A Digital Publication by York Suburban School District
September 2019
Student Success
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In This Edition More Than Football
An Interview with Garth Barclay
In Case You Missed It... Social Media Highlights
Blast From The Past
Pictures from the 1984 Yearbook
Student Success
Athletics/Activities
Well-being
More Than
Football Garth Barclay is known for his ability on the football field, but that’s only a small part of what makes him unique.
At 6’7” tall and 255 pounds, Garth Barclay, a senior at York Suburban High School, does not look like an average high school student. His lanky build towers over classmates, teachers, and just about everyone he meets. One might guess that his skinny physique is best suited for basketball or volleyball but, in reality, he is one of the area’s premier football and lacrosse players. Prior to games, he seemingly emulates Clark Kent, transforming from a quiet, unassuming teenager into a powerful presence that has tortured local opponents for the better part of four years. Frank Corto, York Suburban’s lacrosse coach, described Garth’s gameday metamorphosis: “He does a great job of scaring whoever he is going to play against. He definitely has a switch that gets turned on in between the lines. We constantly have to turn it down a notch or two.” The success created by this tenacious mentality recently translated into numerous Division I football scholarship offers. Syracuse University ultimately won the battle for Garth’s services after he committed to the school in June. Naturally, when Garth’s name comes up in conversation, a discussion of his football prowess and Division I future inevitably follows.
Garth Barclay, a senior at York Suburban High School, is poised for a successful school year both in the classroom and on the field.
With so much hype surrounding Garth’s athletic achievements, there is too often a side of him that gets overlooked. Contrary to what his intimidating gameday persona implies, he is not consumed by sports. In fact, the majority of his interests deviate from that of a stereotypical jock. He listens to Frank Sinatra, plays the string bass, sings in the choir, and loves biology. In short, he’s a multi-faceted individual who may be one of the most interesting talents in York Suburban.
Garth and his mom, Kate Barclay, recently sat down for an interview to shed light on what makes him tick.
Take us back to your childhood. How did you get started with football, lacrosse, and music? Garth Barclay (GB): I started with athletics first. Both of my parents went to Princeton. My mom was a rower and my dad (Pete Barclay) played football there. We were all involved in sports at a very young age. I didn’t play tee-ball like my brother and sister, so I started lacrosse. This year is actually my 10th year playing lacrosse, so [I started playing] when I was 7. We’ve always just been competitors, whether it was on the field or off the field. My brother and I would always compete [to see] who could get to the passenger side door first. [My parents] put us into sports with physical exertion so we were a little less wild at the end of the day. When I started playing bass, it was third grade, I think, when Mrs. Markey came in and was recruiting everybody for orchestra or band. I think I asked my mom the day before, “What instrument is the biggest, loudest instrument that I can play?” I actually originally wanted to play the tuba, but my mom very much did not want a tuba in the house, so she settled with the bass.
Aidan Hughley (junior, YSHS), Mrs. Ashley Thrush (YSSD music teacher), and Garth Barclay pose after an orchestra concert at York Suburban High School in May 2019. Playing the string bass is just one of Garth’s many talents.
Kate Barclay (KB): And, in our family, we don’t do football until junior high. GB: Because my dad—he’s a cardiologist—and he knows all of the reports saying
about youth [and] how seventh grade is already pretty early for having head-to-head contact like that, so I didn’t start any earlier than that just from a preservation sense. Do you have any interesting stories about the competitiveness that existed in your household when all three siblings were living at home? Editor’s Note: Garth has two older siblings, Gavin (Class of 2017) and Hannah (Class of 2014).
KB: Probably not that should be in print. [Laughter]. One of the funny things is that Gavin and Garth share the attic, basically. It’s the third floor of our house, but they can stand up in the middle part of it. We always joke about how we could hear them when they start rumbling together up there. GB: Growing up my parents would always say that I “poke the bear.” I was just a little scrawny kid, and my brother was pretty big for his age. I would just keep on annoying him, and annoying him, and annoying him. I’d get knocked down, get back up, and annoy him, annoy him, annoy him. KB: He doesn’t know when to stay down. It’s done him well for sports in that regard. He has a tough tenacity that works out well for him in sports. When did your participation in sports and music endeavors transition from ways to get rid of extra energy to activities you were self-motivated to continue? GB: This is going to sound cheesy, but the feeling of success...was enough to keep me in the sport. I enjoy winning: working toward a goal with teammates, social interaction with teammates, leadership qualities, helping to build relationships between other people, and just becoming better as a group. Sports teach you a lot of life lessons that can take you far. KB: And you can translate all that to the musical side of that as well. Like, an orchestra is nothing with one instrument. What is the biggest adrenaline rush for you? Making that critical play in lacrosse or football, nailing your part during a musical performance, or acing a big test?
