Two area student-athletes have earned recognition through the Beck’s Player with Heart – Iowa program, which honors high school athletes who demonstrate exceptional commitment in competition, academics, community service, and agriculture.
Beck’s recognizes outstanding student-athletes three times annually — in September 2025, December 2025, and March 2026 — with scholarship winners selected and contacted by Beck’s representatives in May 2026. Among those honored in the March recognition are Rylee Philips of Birmingham, representing Van Buren County, and Natalie Steele of Lockridge, representing the Fairfield area.
Rylee Philips
Philips has built a well-rounded high school experience through athletics, community involvement, and a deep connection to agriculture. She competes in track, cross country, and wrestling — including joining her school’s women’s wrestling team, which she described as an opportunity to step outside her comfort zone, develop new skills, and form connections with people she might not have otherwise met.
Through her years of athletic competition, Philips said she has developed resilience, discipline, and confidence — qualities she believes have helped shape who she is today.
Off the field, Philips gives back through 4-H participation, summer reading programs, and her church, where she volunteers with Vacation Bible School and children’s plays.
Agriculture has been a constant thread throughout her life. Having grown up around farming, Philips has raised goats and steers for market and said those hands-on experiences have taught her leadership, responsibility, and communication. She views agriculture as the backbone of modern life and has a deep respect for the daily work farmers do to sustain the world around them.
After graduation, Philips plans to attend Iowa Western Community College before transferring to the University of Iowa, where she intends to major in finance with a minor in accounting or marketing — building a career rooted in the lessons her activities and experiences have already begun to teach her.
Natalie Steele
Steele’s high school career reflects an impressive breadth of involvement. A volleyball and tennis player, she is also active in National Honor Society, FFA, FCA, SkillsUSA, Club America, Faith and Friends, and Key Club. She said those experiences have sharpened her leadership, communication, and time management skills — qualities she plans to carry well beyond high school.
In her community, Steele is involved with Iowa Alliance Volleyball, 4-H Teen Council, and recreational league volleyball. She serves as president of her 4-H chapter and gives back to younger athletes as a volleyball coach for elementary and middle school players.
Her connection to agriculture runs deep — and personal. Steele’s family farm has been in her family for six generations, and she said her family holds a strong conviction about caring for the land and preserving the soil for those who will farm it next. Through that upbringing, she has developed a firsthand appreciation for the hard work, determination, and resilience that agriculture demands, as well as for the industry’s broader role in providing food, fuel, and jobs.
Looking ahead, Steele plans to play tennis in college while pursuing a degree in secondary education. After graduation, she hopes to return to her community to teach and continue contributing to her family’s farming operation.
The Beck’s Player with Heart program is designed to shine a light on student-athletes who stand out not only on the field, but through their leadership, service, and dedication to agriculture and their communities.
Information and photography courtesy of Brownfield Ag News.
