For the Love of the Game: New Hope-Solebury's Sarah Wilson picks basketball over softball, field hockey

The college decision-making process can be extra difficult for athletes who excel in multiple sports.

For New Hope-Solebury's Sarah Wilson, it simply came down to her love of basketball.

Wilson could have easily picked softball or field hockey. She has been a first-team all-state selection in softball since she was a freshman. Also a first-team all-state selection in field hockey, Wilson surpassed the 100-goal milestone this fall. She also set a school record with 56 goals during a sensational season that saw the Lions win the program's first district championship.

But Wilson opted to continue her basketball career at Nyack, a Christian college in New York, despite her superior talent level in the other two sports. She received heavy interest from Division I schools, especially for field hockey.

"It wasn't until the end of my junior year when I realized how much I loved basketball over the other sports," Wilson said.

New Hope-Solebury basketball coach Andy Krasna recalled coming out of the gym after working with the middle-school girls at the high school and hearing the sound of a bouncing basketball. There was Wilson practicing her ballhandling skills in the dark.

"All along she said I want to play basketball in college," Krasna said. "We told her you really have to develop your game before that happens."

Wilson did just that. The point guard went from averaging just 2.2 points per game as a freshman to 14.2 as a senior. She was named the 2018 Bicentennial Athletic League player of the year.

"I think she's going to be a really good college basketball player," Krasna said. "Due to her success and accolades in field hockey and softball, she's received more recognition in those sports."

Wilson is the sixth of 13 children. Her father, Chuck, is the senior pastor at New Hope Community Church. Faith and family played big roles in Wilson's decision to attend Nyack.