09 Dec 2015 Briggler leads in school, church and community

by Levi Gilbert

Leadership can come in many forms, and luckily for St. Joseph, Sarah Beth Briggler has mastered many of them for the Lady Bulldogs.

Briggler was selected to this year’s 501 Basketball Team — 35 players representing the best the 501 has to offer both on and off the court. Briggler was nominated by her head coach, Chris Kordsmeier. A main factor in her nomination was the leadership she provides to the team.

“Sarah Beth is a great leader on and off the court,” Kordsmeier wrote in his nomination. “Sarah Beth continues to promote and guide underclassman in their development of leadership for our school, church and community.”

The senior guard has been playing basketball since the fourth grade.

“I started playing because both of my parents played and coached, so I was exposed to it at a very young age,” Briggler said.

Kordsmeier describes the senior as having a “great knowledge of the game.” As of press time, the Lady Bulldogs were 7-5.

“My goals for this season are to support my teammates and be a leader,” Briggler said. “Our team goal for this season is to play together as one. I am most looking forward to playing Conway Christian and Hector.”

Briggler and the Lady Bulldogs have already had some early success on the season, coming from behind to beat South Side, 49-46. “We came together as a team and pulled out a win,” Briggler said.

There’s a legacy of Briggler and her teammates coming together as a team and supporting each other. Sarah Beth was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2009 and had to spend much of the school year at home. Her classmates rallied around her during her time of need. And Sarah Beth has been diligent in serving her school, too.

“She is a great friend to all of her teammates and is there to always help them out with basketball and anything else,” Kordsmeier said. “She was a key player in the development of our new courtyard and cyber cafe at our school. She is a member of National Honor Society and was a member of our Academic Basketball State Championship last year. She will be a big part of our team this year.”

Briggler is also involved in FCCLA, Interact Club and the Faulkner County Youth Leadership Institute.

Briggler and the Lady Bulldogs travel to conference foe Quitman this Friday.