WOODBURY — Derek Chung, the youngest of three, lives up to the “Chung” reputation: multi-season athletes, advanced classes and overall good characters.

Chung looks up to his two older siblings, Nonnewaug graduates Skylar (2024) and Dylan (2023). Skylar was a standout soccer and tennis player, and Dylan was a state championship baseball player, as well as a soccer and basketball star.

Like many younger siblings, Derek understands the pressure to live up to the standard of his last name.

“I feel like pressure is a privilege,” Derek said. “There’s some pressure to play well, but it was a privilege for my siblings to come to the same school and do well in sports.”

Chung admits he felt pressure involving baseball going into summer after eighth grade.

“Eighth grade summer I hated it and wanted to quit, but I started playing better and switched positions from shortstop to second base,” Chung said. “Freshman year I almost quit. I was probably going to play lacrosse, but I stayed because Dylan played and we were going to Florida as a team. That’s the main reason.”

Chung has his own twist on advice that helped him get through his doubts with baseball. 

“Through the rough patches, I would say keep your head down and keep grinding,” Chung said. “Don’t listen to outside opinions and do what is right for you.”

He did exactly that, changing from almost quitting baseball, to baseball becoming his favorite sport. 

“I would probably say baseball is what I like the most,” Chung said, “because I like them all, but football is also one of my favorites. Football is harder to do out of the season, so I play summer baseball along with school.”

With football season ending, and basketball starting back up, Chung prepares for his junior year season.  During the Thanksgiving Eve football game, Chung was hit and ended up with a broken fibula playing against Abbott Tech Immaculate. 

With needing to be in a cast for six to eight weeks, healing time will go into the first five or six weeks of basketball. Once healed Chung will return back for his junior year of basketball at Nonnewaug. 

Getting around school on crutches can be a challenge. Lucky for Chung, his friends are there to help him around.

Chung has had a strong group of friends for years now: Nonnewaug juniors Brady Herman, Robert Metcalfe, and Eddie Longo. The well known group of friends surprisingly didn’t all go to the same elementary school.

“We were about six, and we met when our brothers were playing baseball together,” said Herman.”We would play on the sidelines. Then in fourth grade Robert moved from Bethlehem elementary to Mitchell. He found Eddie there and then naturally we all became friends and our parents became really close.”

These boys have a lot of history and funny moments shared together. They have all watched each other grow in different ways, becoming better athletes and even better people. 

“We have a big friend group, so knowing we have each other’s backs is important for sticking together,” Metcalfe said. “My favorite story with him would probably be back in 2020. We would be on the no shirt gang, we were a top 15 ranked ante-up duo in the region. He would always kick the ball to the corner, and he had some really nice dribbling moves. It’s nice to know he’s a good person and video game partner.”  

It was never an issue for the boys to hang out since their families became close too. 

“I think families came together because of how close we were,” Herman said. “Especially because we didn’t have phones. Parents had to communicate by themselves.”

Longo agrees with Herman.

“I get along with his family very well. His dad is a super chill guy and his mom is a very loving person,” Longo said. “His brother is just like Derek except for an older version, and his sister is a super nice and kind hearted person.”