Sports Balderston: A leader for the Ducks on and off court Student-athletes are often caught in the middle when it comes to devoting time to both athletic and academic pursuits. 11 e afforded to one cuts deeply in to the other. When granted a full-ride scholarship, student-athletes are given the opportunity to attend school in trade for their athletic talent; tuition, room and board and textbook costs are bartered for their par ticipation in a varsity sport. And in some cases, school suffers as the game takes the highest priority. Oregon basketball player Keith Balderston is achieving a pleasant medium, not only balancing basketball and school, but enjoying success at both. Balderston. the 6-foot-7 sophomore from Portland's Wilson High School, was recently named to the Par,-10 basketball all-Academic team and second team all-Academic as named by the Sports Information Directors of America. He has a unique attitude when it comes to describing what a student athlete really is. Reporters notebook By Joe Arndt "I really don’t think about it too much,” says Balderston. "1 try to seperate the two worlds. Right now I'm a student, and right now I'm an athlete. I don't know if that is good or bad. . . When I’m on the court. I'm just a basketball player. I don’t even think about school. With school 1 try just to think about it. but that doesn't always work. "For the most part, I have to seperate the two. In a way, when the pressures of one get too great, you escape to the other.” Balderston says. Balderston has the reputation of a scrappy player who works hard for every rebound and every two points. He admits his skills on the court are surpassed by others, but a competitive spirit has helped transform him into a bonafide Pac-10 player. “I think my style of play as one of a hard-nosed kid who goes out to get things done and goes after loose balls.” Balderston says. "1 have to be scrappy.” Balderston says he has had to develop this format because he doesn't have the pure talent or quickness "a lot of kids have... 1 can't play a laid-back game and do well. I have to go after things and be aggressive.” Aggressive is not the personality Balderston reflects off the court however. He is a pleasant guy who prefers to spend his precious free time with others, rather than by himself. “My general personality is that I like people a lot...I’m kind of a free type of guy.” Balderston laughs, 'i love people, love talking to them.” Balderston's outgoing nature is complemented with his inner-religious beliefs. When he was young, his father, after retiring from the military, became a Christian and eventually joined the ministry. Balderston says his strong religious background and feelings has helped him deal wilh the pressures of school and basketball. These pressures fluctuate from day to day. “Sometimes there is a lot (of pressure).'' Balderston says. "Sometimes you are swamped. I don't think of it as totally being under the gun—1 don't think you could stay sane if it was.” Pressure on a student-athlete can be compound ed if the team isn’t doing as well as expected. This season the Ducks have struggled and it has taken its toll on the players. * 'One of . the hardest things is when w>’v e played well and lost, like a lot the way it's gorie this Keith Balderston • year. You are so • emotionally drained. And then 1 remember. 1 have a midterm tommorrow or a paper due or I have to go to a • lab.” • Fortunately for Balderston, he has clear career' goals in mind. He realizes his future after college is not likely going to be basketball. Along with his.other classes. Balderston the ; pre-med student, is taking organic chemistry and core biology. Right now. he is interested in pediatrics. and a relative newcomer to“-the medical field — shock'trauma treatment. He hopes to take the competitive spirit of athletics which he'enjoys- .. so much and apply it to the medical field. . • • These are high expectations for a.young man who. •. in only his sophomore year, has become a consistent .