CCBC Men’s Basketball Team Finds Success on and off the Court

Monaca, Pa. – With the spotlight on a new basketball team after a year-long hiatus, head men’s basketball coach Steve Brodzinski, who started at CCBC last February, took on the important task of coaching, mentoring, and preparing a team that is not only successful on the court but also in the classrooms at CCBC and beyond. With their focus on academics, scholarship, transfer, and a good balance of practice and playing time for all players, Brodzinski and his team shined on and off the court this season.

“My main goal was to cultivate a winning mentality on the court and in the classroom, giving our student-athletes the ability to develop as young men in every area of their lives,” Brodzinski said.

One of the reasons the players are succeeding in the classroom is due to CCBC’s new Student Athlete Retention Program, which is a collaboration between counseling, academic affairs, and the athletes. Two sophomore players who are set to graduate in May, Tony Gates, a liberal studies major, and Ryan Skovranko, a specialized studies major, earned places on the Fall 2015 Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference (WPCC) All-Academic Team for achieving at least a 3.0 GPA.

Tony, who plans to transfer after graduating from CCBC in May, notes the importance of having a place for all student-athletes to study.

“The Titan Learning Center offers a quiet place to study on campus in between classes and practice. With the help of the Center and Coach Brodzinski, I was able to get better and better every day.”

Through the Student Athlete Retention Program, student-athletes receive counseling, tutoring, and mentoring services and take part in study halls and workshops, which include educational plan development and progress report monitoring.

“The CCBC Student Athlete Retention Program is helping us support the academic success of all of our athletes every semester and not just when they are in season,” Lauren Susan, Student-Athlete Academic Success Facilitator, said. “The program is keeping our student-athletes on top of their game both in the classroom and on the playing field.”

Ryan, who already has several offers from four-year colleges, enjoyed being part of a team with a new vision and new coach.

“We had a little bit of pressure being a new team after CCBC didn’t have a team for a year but it was also fun being a part of something new,” Ryan said.

By balancing each athlete’s playing time for games, Brodzinski shaped a team with six of nine players averaging double figures. By doing so, the student-athletes also learned how to be team players, focusing on helping each other get better, not just on winning games.

“I felt that I fit right in with the other players,” Michael Homza, a freshman player, said. “This is the most talented team that I have played on and it is cool to be a part of that.”

Michael, who is studying criminal justice, was also this year’s recipient of the Officer James Naim Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded annually through the CCBC Foundation to a student in good academic standing who demonstrates community leadership and is majoring in criminal justice, police technology, or a related field of study.

“I want to see my players improve as individuals and as a team throughout the season,” Brodzinski said. “For all my players, my goals are to get them recruited to four-year colleges and receive scholarships so they can continue their studies and advance in their athletic careers.”

On top of the players shining in the classroom, the team also saw success on the court this season. Earlier in the season, Titans basketball had an 8-game winning streak and they finished their regular season as the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Champions with a conference record of 11-1 and an overall record of 16-12. Additionally, three players, Aaron Barlow, Deyshawn Martin, and Ryan Skovranko, were recognized for their game performances and received the WPCC All-Conference Award, which is voted on by the conference coaches.

As far as the future goes, Brodzinski wants to remain focused on academic success, athletic recruitment, and personal development.

“We are really focused on bringing in student-athletes that want to be at CCBC, and helping them develop as people, students, and basketball players. Our main focus is helping them continue on to a four-year program, and if we are able to do this, we will have a successful program at CCBC,” Brodzinski said.

About CCBC
Founded in 1966 and preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary, CCBC’s annual enrollment exceeds 3,600 credit students and an additional 3,200 non-credit students. CCBC is an Achieving the Dream Leader College and is embarking on a vision to grow its offerings and community engagement through partnerships and new program development. CCBC offers 71 degree, certificate and diploma programs and hundreds of Continuing Education and Workforce Development programs as well as seamless transfer to a growing number of baccalaureate and graduate institutions. The Aspen Institute recently named CCBC one of America’s 150 Best Community Colleges.