Students across the nation hear it every fall as school starts up and the reality that their time away from classes and homework has come to an end, "What did you do over your summer vacation?"
Some students work, some take classes and some do both. Some students travel to various places while others stay home and do nothing at all. Activities that each individual student's summers consist of vary tremendously. It is safe to say though that none of them could rival what Rick Rickert experienced this summer.
How many people can say that they met Michael Jordan, were named a Playboy All-American, gave a speech in front of roughly 300 people, worked a basketball camp with some of the best collegiate players and went to Idaho and Tucson to close out the summer? On top of all that, he took classes during both summer sessions and hit the weights harder then he ever has before.
The reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year is not satisfied with just being good. He wants to be the best and is willing to work hard to achieve that.
"Last year, winning Freshman of the Year was a huge honor. Coming in I had a set of goals that I wanted to meet and that was one of them. I am very satisfied that I was able to accomplish that." Rickert said. "Now I have shown everyone what I could do to earn that distinction. Now I want to show everyone that I can take it to a whole new level this year."
Catching up with Rick Rickert over the summer of 2002 was not easy, but here is a glance at some of the things that he was up to:
No Eight-Peat
Every summer Rick, his father and eight others hop on a plane that takes them to a quiet lake in Atikokan, Ontario for their annual four-day fishing trip. There are no roads to the lake, so for those days it is just them and nature, enjoying the piece and quite that comes along with it and of course getting in their share of bass fishing. There they talk about everything from basketball to other sports and just life in general. It is simply pure male-bonding time with no girls allowed.
Seven years ago they started a contest to see who could catch the most fish during the trip and developed a trophy for the winner. For the first seven years there was only one winner, as he captured the coveted trophy every time it was contested. But in year eight, the streak was put to an end. A new guy was able to hoist the trophy last summer. The victory could not have been quite as sweet for the newly crowned champion as the defending champion was unable to attend.
Last summer for the first time in 10 years, Rickert was unable to make the trip Canada and claim his trophy. With summer school classes moving twice as fast as a class would move during the school year, he could ill afford to miss the three days necessary to go on the trip.
"It was frustrating since I am a really big fisherman, but I am determined to reclaim my trophy this year," Rickert said.
Despite being away from home for the first time over the summer and missing out on his fishing trip, Rickert knew he needed to take classes and viewed the whole experience in a positive light.
"I looked at it like it was a good thing to stay at school and hit the weights hard. I did that while playing a lot of ball. Sure, I missed my family, but I still saw them enough that I still enjoyed my summer."
RR vs. MJ
One of the perks of being one of the most talented players in the nation is the number of doors that are open for you that few others have the chance to walk through. Rickert had a door opened to him that almost everyone in the world would die to be able to walk through.
Invited to work a camp put on by Michael Jordan, Rickert traveled to Santa Barbara, Calif. in August to work with 8-11 year old kids. During the day, he helped kids learn the fundamentals of the game. At night he not only got the opportunity to play against the likes of Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich, Hollis Price, Jarvis Hayes and many other top collegiate players, but against his airness himself.
"That was just wild. I got to play with Michael Jordan, one of the best players to ever play the game. It was unreal. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Rickert stated.
In their games at night sometimes he was given the opportunity to play with Jordan and sometimes he had to play against him. Either way, it was something that he will take with him the rest of his life. On one of the occasions that MJ was on the opposing team, Rickert did the unthinkable. He blocked Jordan's shot cleanly- that was until a delayed whistle about three seconds later said otherwise.
"It was really clean. I guess that is just what you get though when you are guarding him at his camp," Rickert said smiling. "He always gets the calls, but that's why he is the best."
His family also made the trip out there to visit him and all hoped to meet the legend themselves.
"We had a lot of fun, of course we all had aspirations of meeting Michael Jordan which didn't happen. It was fun for Rick and fun for us to see him interact with Michael Jordan and the other pros that were there," Susan Rickert said. "He really got a lot out of his time there."
