Youth in Focus

By Richard A. Ross

	TRR photo by Richard A. Ross Jim Nieke, Senior, Eldred Central School (Click for larger image)

It is always a pleasure to encounter a young person who not only excels in athletics and academics, but is also an exemplar of fine character. Meet Jim Nieke, a three-sport athlete who aptly fits this description.

Embodying the qualities of hard work and good sportsmanship, Jim Nieke first got this reporter’s attention during soccer season. Not only was his play in goal far above the curve, even more impressive was his demeanor. Win or lose, you never saw anything but the finest sportsmanship and unflagging effort. Now that basketball season is about to get underway, that rare combination of athleticism and fine deportment will be on display in gyms throughout the area.

An only child, Jim sometimes wishes there were siblings around to make things more interesting. Consequently, he finds his adventure in the non-stop sequence of varsity sports participation. This past fall, Jim helped his team reach sectionals with his fine goalkeeping. At six foot two inches, his height and reach combined with his great instincts to stop many potential scoring shots from opponents. As much as he loves soccer, he doesn’t shy away from admitting that basketball is his main sport. Jim says, “I love the razzle-dazzle of the game. The action and the pace are really exciting.” Soccer is useful in conditioning for basketball which can be far more demanding. As a goalkeeper in soccer, there are lapses in the action and not that much running. Not so in basketball. These days, you’ll find him bounding up and down the hardwood.

Jim has high hopes for this year’s Yellowjackets. He referred to returning teammates Devin Weyant, Henry Bosch, John Martin, Chris Rhyman and Tim Gutman as players with experience and enthusiasm. The Yellowjackets have their eyes on making sectionals this year after last year’s somewhat disappointing season which did end on a high note with a win against Roscoe. That was the last time the Blue Devils played in their old gym. Jim wrote a great narrative essay about that game which will appear next week in The Teen Amphibian.

Jim spends what little time is left after practice, games, dinner and homework watching college basketball and the NFL. He loves Duke and North Carolina and the NCAA tournament.

In the spring, Jim plays golf for Eldred. Far different from the hectic pace of soccer and basketball, golf is a sport that is an individual enterprise. As Jim says, “When things go wrong, you can’t blame anyone but yourself.”

He is applying to SUNY Plattsburgh and plans to major in accounting, hopefully to become a CPA in the future. He is currently taking a course at Eldred in business and law. His cousin just became a lawyer and Jim doesn’t rule out a possible career in criminal law.

One thing is certain; whatever field Jim enters, he will approach it with high energy and great dedication. Eldred High School Principal Ivan Katz referred to Jim as “the finest ambassador the school could have. We are very proud of him. He is not only a top athlete, he is an excellent student as well.” Superintendent Candace Mazur enthusiastically echoed these sentiments. In her words, this week’s youth in focus is “a remarkably, well-rounded kid.”