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20 | March 26, 2020 | The lake forest leader SPORTS LakeForestLeaderDaily.com Athlete of the Week 10 Questions with Breck Nowik Nowik is a senior captain on the Lake Forest baseball team. How did you get started playing baseball? Since I was 2 years old, my parents told me that that’s when I first picked up a baseball and a bat. I started at a very young age, it started with T-ball, then travel, then high school. I’ve loved the game of baseball ever since I was young, my dad played baseball when he was younger so he got me kickstarted. What’s your favorite part of playing baseball? Being with the guys, it makes it fun. In the dugout, watching other guys hit, being on the field with nine of my best friends, it’s great. What’s the most challenging part of playing baseball? The consistency. Everything is baseball is so upand-down, one day you can go 5-for-5, the other day you can go 0-for-5. The hardest part is you have to try and remain consistent as much as possible in a game. What’s the best coaching advice you’ve ever gotten? I think the best advice for me is always go out and have fun. If you’re not having fun with the game, it’s going to be tough to remain in it. Do you have any pregame rituals or lucky superstitions? When I get to the field I always put on my right cleat first, then my left, then tie my right and tie my left. If you could play another sport, what would it be? I played football for the high school as well. For a sport that I haven’t really played organized in high school, I wish I could have played basketball. My brother plays basketball right now and he’s having a blast with it Who is your favorite athlete? Derek Jeter. He’s also someone I looked up to ever since I was a kid. He played the game the right 22nd Century Media file photo way and earned the respect of millions of people and athletes. What is your favorite sports memory at <strong>LF</strong>HS? Last year, that regional championship game for baseball was an awesome time for us as a team and as a player. It was a great experience. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? I’d probably go to Australia to be honest. All the animal life there, I’ve heard it has great culture as well, I think that would be a fun place to go. If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would buy? I would buy a new house for my family, and then use the rest of it to give to charities. Interview by Sports Editor Nick Frazier The Varsity: North Shore Podcast Guys discuss how coronavirus affects high school athletics Staff report In this week’s episode of The Varsity: North Shore, the only podcast focused on North Shore sports, hosts Michal Dwojak, Nick Frazier and Michael Wojtychiw discuss the latest about the COVID-19 virus affecting Illinois high school sports and how the IHSA is planning on starting a new season, talk about how the both current and former players and responding to the lack of play and highlight some PRUETT From Page 23 strong performances from alumni during the fall and winter. First Period The guys discuss everything they know about the coronavirus outbreak and how the IHSA is planning on bringing back sports this spring. Second Period They move on to talk about how both current and former athletes have responded to the lack of games and what they’re in the seventh grade, having his dad, also named Shelby, track down his kicks in the backyard. The summer before eighth grade, Pruett’s dad signed him up for Kohl’s Kicking Camp, a well-known professional kicking program that sends the majority of its athletes to Division I colleges. Fast forward to now, and Kohl’s ranks Pruett as the 32nd-best punter in the nation. The junior has taken big strides the past few seasons. “I went and it just really helped me with my skill, it helped me a lot,” Pruett said of the Kohl’s camps. “I was able to perform a lot better. I punted through all of middle school which was so much fun. Then in high school I got a lot more power through my sophomore and junior year, it’s getting even better now. It just keeps multiplying and adding on.” Playing with another top punter in Kai Kroeger also helped Pruett. A University of South Carolina commit, Kroeger averaged nearly 41 yards per punt and totaled 11 punts inside the 20 for the Scouts in the fall. Pruett says he’ll often drive by athletic fields in Lake Forest or Deerfield and see Kroeger punting. Getting tips and advice from Kohl’s top-ranked punter of 2019 and an All-State honorable mention player in Kroeger has been crucial for Pruett’s development. “He’s taught me to work hard,” Pruett said. “I always see him at the high school kicking and punting. I hadn’t started kicking with him until recently, but he’s really helped, he’s given a lot of great tips. I just see his work ethic and I just want to reciprocate and hope I can be as good as he is.” Pruett will likely get the Find the varsity Twitter: @NorthShorePreps Facebook: @thevarsitypodcast Website: LakeForestLeader Daily.com/sports doing to help pass the time. Third Period To finish things off, the hosts talk about some of the better performances they saw from alumni in the fall and winter. chance to shine at Lake Forest next fall as a senior. Until then, he’ll continue visiting college campuses in the hopes of committing. Pruett has already visited Northwestern University, the University of Iowa and Southern Methodist University. When considering colleges, academics mean a lot to Pruett, just like they did to his grandfather and parents. He said his dad stepped away from college football to fully pursue his architecture degree. He’ll continue to follow in his family’s footsteps, putting Pruett in prime position to reach the next level. “They always taught me that academics and college come first,” Pruett said. “You need to better your mind first before anything, I’ve taken that into consideration. I just love going on visits, seeing the facilities and the campuses, it’s been great.”
LakeForestLeaderDaily.com SPORTS the lake forest leader | March 26, 2020 | 21 athletes From Page 22 portant at this time, when student-athletes may be feeling isolated and upset about the situation. Group chats are the best way that captains can keep the team together and focused. “We keep in touch with everyone,” Nowik said. “We have a group chat, they’re always like ‘We’re hitting right now,’ we’re keeping that team culture up and team morale just in case it does resume, which hopefully it does. The guys are doing a good job of staying active.” A difficult time No matter how much teams keep in touch and work out, it’s still a difficult situation that coaches and athletes are in. Regular-season games should have been played already; instead, there’s still plenty of uncertainty about the spring season. “I think it’s been hard for us because we all want to be out there competing,” Chron said. “I think everyone wants to keep a positive mind set and keep working and being ready when it’s time for us to come out and play again.” There are so many skills that could possibly be lost if the season is postponed any further. Some skills needed to properly field in softball or baseball are based on muscle memory, and without team practices, players like Bass are in danger of seeing those skills weakened while in isolation. It can create bad habits. All that players and coaches can do is pick each other up, stay motivated, and remember what’s still at stake. Local teams may still get the chance to compete for a conference championship, a win over a rival, even a state title. It’s even more important for seniors to remain focused, as they may never take the field for their high school again. The seniors on the Loyola girls lacrosse team have no choice but to remain positive and confident. “It’s a really unfortunate situation, but I think they’re the perfect group to get us through it,” Lazzaretto said. “It’s so easy for us to lose focus of what we’re working toward and sit around and be lazy, but the seniors have really ingrained the idea that we’re working for something and at the end of it, it will all be worth it.” Additional reporting by sports editors Michael Wojtychiw and Michal Dwojak. Show some love to your local businesses! With the recent effects of COVID-19, our local businesses need our support now more than ever! Please support the local businesses in your community! NORTH SHORE EXCLUSIVE ANALYSIS AND INTERVIEWS about your favorite high school teams. Sports editors Michal Dwojak, Michael Wojtychiw, and Nick Frazier host the only North Shore sports podcast. FIND THE VARSITY: NORTH SHORE ON SOUNDCLOUD, ITUNES OR LAKEFORESTLEADER.COM/SPORTS • Purchase gift cards • Schedule services • Order carryout and delivery from local restaurants Remember, local business owners are: • your family • your friends • your neighbors We're all in this together - support your local businesses! Thank you for supporting 22nd Century Media! The Lake Forest Leader The Glencoe Anchor The Highland Park Landmark The Northbrook Tower The Wilmette Beacon The Winnetka Current The Glenview Lantern A 22ND CENTURY MEDIA PRODUCTION
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