Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

By Chris Bucher Freeman Staff BROOKFIELD — There have been plenty of reasons for T.C. Swittel to smile the past four years. Swittel, a three-sport senior athlete at Brookfield East, has racked up the accolades in his time at the school. Whether it be on the football field as the Spartans' quarterback or on the track team as a sprinter for East's state champion track and field team, Swittel has always strived to bring a winning attitude to the team. Now, Swittel is applying his optimistic approach to the baseball diamond in his final months as an athlete before heading to Michigan Techno- logical University on a foot- ball scholarship. "He's phenomenal," Spar- tans baseball coach Nicholas Wycklendt said of Swittel's demeanor. "He's every coach's dream player. He works so hard and the composure he has on the field is fantastic." Already boasting the char- acteristics of a leader enter- ing his final season in a Spar- tans jersey, Swittel, who plays second base and pitches, said he's brought a different atti- tude this time around. "I just wanted to have fun this year and enjoy the teams I've played with the last four years," Swittel said. "I wanted to enjoy the time that I have left at Brookfield East and go out on one of the best baseball teams in school history." Wycklendt said the way Swittel remains composed at all times has brought forth a positive outlook and has helped the team remain moti- vated. "The thing I like about him the most is that he's so loose and easygoing," Wycklendt said. "I'm more laid-back — I don't like to yell a lot at the kids — and he feeds off of that, he keeps calm. "You can see it on the mound, he's so tough when he pitches. He's emotionless and doesn't get shaken up. He gets the ball and takes his time, even at the plate you can see him take a deep breath and relax." How does Swittel stay con- sistently attentive day in and day out? With a soothing reminder at his feet every time he steps to the plate. "One of the best things that I like about him is that when he bats, he draws a smiley face in the dirt," Wycklendt said. Swittel said the process of drawing the joyous symbol in the dirt before an at-bat began when researching a walk-up song and it's grown into a rou- tine. "I was watching a video of Florida State and one of their players drew a smiley face in the dirt to keep him relaxed and make sure he enjoys the game," Swittel said. "He said, 'It's just a game,' and I really took that to heart. It helps me stay relaxed and loose." Wycklendt said Swittel's always been a solid infielder, but throughout the past year he's transitioned to become quite the threat on the mound. "This year he's been one of our best pitchers. He's a com- petitor," Wycklendt said. "I can rely on him to take con- trol of the infield and the boys feed off of him. It's nice to have that presence and com- posure on the field." But the success on the mound almost never came to be, as Swittel pitched for his first time in high school last season. He was brought in to pitch because it was a team need at the time and he'd been clamoring for a chance. Once he got his time to shine, Swit- tel showed he could be an accurate, go-to pitcher. "We were running low on pitchers and he said, 'Coach, let me go on the mound.' So I let him do it and he did a good job," Wycklendt said. "He pitched three or four shutout innings against Menomonee Falls and then we used him as starter the next week and he pitched all nine innings." Although there were some nerves in the few games he threw as a junior, Swittel said he dedicated a lot of time dur- ing the offseason developing as a pitcher and it's shown this season. "I think I've grown a lot," Swittel said. "I started prac- ticing a lot with one of our coaches — he pitched in col- lege for Edgewood — and he showed me better technique. I was pretty raw at first and he really helped me. He was able to help fix my mechanics." Swittel's knowledge, ability and poise under pressure did- n't just come to be overnight. He said spending time at the helm of the Spartans' football team as the quarterback has a direct relation to the type of teammate he is on — and off — the diamond. "Being the QB and huddling up, I try to get the offense on the same page and try to keep everyone calm and focused," Swittel said. "In baseball, we all have the same mindset. Before every game, before the warmup, our infield meets up. We say a few words and keep each other focused and ready for the game. "During football, there were a lot of pressure situations to go through, so staying calm is something I can do well. I tend to play looser and not worry about making errors. There's definitely a correlation." Last season on the football field, Swittel galloped 15 yards for a first down on fourth-and- 4 during overtime in a playoff game against crosstown rival Brookfield Central. His run set up a Spartans touchdown on the very next play and sent East to the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012. For the season, Swittel was one of the catalysts to the Spartans' option offense. He rushed 141 times for 889 yards and 16 touchdowns while also being the team's punter and placekicker. For his success during his senior season, Swittel earned first-team All- State honors by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association. He was also named to the Greater Metro Conference's first team as a punter and all- purpose player and second team as a quarterback. Swittel was on the Spar- tans' varsity roster for three years and did so with a famil- iar figure as his coach: his dad, WFCA Hall of Fame member Tom Swittel. T.C. Swittel said it was a good experience having his dad as the coach, though he was quick to know when he did wrong and also when he did good. "It was really helpful to have my dad as my coach; it had a lot of advantages," T.C. Swittel said. "I got to know the offense really well. Growing up, I did a lot of running, exer- cising and did a lot of sports knowing it'd help as an ath- lete and he's always done the best for me as a person and has helped me be who I am." Following the season, Tom Swittel announced he was retiring after spending six years at East. As T.C. Swittel calls it a high school career, he said he's reminded of the great times he had playing sports at East. Although it was time-consum- ing, he said he's had some of the best experiences of his life and a smile rarely left his face. "I've never had a boring day," T.C. Swittel said. "I've always had something to do and sports have helped keep me out of trouble." He travels to Michigan Aug. 11 to report for Michigan Tech training camp. Email: cbucher@conleynet.com In memory of Bob who was well cared for by Sandy before passing in 2015. (414) 858-9400 Waukesha & Milwaukee Co. Keeping the Comforts of Home ComfortKeepers.com ©2015 CK Franchising, Inc. • Most offices independently owned and operated. Caregivers: Want to make a difference in a senior's life? Call 414-858-9343 In September 2003, Comfort Keepers received a call from Kathleen, daughter of Bob and Ruth. At that time, her father Bob was still working. His wife Ruth had several strokes during the four years that Comfort Keepers cared for her, until her passing in 2007. Bob had since retired but continued to use Comfort Keepers because he wanted to remain independent and in his own home, which he loved. Sandy helped Bob with grocery shopping, light housekeeping and the much-needed companionship that only Sandy provided. Kathleen had learned that Comfort Keepers staff goes above and beyond to keep her informed of her dad's health and any needs he might have had. This interactive caregiving and communication process gave Kathleen peace of mind knowing Comfort Keepers was there for her dad even though she lives out of town. Written and Edited by Shar Meller, Comfort Keepers • Transportation • Light Housekeeping • Meals • Laundry • Companionship • Incontinence Care • Overseeing Medications • Bathing • Transferring • Hoyer Lift • Legal Live In #1 Best Senior Care franchise by Entrepreneur 500 The Mellers' Comfort Keepers offices promise to treat you as one of our own family members. For 12 Years, Brookfield Senior had help from 251186001 Page 4B • Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove AUGUST 2016 Senior keeps calm demeanor in three sports Swittel just keeps smiling Robert F. Borkowski/Special to The Freeman Brookfield East senior T.C. Swittel lays down a bunt during a game earlier this season. In August, Swittel will travel to Michi- gan to play football at Michigan Technological University.

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