Craig Forth: The Center of Education
By M.C. Cohen
With Syracuse leading
Notre Dame 66-61 late in a Big East game, Craig Forth, Syracuse’s 7–foot senior center
went to the foul line. Suddenly, the focus of the commentators
on ESPN’s nationally televised game shifted from basketball: “Craig
Forth has 145 credits, he can get every major in the school,” said
one of the announcers jokingly. He may not have all the majors,
but he is a double major in Inclusive Education and Geography.
Forth, a third team Academic All-America with a 3.85 grade
point average chose Syracuse not so much to play for renowned
coach Jim Boeheim, but for its prestigious education school,
specifically to study special education.
“He’s one of the most intelligent people I’ve
ever been around,” said Syracuse’s star guard Gerry
McNamara, “and as far as personality is you don’t
get any better. He’s going to be a success in whatever
he tries to do.”
Forth has visions for
the future that go beyond the basketball court. That’s
not to say though he does not also dream of playing professionally.
But, heading into this season, Forth, who is from a suburb
of Albany, has never averaged more then six points or six
rebounds for a single season. An extremely hard worker and
a major defensive presence inside for the Orange, especially
during their 2002-03 NCAA championship season, Forth has
been a solid four-year starter for Syracuse.
“Craig doesn’t get a lot of recognition, except
the negative kind, but he was really big for our zone [defense],” said
Jim Boeheim after Syracuse beat St. John’s at Madison
Square Garden in January.
Off the court Craig is a superstar. He has already done student
teaching in a fourth grade classroom and has frequently donated
his time to work in sports programs for disabled and physically
challenged youth. Choosing Inclusive Education was an easy
choice for Craig since his 12 year-old brother, Jeremy, has
autism.
“Jeremy is one of the biggest reasons why I got into
education and the special ed. field,” said Craig, “He
and my mother, the way she handled things.”
“I got into education to give every kid the opportunity
that I did not see my little brother getting in some of the
classrooms he was in. I go out there and see my mom fight for
him every day. She’s fighting for him right now, trying
to get him in a different school. I just want to go out there
and help little kids like him.”
Since Craig has been
in high school he has set out two paths—playing
basketball and helping others—he has succeeded at both
in college. He has won a national championship as a player
and as a student has come to realize the value of making a
positive impact in children’s lives.
“My goal is to, in my lifetime, create my own school
in which students with or without disabilities can learn, grow,
and become better at life,” said Craig. “I realize
that this is far-stretching and that I am only a senior in
college. However, what is life without goals? “Mine simply
exist in the educational world.”
And for the future of teaching that can only be good.#
Mike Cohen is the director of Throwback Sports in New York
City which offers individualized and small-group programming
for children.#
