Samy Staublein is a great softball player.
She’s also a great big sister.
So when the recent St. Hubert High School graduate was growing up, she always spent time around her only sibling, Jackson, who is now 10.
Jackson is now a great athlete who plays just about every sport under the sun, and as she always has, Staublein is always there to support him.
She was the same way when he was younger and he needed a little help to get started with a few things.
“I want to study occupational therapy because my little brother had one when he was little and I would sit with him when he was at home because they came to our house and I love how they helped him,” said Staublein, who lives in Morrell Park. “He had speech therapy, occupational therapy, I would be there for most of it. They helped him, they would do little things. Played games with him with his motor skills.
“They helped him a lot. He plays basketball, baseball, flag football, he’s great now, he did tackle football. He’s 10. It’s just me and him so it’s a pretty far age gap, but we get along well. He really helped me.
“He’s a really good athlete, one of the best of all his teams, everyone knows his name. He does look up to me, he’s been coming to all my tournaments since he was little. He’s been through everything for me.”
Now Staublein is going into that field.
She’s also going to the circle.
Staublein is preparing to leave next month for Widener University, where she will continue her pitching career. She has a major all picked out, and from everything she knows about the softball program, she can’t wait to get started with her new squad.
“They have a 3 plus 3 occupational therapy that drew me in and I really love the coach there and all the girls are really nice,” Staublein said about Widener. “The program really caught my eye. It’s a lot, they have a 4 plus 3, which would require seven years instead of six, but I want to try the 3 plus 3. I think I can handle it.
“It will actually be easier with softball, I think. I like having a set schedule, that will help me do what I have to do. Having a schedule, everything balanced out. I’ll have to do my school work, so I won’t have a choice of not doing it.”
For now, Staublein is enjoying her summer before she heads off to Widener. The summer has already included a trip with her family to Punta Cana. But it hasn’t been all fun, she also maintains a job making bagels.
It can be a tough job, but not nearly as hard as the work she put in over the past four years as a member of the St. Hubert softball team.
Staublein landed the starting pitcher job freshman year and kept it throughout her career. She wasn’t just a pitcher, she was a good pitcher, earning All-Catholic honors all four years of her high school career.
Every year was another building block to turn her into the player that Widener will be getting in the fall.
“It was really cool coming out as a freshman and getting to start,” said Staublein, also a four-year varsity volleyball player. “I was nervous about getting that spot right away, but it was rewarding. Both freshman and sophomore year, it felt great to have the spot.
“By my junior and senior year, I just felt a lot more confident. I feel like I was just more prepared for the whole environment. It boosted my confidence.”
Staublein also grew as a leader.
When the Bambies hired Jazmin Ortiz as the new coach, it could have been hard for Staublein, who had a great relationship with former coach Dan Milio. Instead, she did everything she could to help the new coach, and the two built a great relationship.
“I really liked the whole team environment, it helped us all because we all got along very well,” she said. “I feel like our coaching staff helped a lot. During hard times, we got closer. All four years, we had great coaches and great teammates. That made it a lot easier.
“I came to St. Hubert because of my coach the first year, he was great, I had a great relationship with him. Then we got a new coach, and I tried to help her. She was a younger girl, so she knew what we were going through. I loved all of my coaches at St. Hubert. They all helped me a lot.”
She had help from other sources, too.
Her family, and not just her only sibling, played a huge role in her success.
“Definitely my parents helped me so much, all the money they spent on private lessons and driving to tournaments,” she said. “They have been my biggest supporters. They’re really excited about Widener. My mom went there for a volleyball tournament. Me and my mom toured and we loved it. When I went on a private tour with the softball coach, my dad ended up loving it, too. So we love Widener.
“They’ve helped me so much. We have a very close family. That’s another good thing about Widener, it’s only 40 minutes away. They’ll come see my games and I’ll be home. I can take my car, too, as a freshman. I’m really excited to get started.” ••