GB: That’s a hard one. I can give you the biggest adrenaline rush for each one. For football, it’s probably just before you get a sack, and you’re spying down the quarterback. [For music], the bass line can get difficult sometimes, so it’s really, really nice when you’re in a concert and you just nail the bassline perfectly without messing up at all. I’ve talked to my bass teacher about this before and, while no one in the audience knows you mess up, you know you mess up, so it’s great when you don’t. [Laughter]. The times you get the melody are few and far between. It gives you extra motivation to get it right when you do get the melody. KB: And you always like acing a test.
“He doesn’t know when to stay down. It’s done him well for sports in that regard.”
GB: Oh, yeah. For my academic one, it’s probably putting in a lot of, like, I wouldn’t even say acing a test. It would be more so writing a research paper: putting in a lot of work on the research paper, spending time with it, developing it, and getting a good grade back to see the work that you did. How do you stay focused on lacrosse, academics, and music with the attention that you’ve received recently for football?
GB: My parents have been a huge help with that, and my brother has [too]. My brother really set up good study habits with me. His senior year we would come home from football practice, sit at the dining room table together, finish our homework, eat dinner, do some more homework, make sure it’s all done, and then go to bed. Who is your biggest role model? GB: I’d have to say my parents. I mean, they’ve always set the expectations up for me. You always hear about how, if you want good business advice, don’t go to your mom
because she’ll just tell you you’re great, but my mom isn’t like that. [Laughter]. She’ll tell it to you straight up how it is. She doesn’t really sugarcoat things that much. In the beginning, I was a little upset about that, but over the years, I’ve come to value that. My dad is one of the hardest workers I know. He’s grown up from very little. He made himself into what he is today. Like, he wasn’t handed anything. Do you remember any specific moments of tough love from your mom that helped get you back on the right path? GB: Probably freshman year when my mom printed out the GPA scale on my...report card, and she pulled up average college entrance requirements. [She] told me, “You’re not on the right track if this is what you want to pursue. If this is something that you want to look into, you have to step it up.” I’ve had the GPA scale in my bedroom right next to me, so seeing that in the morning is motivation in and of itself. What is your favorite subject in school? GB: Probably science. Biology, specifically. Mrs. Gentzyel (a York Suburban science teacher), has been really great with that, just being a great overall teacher. I mean, I’ve had great science teachers all through my years. Science has just always kinda struck home with my dad being in the medical field. Growing up, whenever I [went through] the “why” phase, they always tried to answer to their best ability. I would ask, “What does that word mean? What does this do?” From an early age, science has been interesting. In what order do academics, athletics, and music rank in your household? GB: Academics is number one. I mean, [my parents] both went to Princeton, so I don’t know how much I need to explain that one. I’d say sports is next and then music. They never forced us to be a part of any music program. It’s all been voluntary. I mean, they never forced us to be a part of any sport either, but I would say that I enjoy sports more than music.
KB: The nice thing about music is that you can do it anytime. He’s known for singing while he’s working out. [Laughter]. GB: Our junior honors choir director said, “Your voice is the one instrument that you’re always carrying with you.” I just always liked that because I do enjoy singing. Whether it be while I’m studying, singing along to some Frank Sinatra, or working out and listening to my workout music. Growing up, [my parents] always fostered a love of singing and musical appreciation. My dad has a very robust music collection. Everything from country to R&B. He likes electronic music, old school rap, new rap. He’s kind of stayed with it all. Is there a teacher or other individual who has been integral in keeping you on task academically even when things get complicated with sports or music? GB: I think my mom is going to be a little surprised by this one, but probably Dr. Rumbaugh (a York Suburban teacher). Once you’re two, three years out of his class, you start to see the benefits of everything that he set up for you. That’s been helpful throughout my high school career. KB: My other two kids had him also. None of them did particularly well in his class, but it was important to me that they be in his class because I saw the value of what he was teaching. He really boils it down to how you have to approach it, how you have to be responsible for what you’re doing and then produce a worthy end result.
