SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (BVM) – Coming off a Liberty League Championship, the Skidmore men’s basketball team had its season shortened due to Covid-19. Although the Thoroughbreds had not come out quite as hot as the year before, the team was looking to build up chemistry which would bring them back to the top. 

In the process of the season being cancelled, the Thoroughbreds were forced to take a six month break from their fellow teammates with no assurances that there would be any type of a season in the year to come. 

Because of this, sophomore Harrison Eichelberger had a decision to make. Was the 6-foot-7 guard going to take the risk of playing a shortened season, or would he take the school year off to ensure that he had the basketball experience he envisioned when committing to Skidmore. 

Eichelberger had also been offered the opportunity to work at a startup company called Ayehu, an IT automation and orchestration platform. Because of these factors he chose to take the year off and gain important work experience rather than missing the majority of his season at Skidmore.

 As an employee at Ayehu, Eichelberger has been working with the sales team helping book meetings with other businesses among many other things. Since the system Ayehu uses is powered by a machine learning algorithm, Eichelberger was able to learn many new things which he would not have been able to in the classroom. Eichelberger has been able to add work experience to his resume while still having two more years of eligibility as a member of the men’s basketball team at Skidmore. 

After almost a year since making the decision, Eichelberger reflected on how his decision to take a gap year rather than coming back to school during the pandemic.

“My thought process behind the gap year was that I know that in order for me to get the most out of my learning experience, I need the classroom environment,” Eichelberger began. “I didn’t want to play a basketball season in the circumstances at hand.”

Eichelberger puts into perspective that being a student comes first as a student athlete. It’s clear that in order for him to get the most out of his college experience, he must be in a hands-on classroom environment. Student athletes had little information on their season and coming back to school would mean risking another year of eligibility.

Although Eichelberger and a few other members of the Skidmore men’s basketball team decided to take this year off, many of the team members decided to come back to school. Even with the separation this year, Eichelberger has been able to keep in touch with his teammates. He talked about being active among his teammates while not being physically present on campus.

“I’ve been calling my teammates and texting them pretty often,” Eichelberger said. “Most of them are my close friends so keeping in touch is relatively easy, we have also had team Zoom calls with our coach.”

It’s been important for Eichelberger to remain in contact with his coaches. As somebody who has been very important to the program for the last two years, Eichelberger being involved even when he is not in Saratoga is essential. 

Even though Eichelberger will not be playing for the Thoroughbreds in the upcoming season, he is more than ready for his return in 2021.

“I’m incredibly excited [about the 2022 season],” Eichelberger said. “We were a very young team last year with only two seniors and one junior. We have all been putting in a lot of work and are incredibly excited to get back on the court at full strength.”

With a little bit under a year before Eichelberger suits back up for the Thoroughbreds, he is already beginning to think about getting back on the court. Although he has taken some time off, Eichelberger’s athleticism along with his deep range sharp shooting should have him in a great position come the 2021-2022 Division III basketball season. 

The Thoroughbred’s will have a veteran roster and should look to once again retake their top spot among the Liberty League.

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