Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

*New Subscribers Only! Those who have not subscribed in the past 60 days. Waukesha County addresses only. Not valid with any other offer. Payment must accompany order to receive 'LUCKY' offer. Tuesday-Saturday mail delivery. 1) Call our office between 8am-5pm on March 17th at (262) 542-2500 2) Stop by The Freeman office, 801 N. Barstow St. on March 17th 3) Order online at gmtoday.com/wfpromo on March 17th 3 Ways to Get Lucky Order The Freeman on St. Patrick's Day, Monday, March 17th, and SAVE SOME GREEN! Order 13 Weeks for $30.00 Our Best O'Rate $$$ saving coupons each week 237002005 Page 2B • Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove MARCH 2014 SPORTS By Pat Neumuth Freeman Staff BROOKFIELD – Dan Wandrey said it's easy to coach Lydia Rohde. Besides being the team's leading scorer and team leader, the Brookfield Cen- tral High School girls bas- ketball coach said she's the hardest worker on the team. If she's not finishing first in drills, she's out there to compete for first in everything. This is how Wandrey would char- acterize Rohde's game: "She can score in a lot of different ways," Wan- drey said. "She can shoot. She can drive. She can post up. She has a mid- range game. She's been a great free-throw shooter. All those things have led her to being successful for us." Oh, and he said she can distribute, too. "Her teammates really love having her on the team, as she's the most humble, good player that's been around," Wandrey said. "She would just as soon make the pass that would lead to a basket for a teammate than take the shot and score. That's just as important as scoring herself." The long of the short of it: "She's got more skill and ability than anybody that I've coached," Wan- drey said. Rohde is in her fourth year on varsity and this season she has played every position on the court. She's one of the tallest players on the team despite mainly being the team's off-guard. Rohde played point guard as a freshman. Rohde said she was intimidated play- ing up as a freshman because the girls were big- ger and stronger. However, it was her teammates who got her through it. Now, she's helping out freshman Caroline Busch, who runs the point. Wandrey called Rohde the "security blanket," as she handles the ball any time there's too much pres- sure. Not only does Rohde help her younger teammates, but she has to deal with the opposing team game plan- ning for her every night. "I felt more pressure in the beginning of the sea- son, but now I'm just try- ing to play for fun and play each game like it's my last," Rohde said. "I feel like I'm calm and don't freak out and lose my tem- per on anything." Rohde will be play at Northwester n University next winter. If she didn't play basketball, it would be a tough transition to being just a student and not an athlete. "My life kind of revolves around (basketball)," Rohde said. "It's my escape from school and any other stuff that I have. It's my life." Rohde realized her sophomore year that she wanted to fully dedicate herself to basketball. That's why she plays non- stop. When she's not play- ing for Brookfield Central, she's playing AAU. Wan- drey said despite a hectic AAU schedule, she never missed a lifting session or a summer league game. Or she'll go to the gym and do a shooting workout with her brothers. She also makes sure she gets enough shots off before a game to get ready for that night. She realizes her playing career will end at some point, but basketball will always be in her life. She'll have a rival to jaw at about their favorite basketball program for years to come. Her father, Kevin, was a kicker for the University of Wisconsin football team. He's a major reason why Rohde wanted to play in the Big Ten. But the Badgers never recruited her. Despite being a Bad- ger, Rohde said her dad will wear pur ple while she's playing at North- wester n. Kevin Rohde always told his daughter to focus on the positive things. Maybe that's why she's dedicated herself to basketball? It's only brought positivity into her life. "It's going to be hard dur- ing football because I've been a Badger fan my whole life," Rohde said. "We'll go head-to-head about the rivalry. "He's taught me all the basics of basketball and knows how to deal with sports situations, so he's helped me with a lot." Email: pneumuth@conleynet.com PREP PROFILE Rohde among best to play at Central Senior holds several school records Get to know ... LYDIA ROHDE School/Sport Brookfield Central/Basketball Coach Dan Wandrey Class In School/Age Senior/18 Also In My Family Are: my father, Kevin; my mother, Sharon; and my brothers, Nate, who attends Marquette, Sam, a freshman at Central, and Andrew, a fourth-grader. The Athletic Accomplishment I Am Most Proud Of Is: winning conference and regionals my freshman year. My Favorite Subject In School Is: English. My Favorite Teacher Is: Mr. Blaha, who teaches math. My Favorite Movie Is: "Frozen." My Favorite Recording Artist Is: Taylor Swift. My Favorite TV Show Is: "Psych." The Best Meal My Mother Makes Is: que- sadillas. A Bad Habit I Have Is: I bite my nails. A Pet Peeve I Have Is: when people don't touch the lines with their feet when running in practice. The Thing I Do Best Outside Of Athletics Is: read the Harry Potter series. The Person I'd Most Like To Meet Is: Michael Jordan. The Last Time I Cleaned My Room I Found: money – $20. Nobody Ever Says I'm: quiet. My Most Memorable Experience Is: visiting all the monuments in Washington D.C. My Most Prized Possession Is: my phone. One Thing People Might Not Know About Me Is: I actually like broccoli. One Thing I Would Change About Myself Is: my hair was more blonde. One Thing At My School I Would Change Is: seniors should have first picks on parking spots. I See Myself In 10 Years Being: hopefully a lawyer. I Wish Coach Wandrey Would: not make us run so much in practice. Robert F. Borkowski/Special to The Freeman Brookfield Central senior guard Lydia Rohde has committed to play basketball at Northwestern University. Rohde

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