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Allison Nicholson ’98

If you look at Allison’s senior yearbook page, you will see the following Fred Shero quote – “Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion.  You must first set yourself on fire.” And by all accounts, she was an athletic inferno, blazing across the field hockey field, the basketball court and the softball diamond.

A natural athlete, Allison recalls at a young age being the only girl on the boys’ travelling soccer team and Little League baseball team.  It was in 6th grade that she was encouraged to try field hockey, a sport she continued throughout her years at the Upper School.  She also added softball and basketball to the mix.  
 
"While no doubt exists about Allison's physical prowess as a three sport athlete who earned 12 varsity letters in her four years at Moravian Academy, only those who saw her in person can appreciate her leadership skills on and off the playing fields,” says former Upper School Director Joe Chandler.  Described by many as a “gentle leader” or “reluctant hero,” Allison’s athletic success was not inspired by winning, but by embracing the concept of the team and cherishing the relationships that were made.
 
By her senior year at MA, she was a captain for all three teams and earned MVP awards for each sport.  Additionally, she was named to Colonial League second team in field hockey, qualified to play in the VIA All Star Senior Classic basketball game, and hit 4 homeruns during her final softball season.
 
Former softball coach Kevin Ballard says, “I always told people that Allison was the greatest athlete that ever graced the playing fields and courts at Moravian Academy.  Some of the plays that she made at shortstop had [us] just smiling and shaking our heads.  Our problem was that she was such a good pitcher that we couldn't use her at shortstop enough!” 
 
A “lifer,” she feels that MA was the right place for her, and loved being a student. “A love of learning was instilled in us from the time we were in Kindergarten, and, because of this, we approached all subjects with an open mind. I knew when I graduated that I was equipped to succeed in whatever field I chose because I had everything I needed at my fingertips. All I had to do was put it into action. Things weren't always easy, but we learned to keep a positive attitude and then anything is possible.” 
 
She was encouraged by then Athletic Director Betsy Wilson to look at Ursinus College, and was ultimately recruited for field hockey and later added softball.  During her tenure there, she was named a Patriot League Player of the Week, as well as a member of the Patriot League Field Hockey Honor Roll.  
 
Much to the delight of coach Debbie Bross, after graduating with a degree in Exercise and Sports Science, Allison returned to MA as assistant varsity field hockey coach and a long-term substitute post in the Lower School.  She later became an assistant teacher in pre-K, and added softball and girls’ basketball to her coaching responsibilities.  In 2005, she filled the role of Director of Alumni Relations, a position she would hold for five years. Additionally, she fulfilled several terms on the Alumni Association Executive Board, and continues to volunteer as a liaison with the Class of 1998.
 
Today, Allison enjoys life in Quakertown, PA, with her husband Pete and sons Drew and Alex.
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