Wined and Dined in the Windy City
Coming off of his stellar freshman season, Rickert was named to the preseason Playboy All-American team. With the honor, he was invited to travel to Chicago where he was wined and dined with all of the best players college basketball has to offer. It was the chance for him to see old friends and meet new ones. He enjoyed every minute spending time with the fellow honorees.
"It was a really fun experience to hang out with all the other guys that were selected with me. They wined and dined us, we took limos everywhere and went to some really cool places."
As is tradition with being selected by Playboy, Rickert and the others where all dressed up for a photo shoot. For Rick, it was a big change from his usual attire. "They put makeup on all of us, and some different clothes that most of us don't usually wear, Rickert said smiling. "I probably will dress like that again someday, once I get away from the sweats."
When his mom found out about his selection she did not believe it at first, but once she did and found out the magnitude of the honor, she knew that the national media had taken notice of her son.
"I first I didn't believe that he was really on the Playboy All-American team. After I found out he really was, I was told that it is one of the best preseason honors you can have," Susan said. "Then I was really excited for him to be selected for something that prestigious."
Once she saw the end result of the guys dressed up in nice clothes and wearing makeup, she did not see the son she is used to seeing.
"He looked really different. I don't know if I like that look on him. His hair wasn't as spiked as it usually is and they put him in a leather outfit. I don't think I will ever see him in a leather outfit again!"
Rick at the Rotary Club
It turns out the Rickert is capable of scoring a slam dunk on more then just the basketball court, just ask the Duluth Rotary Club. It was there in front of nearly 300 people that the poised and articulate Rickert delivered a 25-minute speech without any help from the notes he had prepared in front of him. Talking about a range of topics including the recruiting process, his freshman season and life as a college basketball player.
"I have been in more pressure situations than that," stated Rickert. "So for me I wasn't nervous at all."
"I was so proud of him when he finished," Susan said. "He really had the audience attentive to everything he was saying."
All In the Family
It seems that the athletic talent does not stop at Rick in the Rickert family. Behind him, he has two sisters that are making waves of their own on the basketball court.
Natalie, a senior at Duluth East High School led the team to state last year and has them on track to repeat that performance this season. She also is a superb volleyball player who has accepted a scholarship to play for UMD in the fall. She was first team all-state and all-area-player of the year by the Duluth News Tribune.
Julia is 12-years-old and a member of the seventh grade club team in Duluth. Already measuring in at 6'3", she has the potential to play at the Division I level. She is already a dominant force in the paint and her big brother knows exactly what she will accomplish when she gets a bit older.
"She is going to be in the WNBA," Rickert stated proudly. "She just dominates everyone."
While it is hard sometimes with his busy schedule during the season, Rick gets out to as many of his two sister's games as possible. His family is hugely important to him and he simply is returning the favor to two siblings that have grown up attending all of his games.
"I feel so lucky to have a family like I have. Just to know that they are there at every home game is a great feeling for me. Win or lose, I know that when I go talk to them after the game that they will be supportive of me no matter how good or how lousy I played. I just have an amazing family who gives me a lot of support."
Most people know all about Rick Rickert on the court. His pull up three from the top of the key. His patented turnaround baseline jumper. His ability to shoot over even the tallest and toughest of defenders. His ability to create any kind of shot needed to score. His vastly improving defense. All that his been picked up on in his year-and-a-half spent at Minnesota and has caused more then a few opposing coaches to make him the focal point of their defense.
While stopping Rickert is easier said than done, there is a group of people who, if they are smart, will develop a strategic game plan themselves. With Rick's return to Atikokan inevitable, his competitors will need to accomplish something that has yet to be done: out fish the guy. That task may be even more daunting then trying to stop him on the basketball floor. He is hungry to earn back what is rightfully his and there is no doubt in his mind that come this summer, he will winning the annual fishing trophy again. For the eighth time in nine years.