“Growing up, [my parents] always fostered a love of singing and musical appreciation. My dad has a very robust music collection. Everything from country to R&B.”
If school, sports, and music were to be taken away, what would we find you doing?
GB: Probably reading. KB: It was either that or sleeping. [Laughter]. GB: Reading, sleeping, or video games. It was one of those three. When I was little, I didn’t have a phone until pretty late. All my friends had phones already, so I would just bring books along with me whenever I got bored. On the very rare occasion that I got in trouble at home [Laughter], they would actually take the books away. I would have to come clean or do some chores. KB: We learned that from Hannah, our daughter. She was the same way. She had no problem going and being sent to her room. They loved to read, so they had to come up with something else to do during that time period. Can you expand on the support that you receive from parents, teammates, and friends that allows you to succeed? GB: So, I’ll start with my lacrosse coach, Coach Corto. He sets up these meetings every Wednesday. He brings in an influential community member. We had Mr. Gilbert in here, in the study hall room, and he was a great speaker [who was] just trying to emphasize the life lessons. If you could do it all over again and you were in college and picking your major, what major would you pick? What are the major downfalls in an interview...the major red flags? What are great things to see in a potential hire? Coach Loucks, he’s always been, I think, the most realistic with me. That’s his coaching style as well. My teammates, they really help to keep on going, like, this is who you’re doing everything for. KB: Musically, I think the Honors Choir was great because they were so flexible. They made it easier for him to pursue music by being flexible with some of his scheduling conflicts. GB: Mrs. Gentzyel, she really helped foster the love for science because I had her 10th period, so I would just have her email my Flex teacher that I would be in her class-
room. She kind of just let me have free reign of all of her supplies. I came home with an oobleck once that I made in that time span, and I...was able to do whatever experiments I found online and wanted to try out, and just different stuff like that. That was fun. How do you mentally switch gears from academics to sports to music on a day when you’re involved in all three? GB: I don’t want to say the worst day, but the busiest night was senior night for lacrosse last year. We had a home game against West York and an orchestra concert at the same time, so I got to play in most of the game and then I had to sprint up from the field up to the locker room, shower, change into my concert clothes. The transition from academics to athletics was never very hard. It’s mainly the transition from music to athletics but not so much athletics to music because that’s just kind of slowing down. The main transition is putting on the clothes. I know that sounds a little weird.
Garth shows off his wingspan during a recruiting visit at Syracuse University in May 2019.
When you are watching Garth play sports or perform in a concert, are you one of the outspoken, vocal parents, or are you quiet and reserved?
