While senior year marks the end of many students’ athletic careers, a handful of varsity athletes are aspiring for athletic excellence after graduation in either semi-professional or professional leagues.
Senior Chris Faidley, a varsity basketball and baseball athlete, for instance, is planning to play in a professional basketball league abroad, either in Australia or Europe.
“My long term goals are to play basketball overseas for a year or two, and then come back home and go into business and/or to possibly coach basketball at the high school or college level,” said Faidley. “At this point things are fairly uncertain, but coaching is something that I know I would love to do at some point in my career.”
During his time at Whitman, Faidley has led a successful career. Faidley set a new single-season school record his sophomore year, scoring 91 3-point baskets. As a junior, he earned All-Second Team honors and led the conference in scoring with 16.9 points per game. This season, Faidley topped the conference in more ways than one, securing 84 3-point baskets and scoring an average of 20.4 points per game. Whitman’s second all-time leading scorer, Faidley finished his athletic career with 1,720 points. He was recently distinguished will All-NWC First-Team Honors.
Faidley credits a portion of his success as a student athlete to the athletic programs at Whitman that foster athletic excellence while balancing the many scholastic requirements.
“Whitman athletics have taught me a lot about working with people, problem solving, leadership, commitment, preparation, prioritizing, remaining time-efficient, non-procrastinating and many other qualities that will influence me throughout the rest of my life,” said Faidley.
For the time being, however, Faidley has been training in Walla Walla, practicing with the Walla Walla Community College men’s basketball team and the women’s basketball team on campus. He has also been shooting hoops at the YMCA and frequently trains at the Baker Ferguson Fitness Center. Despite his seemingly busy training schedule, Faidley realizes that he needs to step it up if he hopes to play professionally.
“I will need to train for several more weeks in order to get to ‘playing shape,'” he said.
While Faidley aspires to play basketball in a professional league, seniors Bret Axelrod and Stephen Phillips plan to break into the European soccer scene.
Over spring break, Axelrod and Phillips traveled to England to try their hand in English soccer leagues. The two Whitman athletes practiced with three British soccer teams: the Newcastle Town Football Club, a semi-professional team, Crewe Alexandra, a professional team, and Stoke City Football Club, a member of the English Premier League (EPL).
While in England, the duo chronicled their experiences on their blog: http://whitmanlads.blogspot.com/. Initially surprised by the level of play: a higher caliber than they were accustomed to in the states: the two eventually adjusted and became more confident in their abilities.
“I won’t say that we can both comfortably play on this level since we’ve only been there for one day of light practice, but today we each held our own nicely, except in the small sided game it didn’t seem as if my defense felt like playing, at all,” Axelrod wrote in his blog. “I must have gotten scored on 20 times in the half an hour that we played. Steve [Phillips] put a couple in past the other keeper […] and made the opposing defenders look foolish at times.”
Although British soccer players and coaches may not understand why Axelrod and Phillips are pursuing soccer at the age of 21 and 22, which is considered late to start a professional career, neither would hesitate to sign a professional contract today.
“It’s become a little embarrassing for us to explain the American education/athletic system in the U.S. to the guys here. We’re relatively old, being 21 and 22, and it’s almost a joke to them that we’re trying to start playing pro now when they’ve been established for three years at least when they’re 21-22,” Axelrod and Phillips wrote in their blog. “It’s become pretty obvious to us why American soccer is so stunted in its growth and why more Americans don’t play in Europe.”
Both Axelrod and Phillips hope to sign on with a British team. As of now, Phillips will play with the professional Kitsap Pumas in the USL Premier Developmental League, three tiers removed from the MLS. Axelrod also plans on signing with an American team for next year.
Although the future of these Whitman varsity athletes is uncertain, Faidley, Axelrod and Phillips will undoubtedly continue to play the sports they love, regardless of whether or not they sign contracts with a professional league.
