{"id":54853,"date":"2017-03-08T16:47:03","date_gmt":"2017-03-08T22:47:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=54853"},"modified":"2017-03-08T16:47:03","modified_gmt":"2017-03-08T22:47:03","slug":"von-steuben-seniors-enter-great-unknown-after-prep-careers-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/von-steuben-seniors-enter-great-unknown-after-prep-careers-end\/","title":{"rendered":"Von Steuben seniors enter great unknown after prep careers end"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Karl Bullock<\/strong><\/p>\n

With looks of dejection on their faces, members of the Von Steuben boys\u2019 basketball team shook hands, grabbed their gym bags, and walked quietly off the court and into the visiting locker room.<\/p>\n

Their goals before the season had been lofty: a conference title, a playoff berth and ultimately to compete for an Illinois state title.<\/p>\n

But as the game clock expired\u00a0following a 69-61 loss to Riverside-Brookfield in the IHSA regional playoff matchup, the door to Von Steuben\u2019s state title hopes had been shut.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not gonna lie,\u201d senior forward Donovan Maxey said. \u201cI cried.\u201d<\/p>\n

For some high school athletes, their senior years can be memorable experiences involving college recruitment and signing scholarship letters as they get opportunities to extend their careers at the next level. For others, the same experience can be stressful when there is no idea whether or not their athletic careers will be coming to an end.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Of the 541, 479 high school athletes who participated in basketball in 2016, only 18,697 (approximately 3.5 percent) went on to play at the college level, according to an NCAA report.<\/a><\/p>\n

Sitting in a dimly lit classroom across from the empty gymnasium where they\u2019ve played so many times, the seniors met\u00a0one last time to discuss their thoughts on how to move forward beyond basketball. Their varying body language told\u00a0a story. Some leaned back, relaxingly in their chairs, comfortable with what the future holds. Others gazed at the floor with skepticism.<\/p>\n

Edward Nwakego, a two-year varsity player at Von Steuben, said the thought of not being able to play anymore worries him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to focus on the future and what I can handle,\u201d Nwakego said.<\/p>\n

His voice rattled as he spoke, signaling the nervousness at the uncertainty of what could come after graduation. Across the room, senior guard Tyrus Jenkins shared Nwakego\u2019s anxiety but tried not to dwell on his emotions.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife moves too fast, Jenkins said. \u201cYou have to keep going.\u201d
\nThroughout the season, Jenkins talked about potentially playing in college as a walk-on, players who typically aren\u2019t recruited by coaches, but recent conversations with his father have gotten him to think about the big picture.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a reality check every time I walk in here [school],\u201d Jenkins said. \u201cI realize I have things [responsibilities] on the line.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Jenkins may not realize his childhood dream to play professional basketball, he wants to remain connected to sports through another profession\u2014physical therapy. Jenkins went through physical therapy three years ago after he broke his ankle. He sees it as an opportunity to help people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a way for me to stay around the game,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

To realize one\u2019s skill set isn\u2019t good enough to advance to the next level is difficult for any athlete. While some struggle to cope with this reality, long-time mental performance coach Jim Fannin, said it\u2019s common to see athletes channel their energy into other ventures.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey [athletes] love sports and miss that feeling of getting in the zone,\u201d said Fannin, who has worked with Frank Thomas, Alex Rodriguez, Luke Donald and\u00a0other professional and amateur athletes during a 40-year career. \u201cThey go into sports management or psychology to feel attached to that team camaraderie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like college and professional athletes, Fannin said high school athletes share a common characteristic called the \u201czone\u201d mentality, which he describes as a mind-set athletes develop to reach peak performance during competition.<\/p>\n

Fannin said it\u2019s difficult for athletes to utilize acquired skill sets such as discipline, mid-game adjustments and playing under pressure outside of sports when they\u2019ve had their sights set on playing beyond high school.<\/p>\n

Unlike his teammates, Von Steuben senior captain Rafael Cruz wasn\u2019t ready to give up on basketball just yet. As his senior year is winding down, Cruz said he\u2019s \u201cgonna play college ball,\u201d even though he knows the probability of athletes continuing a sport at the next level is low. The interest from colleges gives him faith he has an opportunity to continue to play.<\/p>\n

Since his freshman year, Cruz has channeled all of his energy into basketball through summer camps and offseason workouts, and the strenuous schedule has taken a toll on his body.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love basketball, I\u2019m always going to,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I\u2019m looking forward to finally relax and be a kid again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite being adamant about playing college basketball, Cruz said thoughts of the future have not gone away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho doesn\u2019t think about the future and where we\u2019re gonna be in a couple years,\u201d he said. \u201cBut you don\u2019t have to become an adult right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the statement lingers in the air, fellow senior guard Justan McNair-Sneed nods his head in agreement. McNair-Sneed said he hadn\u2019t given much thought into dealing with life outside of basketball and his future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI usually like to stay in the now,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes I look at the future and how I\u2019m going support my mom.\u201d<\/p>\n

While they may not all agree on what steps to take next in their young adult lives, they will always miss the personal relationships they have developed over the years.<\/p>\n

From hanging out at Subway as freshmen, to running sprints from mistakes made at practice, the years have flown by and the path to adulthood is drawing near. But the bond between these seniors puts them at ease of what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes we\u2019re a little scared,\u201d Jenkins said. \u201cHaving someone to talk to about what we\u2019re going through and understanding that helps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo at top: From left to right Von Steuben seniors Donovan Maxey, Justan McNair-Sneed, Rafael Cruz, Edward Nwakego, Tyrus Jenkins in a classroom at the high school. (Karl Bullock\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Karl Bullock With looks of dejection on their faces, members of the Von Steuben boys\u2019 basketball team shook hands, grabbed their gym bags, and walked quietly off the court and into the visiting locker room. Their goals before the season had been lofty: a conference title, a playoff berth and ultimately to compete for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":386,"featured_media":54884,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,3516],"tags":[61,396,3606,3731],"class_list":["post-54853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","category-winter-2017","tag-chicago","tag-college","tag-von-steuben","tag-von-steuben-high-school-basketball"],"yoast_head":"\nVon Steuben seniors enter great unknown after prep careers end - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/von-steuben-seniors-enter-great-unknown-after-prep-careers-end\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Von Steuben seniors enter great unknown after prep careers end - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Karl Bullock With looks of dejection on their faces, members of the Von Steuben boys\u2019 basketball team shook hands, grabbed their gym bags, and walked quietly off the court and into the visiting locker room. 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