Cedars, October 2018

October 2018 18 SPORTS Kraatz Uses Extra Year of Eligibility to Play Soccer by Tim Miller W hen Evan Kraatz finished his collegiate basket- ball career at Cedarville last spring, he was able to do something very few athletes get to do: win the final game of his career. The Yellow Jackets won their fi- nal regular-season game and just missed out on the G-MAC Conference Tournament,. So Kraatz got to enjoy the sweet taste of victory as his final athletic memory. But in late March, Kraatz received an email from Brett Faro, Cedarville’s head men’s soccer coach. After inadvertently showcasing his talent in intramu- rals, Kraatz caught the eye of Faro. Faro was interested in adding Kraatz to his 2018 squad, and Kraatz had a couple of classes to finish through the fall semester. “We knew about Evan’s ability as a soccer player when he was coming in to Cedarville,” Faro said. “He was a highly successful player in high school and had options to play at the collegiate level in soccer.” Kraatz grew up a talented three-sport athlete, finding success in basketball, soccer and baseball. The fifth-year se- nior has a state championship title to his name, along with multiple regional final appearances. While basketball and soccer became his two most loved sports, one sport held a special place in his heart. “I worked on basketball a lot harder,” Kraatz said. “In the offseason I was working on basketball. I always had people say I was too small to play basketball, and that motivated me.” The Allen Park, Michigan, native received a full schol- arship from an NAIA school to play soccer, but the atmo- sphere and time he put into basketball led him to Cedarville. After mulling over Faro’s offer and talking with his family, Kraatz decided to train with the team. Kraatz hadn’t played legitimate competitive soccer since high school, so jumping from leading Cedarville’s basketball team to feel- ing out if he’d even fit on a Division II soccer team was far from a typical situation. Returning to soccer after a four-year hiatus wasn’t themost natural transition, Kraatz said, and he emphasized he still need- ed to make the team. “It was weird,” Kraatz said. “I just went from playing basketball to training for soccer, which I hadn’t played for years. I was like, how did I get here?” After working out with the team, Kraatz proved gifted enough to join the roster. While basketball and soccer are similar in that they both require plenty of stamina, Kraatz said the endurance needed is pretty opposite in comparison. “Basketball is side to side, you’re 100 percent all the time,” he said. “In soccer, you’re moving all the time. It’s just a different type of conditioning.” Kraatz lost weight and also had to adjust to the differ- ent personalities on the two teams. While Kraatz might as well have been a coach on the basketball court in his senior year as a captain, he’s been less of a leader on the field and more of a mentor to younger players. “For basketball, it was being vocal,” Kraatz said. “Coach would communicate with me and I’d tell them what he wanted. For soccer, we didn’t have a captain. This year I feel like I’m more just pouring into freshmen because you just want some older guys to ask how things are going.” Faro said he’s been proud of the way Kraatz has jumped into his position this season, especially with a bigger team and so many new faces. “Evan brings a quiet leadership and a maturity about him,” Faro said. “He is a competitor and his drive to get bet- ter and have success pushes those around him to excel as well.” While Kraatz found the back of the net within the first 10 games of the season, Faro said he had some reservations going into the season with Kraatz dealing with such a long layoff from soccer. “There was certainly a concern with him not having played for four years,” Faro said. “His athleticism, strength, speed, and drive to compete are all things we really admire in him and I think areas that he has really embraced in his ability to impact this team on the field.” Success has come on the field individually for Kraatz. He has started multiple times and plays meaningful min- utes in every match. Further, the team is enjoying a winning record. Kraatz said he was concerned about team chemistry coming into the season. A fifth-year senior picking up soc- cer for the first time since Flappy Bird was in the Apple App Store may not bode well for a well-established soccer team. However, the teamwelcomedKraatz, and nobody seemed to care about a reduction in playing time due to Kraatz’ arrival. “It just shows the integrity of the team,” Kraatz said. “They care for the team and put winning above themselves. I’ve been on teams where they hate each other just because they want to play over each other but it hasn’t been anything close to that here.” With just a couple weeks left in the season, Cedarville is jostling for positioning in the G-MAC. Kraatz has been a huge addition to the team, and Faro said he doesn’t regret adding the former basketballer and defensive stalwart to the roster. “We’re happy to have Evan with us,” Faro said. “It’s a very unique situation and not one we typically would ex- plore but Evan is willing to put the team first. Evan has nav- igated the entire process seamlessly and has consistently worked to integrate himself well into the team well.” Tim Miller is a junior marketing major and sports editor for Cedars. He enjoys having a baby face, knowing too much about supplemental insurance, and striving to per- fect the optimal combination of Dwight Schrute and Ron Swanson. Photo by Scott Huck As a fifth-year senior, Evan Kraatz has taken to playing soccer again after a long hiatus.