A work of Artman

BOB ETTINGER
Star Beacon

June 28, 2009 10:41 pm

— Jarod Artman likes to be challenged. He likes to earn something rather than have it handed to him.
Because of that, Artman, an Edgewood graduate, chose to play basketball while attending John Carroll University, where he’ll be challenged on the basketball court and in the classroom.
And Artman knew right from the beginning he would be challenged at John Carroll.
“I liked the campus,” Artman, the son of Dean and Julie Artman, said. “(John Carroll) coach (Mike) Moran saw a few of my games. He was really positive. But he didn’t promise any playing time. He said that if I worked hard, I’d see improvement. He guaranteed me no playing time. Other schools told me I could play at least 20 minutes.
“That would be exciting, but that wouldn’t be challenging myself as a player to be handed something. I like the challenge. I wanted to earn something. I wanted to be part of a successful team.”
He’ll join area products, Corey Shontz (Pymatuning Valley), Mark Hester (Lakeside) and Dan Heidenreich and Kenny Janz (both of Madison), with the Blue Streaks. He’s played with all four at one point or another.
“Corey’s honestly the main reason I chose to go there,” Artman said. “I love the way he plays — the way his group at John Carroll plays. That’s something I couldn’t pass up. They had a phenomenal season and they didn’t really lose any key players.
“I played in the summer with Corey and Mark. I played with Dan my freshman year and Kenny my junior year. I won the national championship my sophomore year with Mark and Corey.”
The experience playing with those players makes Artman’s transition to college a little easier.
“It does help a little bit (to know how they play). I know how Corey plays. As a freshman, that was hardest to get used to him running all the time. I’d never seen anything like it before. Being used to it makes it so much easier.”
With Heidenreich and Janz also attending John Carroll next fall, Artman will be locked in a competition for playing time. Heidenreich and Janz are 6-foot-7 posts and Artman is a 6-5 post. All three will be freshman.
“In our summer league, we’ve all been rotating out,” Artman said. “It’s one of those things where (the team) is full already. We’ve been rotating. Usually I try to be nice, but when it comes to basketball and playing time, I’m not nice there. That’s not exactly the time to make sure everybody loves you.
“I was looking at some schools and the spot was almost going to be handed to me. I take more from something if I have to earn it, especially when it comes to playing time. So this is good for me. It will come down to who works the hardest. I’m excited about that, too.”
Artman is not the average post player. He has an outside game that could help him find playing time, even if it’s on the outside as more of a small forward.
“I always wanted to play in school,” Artman said. “I haven’t grown since my freshman year. The summer of my sophomore year, (Edgewood) coach (Kevin) Andrejack took me aside. He saw potential. He said if I worked hard in the summer (on an outside jumper), that would put me above people. There’s always room to improve.”
Artman is already seeing potential with that jumper.
“Now, we’re playing teams and none of the big guys have an outside game. When I get the chance to step out, that can be a big asset in terms of my playing time.”
Moran, the father of Madison coach Pat Moran, was another draw for Artman when it came to John Carroll.
“I knew Coach Moran had a phenomenal track record. I really like the school. It wasn’t too big or too small. Things worked out financially, as well.”
Though Moran plays a style a style Artman likes, there are parts of that style he has to get used to. It doesn’t mean, though, that the style difference is a bad thing.
“I’m nervous about the five minutes (on the court)-five minutes (off the court) thing,” Artman said. “But the way Corey plays made me appreciate it more because of how much he runs.
“Coach Moran is verbal. He’s not afraid to tell you what he feels. I like that. I like when people challenge me.”
Artman won’t be challenged just on the basketball court at John Carroll. He’ll also be pushed in the classroom.
“I have not heard a single negative remark (about the school),” Artman said. “Everyone I talked to said it was a phenomenal school. The other schools were good, as well. But I thought John Carroll would help me get jobs. It will definitely help on my applications. John Carroll is such a well-known school.”
With plenty of inspiration, Artman will pursue a career in secondary education.
“Beth Jeppeson who’s a science teacher, and that’s what I want to do, was a fun teacher,” Artman said. “My mom is a teacher, too, and she had a little to do with it as well. (Jeppeson) made learning a fun experience. She did it with her words, but made it a hands-on experience, too. She made it fun and that’s what every kid wants. No kid wants to sit in a classroom for an hour and a half. She made it tolerable.”
Julie Artman, a teacher at Windemere Elementary, even reasoned out why Artman’s choice to be a teacher is a smart one.
“(My mom) said that it doesn’t matter what the economy does, there will always be kids out there who need taught. Teachers always have to be there for kids in schools, even if schools are cutting jobs.
“And I knew (my mom) helped people. She loves what she does. She has a passion for it.”
Though it won’t be a reason he does or doesn’t accept jobs after graduation, Artman would like the opportunity to coach basketball.
“Coaching is obviously something that would be fun to do,” Artman said. “Coach Andrejack even joked that five years down the road, I have an assistant coaching job.
“But I definitely will not choose a job because of coaching. But it would be nice to go into (coaching).”
And coaching in the area definitely has a certain draw for Artman.
“I would love to stay here (and coach). My little brother, Jacob, will be 14 around the time I get out of school. I would love to try and help him out. We’ll see where things fall.”
That family connection is a reason Artman wanted to stay close to home for school. He chose to the school in University Heights over the likes of Westminster College, Wilmington College, Mount Union, Skidmore College (New York) and the College of Wooster.
“I didn’t want to go too far away,” Artman said. “There were some schools that were seven hours away. Even three or four hours was too far. It was something I definitely didn’t want to. Our family is very close. It’s harder farther away. It’s a safety net. They’re always there for reassurance if I need it.”
Playing AAU ball, where teams are made up of the best of the best, in the summer helped Artman to see a whole different level of competition than he did in high school.
“I got used to seeing different styles,” Artman said. “There was some real competition there. Ashtabula has some decent players, but nobody we see is phenomenal. The talent (in AAU ball) is so far beyond what I’m used to seeing. It will make things easier on the next level. I put in the time and it did help a lot.”
Andrejack also helped Artman to take some of his personality traits and develop himself into a leader on the floor and off.
“(Playing for Andrejack) made me a lot more verbal,” Artman said. “My sophomore year, The biggest problem we had at Edgewood was that nobody was verbal enough. That’s definitely not who I am. I’m not the type to just sit and watch a situation. I want to know what the other guys think and I definitely tell people what I think.
“I’m doing that at John Carroll now, even if some people don’t think it’s my place. Even it’s just vocal encouragement, I want to be verbal. That’s the biggest thing I learned. Communication is so big. I don’t think teams stress that enough.”

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