I arrived to Beloit College in the fall of 1991. As a soccer player and first year student, I arrived several days before school officially kicked into gear owing both to a first-year student initiative program and soccer practice. It's possible I wouldn't have played basketball at Beloit had I not immediately befriended two freshmen basketball players that were roommates a few doors down the hall from me. Our immediate friendship, one of which has continued through today, was a primary catalyst to my playing a lot of pickup basketball with the members of the team.
My friends convinced me to try to join the team as a Freshmen, and having not been recruited nor able to join the preseason "practices" because of soccer, Coach Knapton sat me down after a couple of weeks and suggested it might not be the best fit for me. I didn't disagree and became a regular fan of the team my first two years at Beloit. I continued to play intramurals as well as offseason pickup basketball with the team when my schedule allowed. I decided to try again my junior year and Coach Knapton was more receptive (not as many guards) and I was in a more mature place that led to my two years playing college basketball. I benefited immensely from being able to integrate into both the soccer and basketball teams socially and this camaraderie was a large part of why I enjoyed my Beloit experience so much.
I ended up starting point guard my senior year and managed to hit a couple of game winning shots. Despite starting, I was very much a role player on the team, a point guard that didn't turn the ball over, directed traffic and hit a shot every now and then.
The combination of the being able to play team sports fairly competitively, while also being academically challenged in small classes, is something I wouldn't trade for anything. As an introvert, I have always been able to disappear fairly quickly in crowds and my Beloit experience wouldn't allow that to happen very often. I'm so much better off for it.
Interestingly, it turns out I was a better student during season than when not in season, as the forced extra time commitments created more discipline in my habits. I've carried this lesson forward in my professional career, and while I may be over scheduled at times, I find better engagement in life when I have more commitments as opposed to fewer.
I learned some valuable lessons from Coach Knapton as well. I played for him at the tail end of his career and I will never forget his prioritization of executing the little things well and how the successful execution of a large number of little things can translate into great outcomes. We didn't always execute things so smoothly during my time, but when we did, the team took on the feel of a cohesive machine where each part was in concert with one another.
Now that I've been out of college for 25 years, I don't think as frequently about how my early athletic exploits shaped me, but this exercise of reflecting brings those elements back to the surface quickly; the positive impact is obvious.
Josh N. Rosen, Beloit College Athletic Hall of Honor
- Class: 1995
- Induction: 2006
- Sport(s): Men's Basketball, Men's Soccer
A varsity soccer and basketball player all four years in high school, a member of the National Junior Honor Society and Vice President of his senior class, Josh Rosen established impressive credentials and was well respected at his hometown school, Oregon High. His continuing desire to be challenged in the athletic arena and in the classroom led him to Beloit College where he made an immediate impact. Rosen began his college athletic career on the soccer fields of Strong Stadium. He led the team from the bottom of the conference to a record-setting season in 1992 with 12 wins and to their first trip to the conference championship tournament in over a decade. As a senior, Rosen set the single season record with a total of 31 points and set the record for most points scored in a career with a total of 78. During his junior and senior year, he also was a member of the basketball team. He will always be remembered for scoring the winning basket as time ran out to win the conference championship against arch rival Ripon College. In addition to his team accomplishments and records on the field, Rosen earned Academic All-Conference honors in both soccer and basketball, was a three time first-team all-conference selection in soccer, twice an all-state honoree in soccer, and the recipient of the Janssen and Dawson Awards and the Beloit College Blanket. When Soccer Coach Tim Schmiechen recruited Rosen to come to Beloit, he knew he had a winner. During his final season as his coach, Schmiechen said of Rosen, “Josh personifies the ability of an athlete to win and achieve greatness, yet still retain the commitment to sportsmanship and class. His greatest achievement while at Beloit is the respect and admiration he has received from everyone in the athletic and academic arenas.” Josh currently lives in Chicago with his wife Margaux.
