J's World: Great to see student-athletes taking advantage of opportunties

During his days at Colony High School, Hunter Eisenhower was determined to play Division I basketball.

Eisenhower, now a senior at Seattle Pacific University and a reserve for the Division II Falcons men’s basketball team, never did play DI ball. But the former Knights standout has positioned himself for a potential career with Division I athletes. Eisenhower, studying exercise science, will intern with a pair of Division I athletic departments, Seattle University and the University of Washington, working in strength and conditioning.

I caught up with Eisenhower recently.

“In high school I was so set on DI, I didn’t care where I wanted to be,” Eisenhower said by phone before making the trip to his home state to play UAA Saturday night. “Looking back on it, I see why I didn’t.”

Instead, Eisenhower took best advantage of his opportunities.

Eisenhower, who I featured in the Frontiersman earlier this week, made a stop at Chadron State in Nebraska before finding the right fit at Seattle Pacific. It was a great move for the 2013 graduate of Colony High. He has family in the area. He could continue is basketball career, and prepare for, what could be, a promising career in strength and conditioning.

It’s great to see a student-athlete look at the big picture.

The key term is student-athlete.

For any high school student, athlete or not, one of the biggest decisions to be made is what to do after high school. College? Military? Trade school? Go straight into the job market?

That decision can have as much impact on a high school senior as any in life.

But for student-athletes, the decision can’t be based completely on sports.

In late 2017, Azlynn Brandenburg, a senior on the Wasilla Warriors girls’ basketball team, committed to Colorado Mesa University, a Division II program in Grand Junction, Colorado. As Brandenburg worked through the recruiting process, her older sister, Kasara, a former college basketball player, had the best advice.

“She really helped me write a pros and cons list to pick the school, and to realize to not just focus on the basketball aspect of the school,” Brandenburg told me. “You spend so much time there. Be clear it’s a place you want to be.”

I repeat.

“Be clear it’s a place you want to be.”

Great advice.

Yes, the ultimate dream is to go DI, play pro ball. But that’s only a reality for such a small percentage for those with the ability to compete at the collegiate level. But for the majority, the chance to compete at the college level can create so many more opportunities in the future.

There is potential for scholarships, and maybe even a free education.

“The truth of it is, college basketball for so many is a vehicle that allows you to get your education,” Colony boys basketball head coach Tom Berg said during a conversation about Eisenhower.

Berg is exactly right.

College sports is a vehicle that can take a student-athlete so many places.

And that’s why it’s great to see someone like Eisenhower use the chance to play college basketball to set up a potentially promising career. It’s great to see a student-athlete like Brandenburg factor in more than just basketball when making her decision where to play college basketball. And those are just two examples.

There are so many other success stories. And that’s just another great thing about sports.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.