AUBURN - For the past several seasons, Auburn High School football fans have seen Andrew Rotko successfully try to put the pigskin through the goal posts as the Maroons' backup kicker.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Cayuga Community College goalie Andrew Rotko makes a save during Tuesday's practice. The Auburn native has a chance to start in goal this season for the Spartans.
Cayuga Community College goalie Andrew Rotko makes a save during Tuesday's practice. The Auburn native has a chance to start in goal this season for the Spartans.
This fall, the Cayuga Community College freshman will be spending his time between a different set of posts. Rotko has the upper hand on becoming the new goalie for the Spartans men's soccer team.
Though he has played football for years, Rotko is a veteran on the soccer field.
“That's what I've always done,” he said. “My dad started me when I was 5. He was a big soccer player; he always wanted me to play soccer.”
Rotko said he wanted to “switch things up” and play football - a decision that paid off in more ways than one. Football has given him a state championship in 2006 and improvement vital to a successful athlete.
“Track helped with endurance,” he said. “Football has helped with aggressiveness and toughness, and my work ethic.”
The latter is a trait not lost on Cayuga head coach George Vazenios.
“He has a great work ethic and he's open to constructive criticism, which is more than I can say for many players that I have coached in the past,” Vazenios said.
Rotko had to work hard to bounce back from a knee injury last winter. The 17-year-old was competing in the triple jump Dec. 15 at the Hamilton Relays when the injury occurred. He received several different diagnoses, but ultimately had to go through months of physical therapy and missed his entire senior season of outdoor track.
Despite the setback, Rotko had a little bit of extra help training in goal. His father, Roman, is a former goalie that played in high school, college and a men's league that traveled around neighboring counties in the late 1970s.
Roman Rotko would like to help out with the team, coaching Andrew and several other hopefuls in the net. He helped resurrect the men's program at CCC in the early part of the decade and is a former assistant coach.
“I would welcome the chance to coach again - I would really enjoy it,” Roman Rotko said. “When I'm not playing soccer or coaching soccer I miss the sport.”
Even if Roman has to be content with giving Andrew a little extra one-on-one time in the backyard instead of in practice, soccer will remain a priority in both of their lives.
“I'm thrilled to death that (Andrew is) playing soccer and he's taken a real liking to it,” Rotko said. “He enjoys watching games on TV, he enjoys watching the games in person. It's kind of a family event - we're kind of a soccer family.”
The Cayuga Community College women's and men's soccer teams kick off their schedule at 2 and 4 p.m., respectively, on Saturday, at Emerson Park against Clinton.
Though he has played football for years, Rotko is a veteran on the soccer field.
“That's what I've always done,” he said. “My dad started me when I was 5. He was a big soccer player; he always wanted me to play soccer.”
Rotko said he wanted to “switch things up” and play football - a decision that paid off in more ways than one. Football has given him a state championship in 2006 and improvement vital to a successful athlete.
“Track helped with endurance,” he said. “Football has helped with aggressiveness and toughness, and my work ethic.”
The latter is a trait not lost on Cayuga head coach George Vazenios.
“He has a great work ethic and he's open to constructive criticism, which is more than I can say for many players that I have coached in the past,” Vazenios said.
Rotko had to work hard to bounce back from a knee injury last winter. The 17-year-old was competing in the triple jump Dec. 15 at the Hamilton Relays when the injury occurred. He received several different diagnoses, but ultimately had to go through months of physical therapy and missed his entire senior season of outdoor track.
Despite the setback, Rotko had a little bit of extra help training in goal. His father, Roman, is a former goalie that played in high school, college and a men's league that traveled around neighboring counties in the late 1970s.
Roman Rotko would like to help out with the team, coaching Andrew and several other hopefuls in the net. He helped resurrect the men's program at CCC in the early part of the decade and is a former assistant coach.
“I would welcome the chance to coach again - I would really enjoy it,” Roman Rotko said. “When I'm not playing soccer or coaching soccer I miss the sport.”
Even if Roman has to be content with giving Andrew a little extra one-on-one time in the backyard instead of in practice, soccer will remain a priority in both of their lives.
“I'm thrilled to death that (Andrew is) playing soccer and he's taken a real liking to it,” Rotko said. “He enjoys watching games on TV, he enjoys watching the games in person. It's kind of a family event - we're kind of a soccer family.”
The Cayuga Community College women's and men's soccer teams kick off their schedule at 2 and 4 p.m., respectively, on Saturday, at Emerson Park against Clinton.