Written by Media Relations Student Assistant Danny Olsen Students across the nation hear it every fall as school starts up and the reality that their time away from classes and homework has come to an end, "What did you do over your summer vacation?"
Some students work, some take classes and some do both. Some students travel to various places while others stay home and do nothing at all. Activities that each individual student's summers consist of vary tremendously. It is safe to say though that none of them could rival what Rick Rickert experienced this summer.
How many people can say that they met Michael Jordan, were named a Playboy All-American, gave a speech in front of roughly 300 people, worked a basketball camp with some of the best collegiate players and went to Idaho and Tucson to close out the summer? On top of all that, he took classes during both summer sessions and hit the weights harder then he ever has before.
The reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year is not satisfied with just being good. He wants to be the best and is willing to work hard to achieve that.
"Last year, winning Freshman of the Year was a huge honor. Coming in I had a set of goals that I wanted to meet and that was one of them. I am very satisfied that I was able to accomplish that." Rickert said. "Now I have shown everyone what I could do to earn that distinction. Now I want to show everyone that I can take it to a whole new level this year."
Catching up with Rick Rickert over the summer of 2002 was not easy, but here is a glance at some of the things that he was up to:
No Eight-Peat
Every summer Rick, his father and eight others hop on a plane that takes them to a quiet lake in Atikokan, Ontario for their annual four-day fishing trip. There are no roads to the lake, so for those days it is just them and nature, enjoying the piece and quite that comes along with it and of course getting in their share of bass fishing. There they talk about everything from basketball to other sports and just life in general. It is simply pure male-bonding time with no girls allowed.
Seven years ago they started a contest to see who could catch the most fish during the trip and developed a trophy for the winner. For the first seven years there was only one winner, as he captured the coveted trophy every time it was contested. But in year eight, the streak was put to an end. A new guy was able to hoist the trophy last summer. The victory could not have been quite as sweet for the newly crowned champion as the defending champion was unable to attend.
Last summer for the first time in 10 years, Rickert was unable to make the trip Canada and claim his trophy. With summer school classes moving twice as fast as a class would move during the school year, he could ill afford to miss the three days necessary to go on the trip.
"It was frustrating since I am a really big fisherman, but I am determined to reclaim my trophy this year," Rickert said.
Despite being away from home for the first time over the summer and missing out on his fishing trip, Rickert knew he needed to take classes and viewed the whole experience in a positive light.
"I looked at it like it was a good thing to stay at school and hit the weights hard. I did that while playing a lot of ball. Sure, I missed my family, but I still saw them enough that I still enjoyed my summer."
RR vs. MJ
One of the perks of being one of the most talented players in the nation is the number of doors that are open for you that few others have the chance to walk through. Rickert had a door opened to him that almost everyone in the world would die to be able to walk through.
Invited to work a camp put on by Michael Jordan, Rickert traveled to Santa Barbara, Calif. in August to work with 8-11 year old kids. During the day, he helped kids learn the fundamentals of the game. At night he not only got the opportunity to play against the likes of Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich, Hollis Price, Jarvis Hayes and many other top collegiate players, but against his airness himself.
"That was just wild. I got to play with Michael Jordan, one of the best players to ever play the game. It was unreal. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Rickert stated.
In their games at night sometimes he was given the opportunity to play with Jordan and sometimes he had to play against him. Either way, it was something that he will take with him the rest of his life. On one of the occasions that MJ was on the opposing team, Rickert did the unthinkable. He blocked Jordan's shot cleanly- that was until a delayed whistle about three seconds later said otherwise.
"It was really clean. I guess that is just what you get though when you are guarding him at his camp," Rickert said smiling. "He always gets the calls, but that's why he is the best."
His family also made the trip out there to visit him and all hoped to meet the legend themselves.
"We had a lot of fun, of course we all had aspirations of meeting Michael Jordan which didn't happen. It was fun for Rick and fun for us to see him interact with Michael Jordan and the other pros that were there," Susan Rickert said. "He really got a lot out of his time there."
