sportsed@ clackam a5.edu
The Clackamas Print
Wednesday, May 30, -2012
Successful recruiting brings strength to
Clackamas athletic programs
By David Beasley
The Clackamas Print
Bor many years, Clackamas
Community College has had suc
cessful the athletic department.
N ot only does the department
provide positive reinforcement and
opportunities to continue educa
tion for students, italso manufac
tures a high quality athletic prod
uct. W ith the last of the sports
seasons wrapping up for the year,
focus now turns to rebuilding and
revamping each team in an effort
. to pick up where they left off.
Recruiting is used for sports at
C C C to help gain advantage and
put together a team with a strong
talent base. This is just as impor
tant. to junior college athletics as
it is for-four-year university teams.,
The coaching staff at Clackamas is
a tireless group iff enthusiasts who
share their love o f athletics with
students and strive to help them
succeed in sports and academics
equally. It is, not just a job to the
coaching staff it is a favorite pas
time arid hobby
The wrestling program is a great
asset to athletics at Clackamas.
Head coach Josh Rhoden recalls,
CiIn six years we haven’t placed
lower than eighth in the NJCAA
National Championships (where
the team placed fourth in 2012);
Austin Morehead was recruited several years ago into the Cougar athletics department from central California,
Morehead competed twice in the N JC A A Wrestling N ational Championships.
We’ve got Austin Morehead, 184 lends strong leverage to teams and
lbs national runner-up this year can help tip the competitive scales
and 'he just signed with OSU,
o f talent and ability Rhoden and
the PAC-12 champs, 10th' in the ’ his assistants spend a great deal of
country.”
time scouring stats and data on
H ow does the wrestling team the internet, calling high schools,
stay oto top and gain student attending large competitions, and
athletes like Morehead o f Sutter, general networking with students-
California? Aside from the obvi and coaches.
ous roster building methods like
The wrestling program/enjoys
signups and try-outs, recruiting a large talent pool to choose from.
Students from across the US travel
to Clackamas for the wrestling
program.
‘ wé have recendy been able to
recruit all over the United States,”
said Rhoden. “We search in-state
and the Portland area of course,
but we’ve got kids from places
like Pennsylvania, Arizona and
Minnesota. We , have a kid walking
on from the state o f Texas. He’d
done sòme research and found that
this is a great program and then he
decided to com e to Clackamas.,
the Northwest states, 'Oregon,
Washington, Idaho, Nevada and
Alaska,” said womens basketball
assistant coach PJ. Martineau.
“Recruiting is vital. It determines
how the season will go the follow
ing year.”
Athletes are recruited in a num
ber o f different ways for each sport
at Clackamas. Attending and host
ing competitions are good exam
ples;
“Each year the women’s bas
ketball team holds the nation
ally recognized End o f the Trail
Tournament,” said Martineau.
T his event attracts many top
ranked, talented players and is a
great yearly opportunity to recruit.
The scholastic side of women’s
basketball is just as talented as their
last four years on the court.
“In the past ten years, 90 per
cent o f our players who played
both seasons with us graduated
with associates degrees,” said PJ.
Martineau.
As a whole, the athletic depart
m ent has great ways o f helping
students through college. GPA
expectations and requirements are
monitored and guidance is facili
tated by coaching staff and the
athletic academic adviser.
“PJ. Martineau is the academic
advisor for all the sports,” said
■ Jim Martineau, director o f athlet
ics and husband to PJ. “She helps
all the student athletes and keeps
them on track throughout their
time at Clackamas. Our number ■
we can help kids with a tuition ,..one.iob,istohelpstudentatide tes
waiver — there are 16 three-term develop academically and athleti
tuition waivers — that number is cally to transfer. Number two is
set by the NJCAA”
winning.”
The success o f individual ath
A little known advantage of
letes aridthe team helps grow the recruiting is finding natural lead
program and build a strong pres- ' ers. A good leader, can; be a great,
enee in the league as well as nation asset fo a team that has student-
ally. Being well known also helps to athletes playing only two seasons.
attract good wrestlers. “Winning There is not a great amount of
the nationals helped us a bunch time to develop the tools required
because now kids seek us out,” said for a strong team captain, so when
a bom leader comes along it is of
Rhoden.
Wrestling is the only sport at great help to the team coaching
Clackamas that competes at the staff
nation^ level, but wrestling isn’t
W hen student-athletes at
the only program that benefits the Clackamas perform well athleti-
college. Ariiong the other athletic ,«rally and scholastically, it attracts
teams currently recruiting mem more students and community
bers for next season are men’s and support for the school. Athletic
women’s basketball.
recruiting is a vital lifeline for the
college.
“We look for players within
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Kathie Woods observes Zoey M artin as she signs her letter o f intent to play volleyball a t Clackamas'
next fall. M artin is one o f many players to have already signedjor the volleyball team.
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