Chiefs' Reverberi epitomizes unselfishness

Those who haven't seen Massapequa's Amanda Reverberi play soccer will look at her numbers and wonder why she is Newsday's Player of the Year.

With four goals and three assists, her name won't be found at the top of the scoring leaders or in box scores with regularity. What Reverberi brings can't be quantified or calculated and isn't as recognizable as scoring a goal or making a save. She proves just how little of the story numbers actually tell.

"My outlook isn't about me scoring the goals or me doing well," Reverberi said. "My outlook is more about the team's overall play because I think that's more important. It's a team situation rather than an 'I' situation."

It was an outlook that worked well as she helped to lead Massapequa to a state championship.

As a defensive minded center-midfielder, Reverberi's responsibilities included controlling play in the middle of the field by winning airballs and distributing the ball in order to keep it in the offensive half.

As a captain, her responsibilities included leading by example and serving as the unquestioned voice of the team - key elements of the game that aren't reflected in numbers but often lead directly to them.

"She's a good leader out there and the other kids respond to her," Massapequa coach Bruce Stegner said. "It's hard to quantify it. You're not going to say she scored an amazing amount of goals, she wasn't defending people in the back, she's not a keeper where you could judge by saves. But she has all the intangibles that you need."

Reverberi may be defined by those intangibles rather than the number of goals she scored, but she did find the back of the net for some timely goals this season. She scored with five minutes remaining in the county semifinal to seal a 2-0 win over Oceanside and also scored the go-ahead goal in a 2-1 win over Smithtown East in the Long Island Championship.

"She's always been one of these kids that worked hard and wanted to be good," Stegner said. "She did the extra work so I'm happy for her. She deserves all the accolades she gets."

Reverberi, who will attend Loyola on a full athletic scholarship in the fall, also made first team all-state and was named outstanding player in the state championship game and New York State Player of the Year. She didn't have to record a goal or an assist at the state tournament to make her impact felt, proving that it's not always numbers that bring accolades and scholarships.

"I think it's more the hard work behind it and the heart that I put into the game," Reverberi said. "The determination, the leadership, the positivity. It's not always about who scores the goals or the numbers and it feels really good to be recognized for that."

Those who have seen Amanda Reverberi play will look at those numbers and understand.