The view fits Brooks at UCSC

Brandon Brooks is enjoying his first year as a student-athlete, especially the views. The UC Santa Cruz freshman has a view from the top - both on and off the field."The soccer program is real good and the team finished second in the nation last year (losing in the Division III men's soccer final to Messiah College)," Brooks said. "It's also a UC school, so there are good academics. But the location is something I couldn't get over."Many days begin for Brooks with a picturesque view of the Pacific Ocean from his dorm room. The Santa Cruz campus sits above the beach town below in the Santa Cruz Mountains, so the school usually avoids getting socked in by the coastal fog.The soccer team has also been able to rise above the competition as head coach Paul Holocher has brought the program to national prominence, highlighted by last year's runner-up finish at the Division III Championship. This year's team again advanced to the playoffs with an impressive 17-1-1 record and faced Redlands University in a first-round matchup on Wednesday (results not available at press time). The Slugs defeated Redlands in the postseason a year ago, advancing on penalty kicks, 7-6.Brooks has mostly been a spectator taking in the view from the bench, but the freshman remains focused on improving his game to become a bigger contributor on the soccer field."I am behind a senior and a sophomore right now, so it's hard to break into the lineup," he said. "The best way to get into the game is experience, so I am at a disadvantage as a freshman. But I have played in some games and faced a few shots."Brooks' main job in the net both in practice and in game action is to lead the defense from his goalkeeper position. With the unique perspective from his position, Brooks keeps the team organized on the field and tries to keep his teammates and himself in the game. Barking instructions to players that were a part of Santa Cruz's 2004 runner-up team was intimidating to Brooks at first, but the freshman quickly got over his initial apprehension."I was nervous at first, but the upper classmen understand that I can see the field better than they can from where I am at, so it was never really an issue," Brooks said. "I am fortunate that this is a real close-knit team, too. Most of the guys hang out and we see each other around campus all the time when we're not training or playing."Brooks has benefited from the team in learning how to balance athletics and academics - one of many challenging transitions he has faced since graduating from Del Oro High. Gone are the days when Brooks' soccer travel schedule was well known to his teachers and when arrangements to make up any work were coordinated."One of the toughest things has been getting used to the fact that I need to get my work done quicker because the professors don't know why, or even if, I miss classes," Brooks said. "I have a couple of lecture courses where there are like 400 students, so the professor is not going to notice that I am away on a road trip. The responsibility is on the student-athlete. In the long run, though, it has helped me with the my academics."Brooks is currently a freshman with no declared major, but he said that he is likely to pursue an Economics/Business Management degree when he does declare. Before he moves beyond his general education courses, though, the Slugs postseason run is near the top of his list of things to do. As an independent in Division III, Santa Cruz had to earn an at-large berth and will need to win five games to get another title shot.Regardless of how Brooks and the Slugs fare in the playoffs and beyond, the freshman is content as a student-athlete at a reputable academic institution with an established soccer program. Of course, the view doesn't hurt, either.Catching Up runs Thursdays. Got a tip on a college athlete for Catching Up? Contact Jim McCue at jimmccue16@comcast.net.