Nick Lippert never doubted for a second that he would play football for his high school. Nothing would stand in his way. Not his size. Not his inexperience.
And especially not his disability.
Lippert, who has cerebral palsy, thrives on challenges.
“One misconception about people who have cerebral palsy is that we can’t do anything,” he said. “But I battle my way through until I achieve my goals.”
Lippert was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was 9 months old. During his childhood, he endured nine surgeries to strengthen his muscles. Despite this, he was active in sports, playing baseball, basketball, community soccer and hockey.
But football remained his first love.
“I’ve always loved football, but my parents wanted me to wait until high school to play,” said Lippert.
As a freshman and sophomore at Carrick High School in Pittsburgh, Lippert continued playing sports. He golfed and played soccer through his senior year in a local community league.
It wasn’t until November of his sophomore year when Lippert received medical clearance from his orthopedic surgeon to play football.
“I was shocked,” said his mother, Joanne. “Never in a million years did we think that he’d be able to play.”
“We didn’t know the extent of how much Nick could do, but we welcomed him like anyone else,” said Josh Rice, Carrick’s athletic director and assistant head football coach at the time.
Seeing their son in a uniform on the practice field for the first time was emotional for Lippert’s parents.
“I get choked up thinking about it,” said Joanne Lippert. “We were amazed that he was able to keep up with everyone.”
Even if he didn’t see much playing time, Lippert gave it his all during practice to help his teammates better prepare for the games.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys for teammates,” said Lippert. “They supported me 100 percent and never got on me when I couldn’t do a particular drill.”
Lippert only missed a handful of practices even though he often had difficulty getting through them. It was especially difficult during the preseason when the team had two to three daily practices. Lippert would go home with a swollen knee and be extremely tired.
“It would take a lot to keep me off the field,” he said. “I wanted to be the best player and teammate I could be. I may have never been the biggest or most skilled player, but I always wanted to work harder than anyone else, and never give up.”
That determination impressed his coaches and teammates.
“What impressed me most was his resolve,” said Rice. “He never complained about running or doing a drill. He taught me a lot about heart and internal drive.”
As head coach of the junior varsity team, Rice remembers a game where Nick was playing offensive guard. On one play, he jumped offside and Rice screamed from the sidelines: “Lippert you’re killing me! You’re killing my unborn children!”
Lippert’s mother and his grandmother heard him from the stands across the field. Rice found out later they both cried. Joanne Lippert cried because Rice treated her son like any other player.
And his grandmother?
“She cried because she couldn’t believe I was yelling at her Nick,” said Rice.
Joanne Lippert added with a laugh, “He apologized for yelling at Nick the next time he saw her.”
Lippert’s mother wrote a letter to the coaches after his senior year, thanking everyone and wishing the best to Rice’s unborn children.
“I still have that letter and read it every once in awhile to remind myself why I got into teaching and coaching—to have a positive impact on some kid and maybe make a difference in one kid’s life,” said Rice, who remains good friends with Lippert and his family.
Lippert, 22, is now a senior at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA and plans to graduate in December with a degree in advertising and public relations, and a minor in sociology.
“I hope to eventually work in public relations or advertising,” he said. “My dream job would be working in the PR or advertising department with one of the local professional sports franchises.”
Rice wouldn’t be surprised to see him accomplish that goal.
“He’s proof that you can do anything you put your mind to.”
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