By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor
For most of her life, Chelsea Kada has excelled at basketball. She is a dominant player on a local AAU team, the Northeast Rockers, and she earned a starting position on the Little Flower High School varsity squad as a freshman.
But that wasn’t enough.
Kada wanted more.
So last year, the Fishtown resident teamed up with Little Flower’s varsity field hockey squad, playing wing and center for the Sentinels.
But that wasn’t enough.
Kada wanted more.
So during the spring she earned a spot on the lacrosse team at Little Flower as well, helping the Sentinels go 5-4 in the Philadelphia Catholic League.
"It keeps me in shape. With the three seasons right in a row, I’m constantly doing something and constantly training and competing," said Kada. "It does get overwhelming sometimes. You have to manage your time right."
Kada walked onto both the field hockey and lacrosse teams last year with zero experience. Yet the versatile athlete adjusted to her new high-school lifestyle with grace, managing to play three varsity sports and still make the honor roll at Little Flower.
Her athletic experiences weren’t quite as triumphant as her work in the classroom, though. The field hockey and lacrosse teams failed to qualify for postseason play last year.
But for Kada, that was only more motivation.
"Our school is really good at soccer, and athletically, that’s what we’re known for," said Kada, referring to the Sentinels’ appearance in the league championship game for the past three years. "In the other sports, we’re OK. And that’s what I think makes our spirit so strong — the fact that we’re working hard for that winning season."
The 16-year-old Kada is well on her way. Right now, the Sentinels are in the heart of basketball season, with an 8-7 record at this point.
"We have a young team," said coach Adam Buchter. "But we’re improving every day. The team is very athletic. They have a strong ability to run the floor and they have a lot of speed."
Kada is one of the younger players on the courts this season, but the sophomore guard is proving to be a leader.
"I like the position a lot," said Kada, who has scored 63 points this season. "I like being involved in the game so much. It can be tough sometimes, but I like the intensity of it."
Little Flower suffered a tough 74-55 loss to Penn Charter Academy on Jan. 17, followed by a 49-46 loss to Archbishop Prendergast the following day. The Sentinels were scheduled to play Cardinal O’Hara on Jan. 22, after the Times went to press this week.
"It can be embarrassing because I know our team is better than that," said Kada, who scored 14 points against Prendergast. "But the team does a good job of keeping each other motivated. All the teams here are like a family. So you really don’t want to let the team down.
"I’m so glad I ended up here," she added. "The school pride here is great. I look forward to coming to school every day." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com