BROCKWAY, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Dylan Bash’s stomach ached.
He always felt sick. Then, the pain intensified.
Then a junior on the Brockway baseball, wrestling, and soccer teams, Bash knew there was a problem.
And, he had a pretty good idea what it was.
(Pictured above, Brockway’s Dylan Bash throws a pitch for the Rovers’ baseball team this spring/submitted photo)
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Dylan’s mother, Jessica, had similar symptoms before she was diagnosed with celiac disease, an immune reaction to eating gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.
“They did a bunch of blood work,” Bash said. “I didn’t even need to have a scope because they said my levels were off the charts.”
Bash was actually relieved.
Celiac disease is often easily managed with a change in diet that is completely gluten-free.
“I don’t want to say I was hoping for that, but I was kind of – because it stinks, but there is a lot of worse things that could happen,” Bash said.
Because of his mother’s diagnosis, Bash was already eating a diet mostly free of gluten. It was only when he ate away from home or nibbled on snack that he had foods containing gluten.
“It’s kind of a genetic thing,” Bash said. “At some point, I expected it. It just happened a lot faster than I thought it would.”
Now, Bash is free to focus on his three sports with the Rovers.
As a midfielder on the soccer team, Bash is in the middle of all the action with the Rovers. As a wrestler, he was 3-0 this past winter before a partially torn elbow ligament ended his season. On the baseball field, Bash hit .320 and also threw 32 innings on the mound, sporting a 4.38 ERA.
Bash is excited for the upcoming soccer season as a senior. Brockway went 8-10 last fall, but played better as the season unfolded with Bash as a captain. The Rovers fell 2-1 in overtime to Brookville in the first round of the District 9 playoffs.
“Last year, I wouldn’t say it was a down year, I’d say we’re just reloading,” Bash said. “We have a lot of younger guys, and we have a bunch of ninth graders who are going to be coming up, and I feel like we could definitely make another run at the title.”
THE BASH FILE
NAME: Dylan Bash
SCHOOL: Brockway
YEAR: Senior
SPORTS: Soccer, wrestling, and baseball
2022-23 HIGHLIGHTS: Was a captain as a junior at midfield for the Rovers’ soccer team and was named an Upper Allegheny Valley League all-star. … Was 3-0 on the wrestling mat before an elbow injury ended his season. … Hit .320 and pitched 32 innings with a 4.38 ERA for the Brockway baseball team.
Q: You play three sports you don’t often see in that combination — soccer, wrestling, and baseball. Were you always into those three sports?
A: Growing up I played soccer a little bit, but when I was eight, I quit. Then I started playing again in the seventh grade. I always wrestled because my brother (Noah) wrestled. My brother played baseball, so that was another reason I played baseball. Baseball’s my thing. I clicked in that, and that’s what I like to do. I wanted to play a sport with my brother, so when he was a senior and I was a freshman, I was like I might as well play soccer. I kind of just stuck with it.
Q: How would you describe yourself as an athlete?
A: I am committed and willing to put in the hard work. I am also very good with my teammates.
Q: What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned while playing sports?
A: To cherish the moments you have because you won’t always be able to play high school sports. These years really fly by.
Q: What do you do to handle a loss?
A: I show good sportsmanship and just use it as fuel to help me improve and win the next game or match. A loss shouldn’t be something to be sad about. Sure, it’s not a good thing, but it helps you grow as a person.
Q: Is there another athlete who has mentored you and what was the biggest thing he/she taught you?
A: My biggest mentor is my brother, Noah. He taught me how to carry myself, whether in a win or in a defeat. He taught me to be humble and overall how to become a better person.
Q: If you could be another player for a week, who would you be and why?
A: I’d be Mike Trout. I mean, he is the best baseball player of our era. I would love to be in his shoes and hit bombs.
Q: What are your goals in sports?
A: To win a district title in baseball my senior year. It has been something I always wanted to do, and I have one more shot.
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