So as we wrap up the year and head into the off-season, I wanted to make sure we gave a s/o to our All-Academic guys. Last week we had our Pitt-Greensburg Athletics Awards Banquet and that is where we honor our athletes both on and off the court.
If you've ever played for me, or been recruited by me, you know that I place a BIG emphasis on academics. After all, you are going to end up going pro in something other than basketball. So when student-athletes are making their decision about where they want to go to college, I always stress that they are not making a 4 year decision, but a 40 year one. Because where they decide to go to school will decide what kind of doors get opened for them after school which will dictate a lot of their career path. Obviously I know a University of Pittsburgh degree will open a ton of doors, so that's why I stress the academics when you play for me...get the degree and get a good start on your professional career :-)
Last year we we had 3 guys make the AMCC All-Academic Team. This year that number went up to 7 players,which was almost half our team. How proud do you think I am as a coach?? So congrats to Brian Heinle, Doug Wilson, Mike Connelly, Dylan Reigel, Jarrett Shannon, Brock Witkowski, and Steve Hearty!! (Pictured in the same order from left to right).
Those guys are a great example of what our goals are here at Pitt-Greensburg....be champions on and off the court! As we strive to achieve a Top 25 Team GPA, these guys will definitely be leaders in that pursuit. I look forward to seeing more guys on the All-Academic Team next year and us reaching our Top 25 team GPA goal!
Hope everyone is having a great start to their summer!!
Yours in Hoops,
Coach Strick