Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Carly Engelhardt

Sports fans are always good for remembering the highlights and championships of the team for which they cheer. Athletes and coaches, however, tend to remember difficult losses more than exciting wins. The most driven athletes use those losses as motivation for improvement and develop a deep seeded hatred for losing. Junior Carly Engelhardt's competitive drive and hatred of losing inspire her teammates on the basketball court, which is why she is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Carly was introduced to the sport at the very young age of three years old and immediately fell in love with it. Although hesitant about her career in high school, Carly ultimately made the decision to try out for the team after meeting the coaches. "After meeting coach Carretto and Coach Chandler, [Carly] was very motivated to try out and join the team," says Leslie Engelhardt. She does on to add, "[Carly] has grown a lot since that first game, both in height and confidence!"

Carly's maturation has shaped the way she attacks the game of basketball. "I like the physicality of basketball best," says Carly. She goes on to add, "Rebounding, putbacks, and being physical are all things your teammates can count on you for." Head coach Abe Carretto says, "[Carly's] hard work has definitely paid off, as she has been a two-year varsity player who has become one of our more intense and physical players."

The physical style with which Carly plays the game is simply a testament to her competitive drive. "Carly really enjoys that part of the game," says Leslie. She goes on to add, "She will do what it takes to win because she hates to lose. She never wants someone to get the better of her!"

Averaging 8 points per game, Carly has come into her own as a player. Growing taller meant moving from a guard position to a lower post, but that has only added to her game. "Carly has played some different roles, from being a guard to working in the post, but still see good outside shooting from her in our offense," says Abe. Carly's ability to do multiple things inside of the Wolves offense has led to her averaging 8 points a game, including some big games vs. Plainfield Central and Nequa Valley, scoring 17 and 14 points, respectively.

As a member of the basketball and softball programs at OE, Carly has a high level of interest in playing sports in college. St. John's is high on her list for both school and softball, as she visited the school in NYC and loved everything about the campus. Challenging herself with multiple advanced placement and honors classes at Oswego East, and earning a cumulative G.P.A. over 3.0, puts her in a good position to be accepted not only to St. John's, but a multitude of other schools when the time comes.

After a 4-5 start, the Wolves are seemingly getting better with each passing day and are no doubt looking to a conference and regional championship towards the end of the season after falling to Lockport last season in the regional championship. However, with the season only in December, the Wolves understand they have a long way to go and continue to improve every day if they want their dreams realized.

Hoping to major in business, Carly has taken advantage of OE's extensive catalog by enrolling in electives such as Fundamentals of Business and Accounting. Carly's Fundamental of Business teacher, Stacy Sadjer, believes Carly will do well in the field, saying, "Carly is smart, kind and helpful to her peers. Her creativity, work ethic, and interpersonal skills will be an asset to the business profession."

Carly is hoping she can do whatever it takes to help the Wolves be successful and put them in a position to achieve their goals, saying, "I'm driven by helping my team win a regional championship and being my best every day." As someone who has overcome doubts and obstacles in her three years, she understands what it takes to grow, and advises future Wolves by saying, "Don't be afraid to express who you are, and don't be afraid of upperclassman because the vast majority of them are very nice." There is no doubt Carly will be counted on to be that upperclassman who helps show the younger players what is necessary to achieve success as she continues to do whatever it takes to help them achieve their goals.