Games People Play: Middle’s Bridget Ruskey Leads as a Sophomore

Middle Township High School’s Bridget Ruskey connected for her 200th career lacrosse goal May 6. That would be a very respectable achievement for any upper classmen, but Ruskey is a 16-year-old sophomore.
The Stone Harbor native excels in soccer, basketball and lacrosse for the Panthers. The daughter of Elizabeth and John Ruskey, Bridget gets the most out of her 5-8, 125-pound frame. She grew up playing all three sports in area recreation leagues and prefers the “fast pace” of her sports.
“I’ve been doing all of three of them all along,” said Ruskey, a soccer midfielder. “I probably like soccer the best because of the fast pace. It’s always back and forth. I like running for a purpose.”
Ruskey feels her strength is seeing the entire field or court.
“I see different people cutting and moving,” she said. “I enjoy getting the ball to them when they’re on the move. The challenge is to stay in shape, especially when you’re going to be needed for the entire game. You’re physically called upon to be able to make runs that you need to make at key points of the game.”
In hoops, Ruskey handles the rock as a point guard which once again enables her to take advantage of the movement of her teammates.
“You can see the results of your efforts and your teammates’ efforts when everyone is moving,” she said. “The challenge is to overcome those times when your shots aren’t falling. You just have to work hard and make sure that doesn’t happen often. You do that by getting better looks and working for easier shots. We run a lot in preseason to prepare for the grind of end-to-end play.”
Middle girls’ basketball coach John Leahy appreciates the leadership Ruskey provided in just her second season on the hardwood for the Lady Panthers.
“Her leadership qualities are just tremendous,” he said. “She leads by example with her effort and toughness. That’s what sets her apart from other players in our league. Her toughness and effort translates to leadership.”
Leahy relies upon Ruskey for crucial decision-making and taking charge in the tough spots despite her youth.
“I’ve told her and her parents countless times that she shoulders the burden very well,” he said. “She deserves a lot of credit. What she does on the lacrosse field and in soccer and basketball is amazing. You usually don’t have a situation where an underclassmen is depended upon so much in not just one sport but three sports. And she never complains. Whatever I need her to do, she always does it.”
A defensive wing in lacrosse, Ruskey reiterated how she thrives on the movement of teammates. She envisions ball movement from one player to the next.
“When you play the right way it can be very smooth,” said Ruskey. “It’s just like being a midfielder in soccer. You’re out there for the entire game so you need the endurance to keep moving up and back. You want to score goals but you also want to set up teammates and get back to help defend the net. My teammates enable me to be aggressive on offense. It’s a credit to them.”
A multi-sport athlete like Ruskey realizes there is no off season.
“You play all three sports at the same time in the summer,” she said. “We’re playing soccer scrimmages, doing basketball workouts and lacrosse tournaments. It’s truly year-round.”
Ruskey balances the academics and athletics with self-discipline.
“You have to be on top of it,” she said. “I’m not always on time. Sometimes I hold off until the morning it’s due. You know how much you can get done in a certain time. I try to manage my time well.”
Ruskey is not just a sports person. Her well-rounded life includes the piano and the enviable goal of going on an international mission.
“I’m trying for a Spanish-speaking country, probably in the summer of my junior year,” she said. “It’s not going to happen this summer.”
Her variety of activities presents many opportunities to hang out with friends on and off the field.
“Our relationships with each other really helps our respective games,” said Ruskey. “School is more fun. We just enjoy hanging out after games. I have many classes with my teammates. It’s a great bond.”
Looking ahead, Ruskey hopes to be a part of a South Jersey Championship team during her time in the Orange and Black. Another goal is for her lacrosse team to go undefeated in CAL competition during her four years.
“I don’t keep track of my statistics and that’s not why I play,” said Ruskey, who anticipates playing lacrosse in college. “My sister has a couple of South Jersey titles from her time here so I’d like to do that as well. Staying healthy will be a big part of accomplishing our team goals. Knock on wood.”