Indiana University Athletics
Student-Athlete Spotlight: Derek Creviston
9/5/2016 8:57:00 PM | General, Men's Soccer, Student-Athlete Services
By: Nick Reith
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON – Derek Creviston doesn't struggle when it comes to being a team player.
Picking up others has become second nature to the Indiana soccer defender. As fifth-year senior, he experienced the helping hand of upperclassmen in his early years with the program. Now, the younger guys look to Derek for guidance, advice and encouragement.
Luckily for the underclassmen, Derek is one for initiating that mentorship.
"He's got a really good idea of when he needs to focus and be serious, and when he needs to give a pat on the back to another player," said head soccer coach Todd Yeagley. "He's balanced on and off the field and the guys just have a lot of respect for him. He's the epitome of a guy that you can trust and you know what you're going to get from him. That's a great leadership quality."
A brief observation of Derek on the training ground is all one needs to see what Yeagley means. The senior defender is eager to help others in his position group, a group that's accumulated 19 shutouts since Derek's first career appearance. Even in the tense moments during scrimmages, Derek will provide encouragement to teammates on his side of the scrimmage, along with those playing the other way.
That's the easy part of practice for Derek.
"These guys are my best friends," Derek said of his teammates. "I'm going to stick with them for the rest of my life. They've always got you're back, and it's exciting to have one more year with these guys, especially the class I grew up with."
That others-first attitude continues after Derek hangs up the boots and grabs his backpack. When not in class or on the pitch, it's common to find Derek hanging out at the Shuel Academic Center, where he serves in the Hoosier HEROES Mentoring Program.
Derek loves the people he works with in the center, and he loves meeting new people through programs like Hoosier HEROES. And, according to Derek, the volunteering doesn't feel like "work".
"It's more of what I would be doing anyways, it just happens to have the 'Hoosier HEROES' name and the IU Athletics ties," Creviston said. "You're just helping people get through the same challenges you faced, so it's more fun for me than anything."
A lot of Derek's connections to the groups he works with stem from teammates he's had at Indiana. Former IU captain and 2014 graduate Patrick Doody drew Derek to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), where student-athletes can have a voice in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.
Another teammate, 2015 graduate Ben Maury, invited Derek to join the Rock Steady Boxing Program. The Indianapolis-based organization provides hope to people with Parkinson's disease through a non-contact boxing based fitness curriculum. Volunteers like Derek will put on the pads, or "mitts", and let the participants take jabs at them.
The program not only succeeds in restoring confidence in those suffering from Parkinson's disease. It slows the progression of the disease.
"Studies have emerged that have proven this is the top method—beyond medication or anything—of slowing down the disease, with hard and intense exercise to get their bodies moving," Derek said. "It's really inspiring. People are in there that can hardly move their hands, and they're still working as hard as they can."
That inspiration, Derek said, can propel him through any adversity he faces. He sees it away from Rock Steady as well, especially when the team heads to weight training every week.
"Another person who's impacted me is Tom Morris," said Derek, referring to the Indiana soccer team's strength and conditioning coach. "He's been a huge inspiration to all of us since his accident, especially the older guys that have known him. If I'm having a tough day, it helps put things into perspective."
Derek hopes to help others after he graduates, when he makes the transition to physical therapy school. Before that, though, he'll pursue a career in professional soccer.
He's a team player, and is often found helping those in need, but he's also a fierce competitor. It's why he came from Atlanta to Indiana to play soccer. Derek knew that this team, and its coaches, could push him towards his dream of playing the game he loves at the top level.
"It's the level that we play at every day," said Derek. "We're playing the best teams throughout the seasons from all over the countr, against the best players at the college level. We have great coaches who have played at all levels, including the World Cup, so that has raised my play level and prepared me for the next stage."
For the immediate future, Creviston is ready for one final season with the Hoosiers. When asked about his aspirations for this year, only one word came to mind: Championships.
It would be a fitting end to Derek's collegiate career to help his teammates achieve their goals.
