WHEN ELLA RYAN ‘23 RUNS OUT ONTO THE BASKETBALL COURT, SOFTBALL FIELD OR CHEER MAT, SHE HAS A CHEERING SECTION THAT MAY BE UNMATCHED.
The Ryan family is there and in full force.
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“They are great at supporting me with everything I do,” Ella said. “They just try to make me better at everything I want to do.”
Ryan being successful in sports shouldn’t come as a surprise if you know her family lineage.
Start with her grandfather – Nolan Ryan. Yes, the “Ryan Express.” The Hall of Fame pitcher who had over 300 career wins and 5,000 career strikeouts and was inducted into Cooperstown in 1993.
Last spring, it was Nolan – who led the Alvin Yellowjackets to the state title game in 1965 as a pitcher – sitting up in the stands watching Ella and her Second Baptist School softball team win the TAPPS Division II State Championship.
“It really meant a lot for my grandfather to be there when we won,” Ella said. “I’m the first grandchild to win a state championship in something. It was so nice that it was something that he could relate to.
“It was a really big deal for my family.”
It was not only the first state title for Ella, but for Second Baptist School, it was the first-ever softball state crown, making the victory even that much more special.
“It’s nice to be a part of something that’s such a big deal,” Ella said. “Especially in softball, since there had not yet been a softball championship won at this school. It was special.”
But wait, Ella is not just a softball star for the Eagles.
The Second Baptist School junior was an honorable mention pick for All-State cheer in TAPPS Division II. Then in basketball last winter, Ella averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 4 steals per game for the TAPPS 5A State Runner-Up Eagles.
Balancing three different extracurricular activities, Ella gives credit to her coaches for allowing her to do it all and thoroughly enjoys repping Second Baptist School across her jersey.
“I love this school,” she said. “SBS has been great to me and my family. Coaches and teachers really work with me on my academics and sports. I feel supported everywhere I go. Every time I see an administrator, they say hi. Every time we win something, they congratulate me. It’s just a great school and a great system within it.”