Born with Partial Right Arm, Ruby DePalma a Starter and Leader for Seton Hill

Ruby DePalma has never known it any other way.

Born with a partial right arm — an unexplainable birth defect — DePalma has spent her entire life making adjustments and modifications in order to complete tasks that others take for granted.

Cutting meat, buttoning a shirt, putting toothpaste on the brush — these are things that most people do without thinking, but they require some assessment from DePalma. She always figures it out.

Lacrosse is no different.

Introduced to the game by two active older sisters who played, DePalma is now a junior attacker at Seton Hill in Greensburg, Pa., and believed to be the only one-armed college lacrosse player in the country. DePalma is missing her right forearm.

What started as a simple game of catch with her sisters in the backyard progressed to the point where she became an all-league player at Spencerport (N.Y.) High School, and now, a key contributor on Seton Hill’s 18th-ranked NCAA Division II Top 20 program.

The Griffins, 13-5 overall, face No. 1 West Chester Friday afternoon in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament semifinals.

“I think one thing that really drew me in and made lacrosse exciting was how you can have a stick in your hands and kind of make it your own,” DePalma said. “Everyone cradles a little differently and everyone shoots a little differently. Compared to soccer, which is what I also grew up playing, it was a little more unique, and I think it was just more fun.”

Fun aside, DePalma doesn’t give much thought to the fact that she might be inspiring other limb-different kids along the way. The fan club begins in her coach’s office.

“She truly is special, and I’m inspired by her every day,” Seton Hill head coach Dina Cifelli said. “She loves to take on challenges. Tackling something hard doesn’t affect her.”

DePalma completed her freshman season when Cifelli took over the program prior to the 2024 season. Cifelli coached against Seton Hill and DePalma in her last year as an assistant at Saint Leo in 2023.

“I had seen Ruby on the field when I was still at Saint Leo and remembered thinking, ‘Wow, this girl has got some great stick work.’ I would place her among the top five players on our team in her stick skills.”

Getting a closer perspective over the past two years has been even more impressive.

“Ruby is someone who makes the most of her opportunities and is easily the hardest worker on our team,” Cifelli said. “She never makes excuses and never wants to be treated differently from everyone else. The word can’t never comes out of her mouth.”

An unwavering work ethic and perpetually positive attitude are two of the reasons DePalma’s teammates have selected her to serve as a team captain the past two years. Her positive energy and ‘can do’ attitude help set the bar for the younger players.

“Seeing the way Ruby always works hard and also puts in extra work serves as motivation for some of our other players,” Cifelli said.

As a double major student (chemistry and forensic science) with a nearly 4.0 grade point average, DePalma said wall ball is a favorite outlet when she’s trying to figure things out.

“It’s just me and the ball, and I don’t have to worry about anything else,” she said. “It’s just a chance to get a few extra reps, focus on myself and reconnect with the game.”

She’s also not shy about serving as team leader, realizing that sometimes the hard things need to be said among teammates.

“I think that because of my arm, I’ve learned to have a lot of confidence,” DePalma said. “Even in doing everyday things, it doesn’t always work the first time, and I have to troubleshoot a little bit, so that kind of plays into my mindset and helps me to be mentally strong. I’m always looking for the positives and trying not to get frustrated, so that’s part of my leadership.”

As a freshman in 2023, DePalma was third on the team with 16 assists, along with six goals scored. Last season, she finished second with 20 assists and 15 goals.

This season, she has 13 goals and 30 points, including two goals in Tuesday’s PSAC quarterfinal win against Lock Haven. Her second goal, in the final seconds of the third quarter, was a huge momentum changer to help fuel Seton Hill’s second-half comeback.

“I like to assist, but getting a goal is such a high,” DePalma said. “Slamming your stick on the ground after you score is just the best feeling.”

Off the field, DePalma is involved with an organization called NubAbility Athletics, which seeks to encourage and inspire other youth born with birth defects by getting them out of the stands and active into sports. She serves as a summer camp counselor and mentor to help build confidence in others.

“I started with NubAbility during the summer before my freshman year, which was really good timing for me because I had never seen another one-arm athlete like me,” she said. “I never had someone who looked like me to look up to when I was trying to learn a new sport. I’ve now met a lot of kids going through the same thing that I did when I was younger. It’s been fulfilling to try to help others.”

She says one of the core messages at summer camp is that there’s nothing you can’t do. It’s a mantra that she carries with her every day.

“Knowing that there is a way to adapt anything and maybe modify it a little bit is always important to remember,” DePalma said. “You should never not do something because you have a limb difference, or you have something different about you. I feel like I can do anything, but I might just have to do it differently than other people.”