"It's hard to put into words," Derek said of his time with the team. "It's been a great experience from day one, and I don't regret anything about it. It was a big decision (to come to IU), but I'm glad that I made the right one."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON – Derek Creviston doesn't struggle when it comes to being a team player.
Picking up others has become second nature to the Indiana soccer defender. As fifth-year senior, he experienced the helping hand of upperclassmen in his early years with the program. Now, the younger guys look to Derek for guidance, advice and encouragement.
Luckily for the underclassmen, Derek is one for initiating that mentorship.
"He's got a really good idea of when he needs to focus and be serious, and when he needs to give a pat on the back to another player," said head soccer coach Todd Yeagley. "He's balanced on and off the field and the guys just have a lot of respect for him. He's the epitome of a guy that you can trust and you know what you're going to get from him. That's a great leadership quality."
A brief observation of Derek on the training ground is all one needs to see what Yeagley means. The senior defender is eager to help others in his position group, a group that's accumulated 19 shutouts since Derek's first career appearance. Even in the tense moments during scrimmages, Derek will provide encouragement to teammates on his side of the scrimmage, along with those playing the other way.
That's the easy part of practice for Derek.
"These guys are my best friends," Derek said of his teammates. "I'm going to stick with them for the rest of my life. They've always got you're back, and it's exciting to have one more year with these guys, especially the class I grew up with."
That others-first attitude continues after Derek hangs up the boots and grabs his backpack. When not in class or on the pitch, it's common to find Derek hanging out at the Shuel Academic Center, where he serves in the Hoosier HEROES Mentoring Program.
Derek loves the people he works with in the center, and he loves meeting new people through programs like Hoosier HEROES. And, according to Derek, the volunteering doesn't feel like "work".
"It's more of what I would be doing anyways, it just happens to have the 'Hoosier HEROES' name and the IU Athletics ties," Creviston said. "You're just helping people get through the same challenges you faced, so it's more fun for me than anything."
A lot of Derek's connections to the groups he works with stem from teammates he's had at Indiana. Former IU captain and 2014 graduate Patrick Doody drew Derek to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), where student-athletes can have a voice in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.
Another teammate, 2015 graduate Ben Maury, invited Derek to join the Rock Steady Boxing Program. The Indianapolis-based organization provides hope to people with Parkinson's disease through a non-contact boxing based fitness curriculum. Volunteers like Derek will put on the pads, or "mitts", and let the participants take jabs at them.
The program not only succeeds in restoring confidence in those suffering from Parkinson's disease. It slows the progression of the disease.
"Studies have emerged that have proven this is the top method—beyond medication or anything—of slowing down the disease, with hard and intense exercise to get their bodies moving," Derek said. "It's really inspiring. People are in there that can hardly move their hands, and they're still working as hard as they can."
That inspiration, Derek said, can propel him through any adversity he faces. He sees it away from Rock Steady as well, especially when the team heads to weight training every week.
"Another person who's impacted me is Tom Morris," said Derek, referring to the Indiana soccer team's strength and conditioning coach. "He's been a huge inspiration to all of us since his accident, especially the older guys that have known him. If I'm having a tough day, it helps put things into perspective."
Derek hopes to help others after he graduates, when he makes the transition to physical therapy school. Before that, though, he'll pursue a career in professional soccer.
He's a team player, and is often found helping those in need, but he's also a fierce competitor. It's why he came from Atlanta to Indiana to play soccer. Derek knew that this team, and its coaches, could push him towards his dream of playing the game he loves at the top level.
"It's the level that we play at every day," said Derek. "We're playing the best teams throughout the seasons from all over the countr, against the best players at the college level. We have great coaches who have played at all levels, including the World Cup, so that has raised my play level and prepared me for the next stage."
For the immediate future, Creviston is ready for one final season with the Hoosiers. When asked about his aspirations for this year, only one word came to mind: Championships.
It would be a fitting end to Derek's collegiate career to help his teammates achieve their goals.
"It's hard to put into words," Derek said of his time with the team. "It's been a great experience from day one, and I don't regret anything about it. It was a big decision (to come to IU), but I'm glad that I made the right one."
Players Mentioned
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