• starter for Oregon coach Don Monson. if you.go l?ack a • few basketball seasons. Balderstoii's rise to’a Pat:-tl) • Oasketball player is remarkable. Three years ago gs a. junior in high school Balderston helped Portland Chris tian win the.Class A" state title. After transferring to. Wilson for his senior year year , because of i.ts'fine science curriculum, he led the Trojans'to fifth in'the* state tournament and was named to the all-tournament „ team. His 18.5 points per game average, along vyith 13* ■ rebounds per contest earned him first team-.aH-Metro • Conference and second team all-state honors,...As you. . might expect, basketball wasn't all that Balderston was recognized for. He graduated with a 4.0 GPA and was valedic torian of his graduating class. ■ .. ; . r But major college basketball coaches weren 3 exact- • ly beating down his .front door. ’ : • *: • ' • In fact, no major schools recruited him except for *' some Big Sky schools. Balderston was accepted t6 Stan-' ford and could have walked on with their basketball program and possibly worked himself into a scholar ship for his sophomore year. He eventually decided on attending u small N'AIA school in California until the Ducks came calling. Oregon had successfully recruited Anthony Taylor of Beaverton and Kick Osborn of Parkmso, and when another recruit opted tb go elsewhere, the Ducks had a '■ .. scholarship to spare. ' . Balderston, though unsure how he would match ° V up. with other forwards in the Pac-10. has shown that he', belongs here This season, tie's shot nearly-^55 percent' • ' from the floor and averaged five- rebounds per-.game . Earlier this season at Stanford, he scored a career-high • 1B points and pulled down eight boards. Uiit it has beim . a tough year for Oregon. .. ‘ Balderston says at. times.it has bee.n frustrating ' * "Tqu get frustrated at things, espr-cially. when vou' •'•"' lose,” Balderston. says. ‘'The.coaches' get. frustrated •• : with.us.'and .us with. th.eth_,.and. us with each' other..." • • ; • Hut it is from "this frustration tjhtl, Hahierstonv ♦.* . believes the Ducks and coach'^Mdhifop -vyllk benefit ' •from. There.’s always next season.. ', \ '. "It’s frustrating for,him (Mopsord-bet.ause he s.had . so inany’wins inthp past, V- Rafdn^stan says ,f’Me.isus ed to winning the close gapies, and*now'*fte i»not"get-' " . ting those wins;.“ ’. *• . • ■ . It has .been a. season for .the Ducks that„° wbe°n they’ve won. .they-have done i”t con\inclngly „ But.‘too * . " many close games have beeq'dropped: Both -this season. and last Winning theclosegarrtos isVinusl.if thejhick's.' •" are to ascend fronY the Pac-JQ,cellas. - . . •’ “It's fwinning.thec.Tosa games)„something"we",have . to do. . good teams .Can have bad games.aiul-still w.iii. ' We can't;” Balderajon.says. ‘fit’ has- hampered -us* ; .-■ .'• ■ . .* •Hopefully, .we’re getting This ouT.of_o.ur*system- ■. Y and us-.yoiing kids there’s Jots.of us-jeft °w’e believe ° . this can la* a great ball club Maylaflhis year,is what ii .takes to teoch'Ufli Jhe.lessons.before we.,can cio‘4t 1" - . V *• Balderston is humble" iri describing his sue,cess,in the classroom and the comparisons some-might miajieto ' " his"teammates '.7.' ••» ..■'■ . * ‘‘Kveryphe’s giv/lh'differerit talents and abilities, ”• ■;• HaidtTstpn says. -"Key me. school is a lot easier than for some other of the%guya on-the team.: I ppb different ex/ per tat ions oh my sejf, than, others IfKni meeting, my ex pectations,.then I’m being a successful, role-model..•' •'■ • .. ”11. the other guys aremeetirig/theirexpectatiohs..' ,th«l ones they set” fp'r themselves and'what lhe r/oaches have, their grade point might-not 1st* as high; jiiu't as’Jong.' ' as they’re trying that’s what is-jijiportiiht. ’ > Keith .HaUlerstbn has-proven .that, success :in athhitics-andin schiRjl i s poss ib le w he n a cbm pptlti ve . -spirit.and hiird w.prk are, combined. Tt’sf;a-rnexample we" can all follow. itVa trait’Huldcrsjtun is certain^tewpain . . fain for twoMnore basketball'seasons ?and-the possible: medical carecrthat lies ahead: • ’ CLASSIFIED ADS CAN BE PLACED AT OOE Office 300 EMU UO Bookstore Stamp Counter EMU Main desk PAYMENT: AII ads must be paid lor in advance unless a bitting arrangement has been established For billing ar rangements. please call 6*6 4143 or slop by the Emerald Classified office. 300 EMU; RATES 17 cent* pat word tor tir*t day and 14 cents per word lor coo sacutnra days the ad i* run without change Ten word mmimum charge is *1,70 tor the that insertion and *1.40 lor con Mcuthre insertions 9-POINT ($1/linej 12-POINT (St 25rlmel 18 POINT 24 POINT (*1.75/lin«) BOX BORDER *1 25/d»y DISPLAY CLASSIFIED OPEN RATE: *S.40/lncb BIRTHDAY BEAT: 25« DEADLINES LINE AOS 12 noon m« day twfo/a publication_ DISPLAY CLASSIFIED ADS;. 12 noon two : day* before- p'u blTC St ion ' The Oregon'Oaity Emerald I* publish, •d Monday through Friday during1 the academic year" (September June) and ' Tuesday and Thursday during summer •session (June-August) ' , For Sale LAEUOENE ONE WAY Air ticket March 30 $75 080 342 8399 35 kenwooo -Receive*, i*o ■apeAet*'. . and MaraM/ luinliWe *185 OHO'< all a«3jMm I . 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