Sports are more than just a hobby, especially at Cherry Creek High School.
With rigorous academics and 60 students signing to colleges for athletics last year, Creek has always prided itself on being a hotspot for both sports and academics.
“The student athlete is something we’re really proud of here,” counselor Craig Wittgrove said.
As the Postgraduate Coordinator, one of Wittgrove’s jobs is to prepare student athletes for the long process of college recruiting. His main goal is to make sure every student and parent knows how to access the tools they need to get recruited.
The NCAA talk hosted its ninth annual meeting this year on Sept. 3. This is one of the measures Creek takes to make sure that every student who wants to be recruited has access to the information they need.
“It provides an opportunity to make sure that they understand what they need to do so that [recruitment] can still happen,” Wittgrove said. “There’s a lot of little pitfalls that can happen if [parents and students] don’t understand the process, so that’s why we started doing this.”
Numerous students and families have benefitted from Wittgrove’s efforts and dedication and the talk itself highlighted the main parts of the recruiting process including academic eligibility, graduation requirements, and how to use online resources to get in touch with coaches- vital information for athletes and guardians.
Amy Lauber attended on behalf of her son Caden, a junior who is interested in the recruitment process. She is among many parents who are just as dedicated to their children’s future as the athletes themselves.
“I came to learn about the NCAA and what I need to be able to commit to schools,” junior swimmer Kevin Schwartz said.
Another one of Wittgrove’s goals is to help families understand how to get financial help through scholarships, which is usually a main incentive for athletes to continue their athletic careers collegially.
The final emphasis of his talk was how much of a commitment being a student athlete is.
“If you’re wanting to have a more, what we consider ‘normal’ college experience, being a student athlete isn’t always the best option,” Wittgrove said.