KB: I’d say in sports I’m actually very quiet because a lot of times I don’t feel that I’m qualified to make any kind of comments other than the supportive comments and being excited for the game. I think it’s kind of neat on the music end of things because I haven’t seen the practices. Every musical performance is brand new whereas football and lacrosse you’re doing the same things over and over again, but a musical performance is always brand new. When we have the concerts, it’s always such a rewarding thing to sit down and hear something that’s
brand new, and we get to hear it when it’s at that really good spot when you’re at the end of all the practice spaces. While I may have driven him to all the practices, I haven’t heard what he’s doing. GB: My grandfather, ever since I was a little kid, driving around in his car he was always playing the Broadway station in his car. Broadway or classical. He actually took me to the York Symphony whenever they’re playing just to listen to them. KB: It just becomes normal. That’s normal because he’s gone with my dad so often that it’s part of the range of normal music to listen to. I think he uses music for transition too because, now that he has a car that he drives back and forth... he has music on, and I often see him sitting out there in the driveway, the car running. I Garth takes a picture with his brother, Gavin Barclay, and can tell the music is playing. I dad, Pete Barclay, after completing a fitness challenge. can hear the bass, and he’s out there singing along. I think that it’s part of his personal transition from, okay, practice is over, now it’s time to come in and get to work and get to the next phase. GB: I listen to music before games. Let me run you through my football schedule for music. On the drive over to the school—this is before an away game—I usually like to play...some normal pop, I guess. On the bus ride over I usually listen to Frank Sinatra’s greatest hits. Once we get to the locker room and we’re starting to suit up, I put on my pregame playlist, and that’s what gets me ready. KB: That’s more standard, what you hear when the guys are playing. Rap and edgier
music. Do you have an idea of which major you might select in college? GB: I was thinking about going into biomedical engineering. You can see where that comes from, from my dad and loving science and Mrs. Gentzyel too. Going with my brother through his recruiting process, he wanted to go premed, so a lot of the colleges that he was getting interest from were like, “No, no, no, no. You can’t really do premed if you want to play football here. It’s too much of a time commitment. We wouldn’t really want you to do that.” So I kind of turned ‘em away. Going through the process, I’ve always said that [I want] the highest-quality academics and then the best football I can get. KB: That’s the goal. Let football work for you. GB: Football is a tool that you can use. Like, talking to different coaches from different colleges, they always said, “See what football can do for you.” The statistics [say] only 1% of people go to the NFL, and if you don’t go to the NFL, what do you have? You have your college degree. If you didn’t take that seriously, then you’re stuck up the creek without a paddle. KB: The NFL stands for… GB: Not For Long. If your older brother (an offensive lineman at Lafayette College) were to line up at right tackle and you line up across from him at defensive end, who wins that matchup? GB: He says that I wouldn’t know what hit [me], but I think that I’d give him a run for his money. What’s your vision of success for yourself in ten years?
GB: That’s a hard one. I’m not really sure where I see myself in ten years. I hope that I’ll still be close with my family, have my family close by. My parents talk about how... you don’t really know what really great friends are until you get to college and have that kind of experience. While here there is a diversity of people, college is just on a whole different level. [College offers] diversity and different cultures that you see and experience, and I can’t help but say that I’m looking forward to it. I wouldn’t say that [I’m] living in the moment, but I certainly don’t have the full idea planned out. I guess it’s that competitive mindset. I just want to be the best that I can at everything that I do. How has York Suburban helped to advance your interests in academics, music, and athletics? KB: I think, with Suburban, they have presented the opportunities. The fact they offer music from an early time, the early grades. Otherwise, he would have never started it. GB: Valuing music over top of athletics has been good. Otherwise, music wouldn’t be able to survive against athletics. Music is an important thing to have in a school district, I think. KB: I’m appreciative of the fact that [music] was available to them. They could start it, and it gave them that little boost...I knew they were getting a good start here with the music department, and [the District] academically nurtured them and held them to a higher standard. I see feedback from my older two kids when they talk about how they are so much better prepared for college than a lot of their classmates. While they may have grumbled about the rubrics and writing...overall, they’ve reaped a benefit from it.
Learn more about Garth by following him on Twitter (@GarthBarclay). Watch him in-person at an upcoming home football game on 9/20/19, 10/11/19, or 10/25/19.
In Case You Missed It... York Suburban School District @YorkSuburban • Aug 22 Mr. Hare, a fourth-grade teacher at @EastYorkElem, was named the World’s Best Teacher by Honest Home Solutions! He was nominated by Celina, his former student. Mr. Hare donated his prize to @YorkSubEF‘s Impact Closet. Thank you for the great example you set for students! #YSProud
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In Case You Missed It... York Suburban School District @YorkSuburban • Aug 8 We’re very excited to introduce the newest class of York Suburban teachers! This energetic group recently completed three days of orientation and has quickly become a part of the YS family. Welcome aboard!
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In Case You Missed It... York Suburban School District @YorkSuburban • Aug 6 York Suburban has been rated an A+ school district by @NicheSocial and ranked #1 in York County, #37 in Pennsylvania (out of 496), and #433 nationally (out of 10,782)! Congratulations to our students, staff, and community members for another round of well-deserved recognition!
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Blast From The Past
These pictures appeared in York Suburban High School’s 1984 yearbook.
YS Pride Staff Nick Staab Coordinator of Transportation & Communications
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