percent surprised and speechless right now,” Syers remembers saying during the impromptu speech she was asked to bestow. She also expressed her sincere gratitude to the two coaches who honed her skills and watched her grow as a player and a woman. Speaking about Burnside, Syers said, “She’s the one who made me the player that I am.”
Wasmus, who nominated Syers for the award, only had kind words for the athlete. “I just think she is a true definition of what we inspire our student-athletes to be,” she said. “She loves the sport. She was so committed to make the team better.”
Syers is a player any coach would be glad to have on the team. She always gives her best effort on the court and is available to teammates in need. “I never do things and expect to get things in return,” she said. “It’s all for the good of the team.”
“She is just a really hard worker and a really great person,” added Burnside, who also attended the awards ceremony. Burnside, who lives in East Meadow and is an EMHS alumna, is currently the volleyball and badminton coach. She is a self-proclaimed “gym rat” who also coached Becky Syers in both sports. Becky will follow in her sister’s footsteps and play volleyball at NYIT in the fall.
Emily introduced her sister to the sport. She remembered wanted to practice at home when trying out for a volleyball travel team at 16 years old and told then 12-year-old Becky, “Don’t move. I’m going to hit [the ball] as hard as I can.” From that point on, both girls were hooked.
