Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Nate Skrocki Jr.

Most freshmen have a difficult time just adjusting to a new building, expectations, culture, and social situations coming into high school. Freshman Nate Skrocki Jr. has been able to not only manage those new challenges, but his effort in the pool has helped him earn a spot in the varsity lineup, something rarely done by any freshman in any sport. What might be most impressive about Nate is not only his ability to manage the grueling schedule that comes with being a varsity swimmer but also his ability to excel in the classroom with a rigorous course load, which is why he is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Nate's journey into competitive swimming started as a kid having fun with his family and friends. "Nate spent a lot of time with his grandparents growing up with a pool in their backyard," says Nicole Skrocki, Nate's mother. Nicole goes on to add, "He was the first one in the water in the morning and the last one out at night, and he taught himself how to swim different strokes by doing a little research and asking [his parents] questions."

As a child, Nate could never really find his fit in with other sports. "Nate tried many, many other team sports and found his calling in swimming because of his love of the water," says Nicole. As Nate explains, joining competitive swimming helped him find his drive. "The competition of high school swimming is what I like best about the sport," says Nate. He goes on to add, "It is so much different from club swimming in that it is structured differently and moves really fast."

However, Nate's journey into high school athletics was not immediately met with success. When the season began, Nate found himself as one of the fastest swimmers on the JV squad, but not quite able to break the varsity roster.

"Most varsity meets only allow for 12 swimmers, so some meets Nate fit into JV and some into varsity," says head coach Erik Enslen. He continues by adding, "In the dual meet against Plainfield he was given an opportunity to swim his favorite event, the 100 free. Just missing 50 seconds, he was given another shot later in the week and scored a 48.9, completely skipping over the 49's. He now has the second-fastest 100 freestyle score on the team."

Nate credits his success to not only his hard work but also the comradery of being on a team. "My teammates, coaches, and parents are what drives me to stay active," says Nate. He adds, "I love how my teammates stand behind the blocks and cheer me on when I'm in the water."

Keeping up with the demands of being a varsity swimmer is difficult for someone of any age. Each day is usually a double practice which includes getting to school for practice at 5:30 A.M., then spending another 2 and a half hours practicing after school. With so much time devoted to swimming, it would make it difficult to include much else, but Nate has found just as much success in the classroom.

"As a freshman Nate has been challenged with a rigorous workload and has excelled, finishing his first semester with a 4.33 G.P.A.," says Nicole. Nate is unsure of exactly where he would like to attend college but is heavily interested in majoring in medicine and becoming a doctor, as well as swimming collegiately.

Nate's Spanish teacher, Juan Leal, believes Nate has the make-up to excel as a doctor, saying, "As a student, Nate is very inquisitive and helps those around him with difficult concepts and helps them apply them in person," says Juan. He goes on to add, "I see Nate succeeding in becoming a doctor because of his hard work ethic and his ability to retain information. His kind nature will also help him be very successful with his bedside manner, and the fact that he will soon be fluent in Spanish will help him establish a connection with his Spanish speaking patients."

As if making varsity as a freshman was not enough of a challenge, Nate is committed to earning a score of at least 47.71 in the 100 freestyle, a time that would qualify him for the state tournament.

Despite having only spent 6 months at East, Nate is wise enough to reflect on what has made him successful up to this point, advising future Wolves too, "work really hard your freshman year," says Nate. He goes on to add, "Make sure to study for every class, and don't be afraid to reach out for extra help from your teachers." While Nate's hard work up to this point has helped him reach the majority of his goals, those around him are confident he will not rest on his accomplishments and has the capacity to reach any goal he sets for himself.