Instead of relaxing after their college finals and catching up on some much-needed sleep, a group of Hilton High School graduates participated in a forum that gave younger athletes a look at college sports through their eyes. Jon Schwind ’08, Morgan Graus ’13, DJ Logory ’13 and Jordan Ott ’13 spoke to members of the Varsity Athlete Student Leadership Council before the holidays.
Graus, who plays Division II soccer at Philadelphia University and is studying to be a physician’s assistant, says that playing college soccer is one of the greatest experiences of her life. “I’ve never worked harder,” she said. “You have to earn everything. You go in at the bottom and have to show your teammates that you have their backs.” Graus also said that she worked outside of practice a lot so that she could get playing time.
Ott, a hockey and softball player at the Division III SUNY Potsdam and a communications major, told her former classmates that each person finds his or her individual strength to contribute to the team. “You need to be in the best shape of your life,” she said. “You will only play if you put in the work.”
Logory plays Division III football for St. John Fisher College and majors in business and marketing. “An agenda is an outstanding piece of equipment,” he told the audience. “Plan out everything, and if you want to succeed and do well, go to class. You’re throwing away money if you don’t.”
Schwind played Division I baseball for Marist College and was then drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league in 2011. “Make sure you know what your motivation is. It’s the only way you will get to the level you want to be at,” he said. “Hilton shaped what my values are and who I am today.” Schwind advised the younger students to call home when they’re having a bad day, get out of their comfort zone, take risks at practice and be coachable, and be exceptional at one thing. He also shared a saying that his team uses every day, “Be one tenth of one percent better every day.”
Athletic Director Michael Giruzzi said the purpose of the forum is to give students an opportunity to hear from former Hilton athletes about the rigors and adjustments that they experienced as they transitioned from high school athletes to playing at the college level.
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