April 27, 2005
What college & high school sports are really about
By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist
Most of us watched the Final Four recently, completing a basketball tournament truly filled with an
abundance of exciting finishes. Many of us also saw the NJSIAA basketball and wrestling tournaments,
the NCAA Frozen Four and, very soon, it will be time for the high school spring tournaments and the
College World Series.
These events make headlines. Amateur athletes make great plays and earn scholarships and professional
contracts that alter their lives. But, in reality, those headline makers are few and far between.
The overwhelming majority of high school athletes do not see their names in large print. Most of them do
not go on to play in college. And most of the college athletes in our country are role players who are not
sought after by agents and pro recruiters.
In a recent edition of The NCAA News, an industry publication, a guest editorial was written by Justin
Schroeder, a sophomore student-athlete at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI. He wrote it about his
teammate and it is re-printed here with permission from the managing editor of The NCAA News, Gary T.
Brown.
So this is how it ends. There's no retired jersey. There's no standing ovation from a sellout crowd. There's
no championship trophy to hoist. There's no school record or all-conference honor. For Trevor Cockayne,
like many NCAA Division III basketball players, his career went out like a lamb.
For just the seventh time in his career, Trevor trots onto the court for the opening tip. He's the starting point
guard for this senior-night game, the last game in his four-year career. He plays fewer than four minutes,
but does manage to convert on a fast-break layup for what turns out to be his only points of the game. He
is surely disappointed to come out of the game so early, but you couldn't tell by the way he reacts. He
takes his seat on the bench and does everything in his power to help his team from the sidelines.
His Carthage teammates take a three-point lead into the locker room at halftime. Trevor starts the second
half and plays about five more minutes before taking a seat for the final time. Although he holds out hope
he will be reinserted into the game, the realization that he may have stepped off the Physical Education
Center court for the final time is accompanied by a flood of memories from the past four years. The thrill of
an upset win over Wheaton the year before, about which he said afterward, "It was the first time I felt that I
was one of the main contributors to the team winning the game."
There also was the pain from a national semifinal loss to Otterbein his freshman year. But perhaps the
most painful memory of all was knowing that this season - a season full of hope and promise - had gone
awry. "The most disappointing thing was not meeting the expectations we as a team set for ourselves," he
said. "I would have loved to have the team do something special."
Trevor had his moments on the basketball court. There was the career-high 10 points he posted three
times during his junior year. There was the three-pointer he hit in the final seconds of the California
Lutheran tournament to send the game to overtime, the only three-pointer he would attempt this season.
But those moments are gone.
While to most observers Trevor is now just another name and number, there are some, including myself,
who have felt a lasting impact from seeing him in action. He wasn't flashy and didn't pile up gaudy
statistics. He didn't take days off or look for shortcuts to make it easier on himself. What he did do was
give every effort he could to make the team better. He fought for every rebound, he hustled after every loose
ball, he played in-your-face defense, set solid screens and made the extra pass to get his teammate an
open shot. Nobody wanted to win more than Trevor. "I know that no matter how much basketball I play," he
said, "nothing will compare to being a member of the Carthage basketball team."
While the joys of playing have come to an end, Trevor is just starting to recognize the benefits of playing
college basketball. "I have come to realize how lucky I am to be able to be a college basketball player and
how people would give anything to have the opportunity I have been given," he said.
This statement strikes a particular nerve with me, because I would give anything to be able to put myself in
his shoes. I have just completed my second year of junior varsity basketball at Carthage and would like
nothing more than to reach the varsity level.
I know I will never be a starting, 35-minute-per-game player. I won't be the leading scorer or the focus of
opposing defenses. But that's not what I'm aiming for, either. I strongly desire to be the type of player
Trevor was. I want to be the guy who does all the little things that help a team win. I want to dive on the
floor, play team defense, block my man off the boards and work to get other people open shots. I want to
be a Trevor-like player.
Some people may ask why I would want to emulate a student-athlete who averaged only 7.7 minutes per
game. But that's 7.7 minutes of realizing my dream of being a college basketball player. That's 7.7
minutes for someone who, like Trevor, is short on talent but big on heart. That's 7.7 minutes of success.
When it is all said and done, it is not the wins and losses that matter most. Rather, it is the friends you
make while participating in intercollegiate athletics. It is the memories that will stick with you forever. It is
the qualities you develop in yourself. It is the lessons that you will never forget. It is the ability to trust
others and have others depend on you. It is the knowledge that you cannot do everything yourself. It is
learning to give credit when credit is due.
Above all, it is the fact that you gave yourself whole-heartedly to something you wanted. It is knowing that
you put yourself on the line several times and always came away better off for having done so. It is
appreciating that you pursued something you loved and will have no regrets to carry with you. Trevor
accomplished all of these as a result of playing basketball at Carthage.
As members of the class of 2005 go their separate ways, other players will step up and take their place.
They will be given a chance to pursue their dreams, much like Trevor did. I can only hope that they learn
from Trevor and follow the example he set with his actions. I can only hope that one day they will be sitting
in Trevor's shoes, looking back on their career knowing they left everything they had on the floor. As for
me, I dream of becoming the type of player Trevor Cockayne was for the 2004-05 team. I dream that
someday I will get to have my 7.7 minutes of success, too.
Some great observations from a young man who will undoubtedly use his athletic experience to make an
impact on society. We offer it to all of you who played like Trevor, never saw your name in headlines, but
became better people because of your experiences in athletics.
Read more of
Tom Williams' columns