Wined and Dined in the Windy City
Coming off of his stellar freshman season, Rickert was named to the preseason Playboy All-American team. With the honor, he was invited to travel to Chicago where he was wined and dined with all of the best players college basketball has to offer. It was the chance for him to see old friends and meet new ones. He enjoyed every minute spending time with the fellow honorees.
"It was a really fun experience to hang out with all the other guys that were selected with me. They wined and dined us, we took limos everywhere and went to some really cool places."
As is tradition with being selected by Playboy, Rickert and the others where all dressed up for a photo shoot. For Rick, it was a big change from his usual attire. "They put makeup on all of us, and some different clothes that most of us don't usually wear, Rickert said smiling. "I probably will dress like that again someday, once I get away from the sweats."
When his mom found out about his selection she did not believe it at first, but once she did and found out the magnitude of the honor, she knew that the national media had taken notice of her son.
"I first I didn't believe that he was really on the Playboy All-American team. After I found out he really was, I was told that it is one of the best preseason honors you can have," Susan said. "Then I was really excited for him to be selected for something that prestigious."
Once she saw the end result of the guys dressed up in nice clothes and wearing makeup, she did not see the son she is used to seeing.
"He looked really different. I don't know if I like that look on him. His hair wasn't as spiked as it usually is and they put him in a leather outfit. I don't think I will ever see him in a leather outfit again!"
Rick at the Rotary Club
It turns out the Rickert is capable of scoring a slam dunk on more then just the basketball court, just ask the Duluth Rotary Club. It was there in front of nearly 300 people that the poised and articulate Rickert delivered a 25-minute speech without any help from the notes he had prepared in front of him. Talking about a range of topics including the recruiting process, his freshman season and life as a college basketball player.
"I have been in more pressure situations than that," stated Rickert. "So for me I wasn't nervous at all."
"I was so proud of him when he finished," Susan said. "He really had the audience attentive to everything he was saying."
All In the Family
It seems that the athletic talent does not stop at Rick in the Rickert family. Behind him, he has two sisters that are making waves of their own on the basketball court.
Natalie, a senior at Duluth East High School led the team to state last year and has them on track to repeat that performance this season. She also is a superb volleyball player who has accepted a scholarship to play for UMD in the fall. She was first team all-state and all-area-player of the year by the Duluth News Tribune.
Julia is 12-years-old and a member of the seventh grade club team in Duluth. Already measuring in at 6'3", she has the potential to play at the Division I level. She is already a dominant force in the paint and her big brother knows exactly what she will accomplish when she gets a bit older.
"She is going to be in the WNBA," Rickert stated proudly. "She just dominates everyone."
While it is hard sometimes with his busy schedule during the season, Rick gets out to as many of his two sister's games as possible. His family is hugely important to him and he simply is returning the favor to two siblings that have grown up attending all of his games.
"I feel so lucky to have a family like I have. Just to know that they are there at every home game is a great feeling for me. Win or lose, I know that when I go talk to them after the game that they will be supportive of me no matter how good or how lousy I played. I just have an amazing family who gives me a lot of support."
Most people know all about Rick Rickert on the court. His pull up three from the top of the key. His patented turnaround baseline jumper. His ability to shoot over even the tallest and toughest of defenders. His ability to create any kind of shot needed to score. His vastly improving defense. All that his been picked up on in his year-and-a-half spent at Minnesota and has caused more then a few opposing coaches to make him the focal point of their defense.
While stopping Rickert is easier said than done, there is a group of people who, if they are smart, will develop a strategic game plan themselves. With Rick's return to Atikokan inevitable, his competitors will need to accomplish something that has yet to be done: out fish the guy. That task may be even more daunting then trying to stop him on the basketball floor. He is hungry to earn back what is rightfully his and there is no doubt in his mind that come this summer, he will winning the annual fishing trophy again. For the eighth time in nine years.
Written by Media Relations Student Assistant Danny Olsen
