For Agganis scholar Cliffe, it’s all about Gabe

If you look at the sporting career of Kathleen Cliffe at St. Mary’s, the Agganis Scholarship awardee mines her self-determination and love of competition from many different areas.However, considering her prowess on the pitch, the biggest source of inspiration comes from a different sport all together. For Cliffe it relates back to a former Red Sox player, and not Harry Agganis.Instead it would be Gabe Kapler, Red Sox player for three seasons and a member of the 2004 World Series Champions.”If you look at how he (Kapler) came back from tearing his Achilles tendon in nine months, how hard he worked to come back from his injury, and what a great teammate and person he is, he inspires me. He is my favorite athlete,” said Cliffe.Outside of his work ethic, Cliffe also emulates Kapler in other areas in her high school career, both on and off the field. During this past season when Cliffe, captain of the St. Mary’s soccer and swimming teams, had a deep thigh contusion during the soccer season, she pushed hard to get back on the field with her teammates. While not as severe and injury as Kapler’s achilles tear, Cliffe found it her duty to herself and her teammates to work hard to get back into playing shape and on the field.”My only concern was to get back on the field for my team. Even during practice when I couldn’t play I was do what I could to play. I felt terrible when I had to miss two of the biggest games of the season against Fenwick and Spellman,” said Cliffe.Cliffe sees herself as an encouraging teammate, taking younger players new to the varisty level under her wing to make them feel comfortable on the field and in school with the players already on the team. Cliffe is quick to point out how Kapler is constantly described as a great teammate not only by the Boston press, but also in other cities he has played like Arlington, Texas and currently in Milwaukee.”I make sure I talk to the younger players on the field but also at school. After soccer season this year I still made sure I kept in touch with the younger players and wanted to make sure they felt comfortable talking to me about soccer and school,” said Cliffe.Cliffe is also active in the community, preferring to serve by working with Catholic Charities and My Brother’s Table in Lynn. Cliffe also within the past year has done walks for cancer, livers, and autism. Kapler started the Gabe Kapler Foundation which aims to raise knowledge about and provide support to victims of domestic abuse.”I like doing walks because it is a way for me to be active, but also help to out different causes,” said Cliffe.Cliffe, who led St. Mary’s to the Catholic Central League title in 2007 as a captain, says she loves the feeling of competition and the adrenaline rush on the field. She loves the challenge of having to push herself to be better in sport. Cliffe also sees similarities with academic challenges, working hard in the classroom to improve herself. She will attend Northeastern University in the fall and pursue a degree in physical therapy.Considering Cliffe is both an Agganis All-Star for her accomplishments on the field, and being accepted into the Nation Honor Society for her exploits in the classroom, it is safe to say that Cliffe is excelling at overcoming the challenges she sets for herself.