Experienced basketball coach Alex Groothuis enjoys hiking and running in his free time. As a resident of Broward County, Florida, Alex Groothuis has easy access to the Cypress Creek Greenway, a local trail that offers the opportunity to pursue both activities. The Cypress Creek Greenway stretches more than 23 miles through Broward County. The longest paved recreational trail in the county, the greenway leads runners, walkers, hikers, and bikers on a nearly uninterrupted path from the Everglades to the Atlantic Ocean.According to the Florida Sun-Sentinel, the greenway comprises a 10.6-mile path that is separated from automobile traffic and a 12.6-mile section that runs alongside the road. Visitors wanting to reach the ocean have to navigate a 1.6-mile stretch of road after the eastern end of the greenway terminates. However, last November, the city of Pompano Beach purchased 2.5 miles of nearby trails that may eventually allow the route to extend all the way to the Atlantic.
Possessing a bachelor's in speech communications from Syracuse University, Alex Groothuis has since carved out a career as a basketball coach at the collegiate and high school levels. Alex Groothuis has served as high school dean of students and head coach of the men's basketball team at Coral Springs Charter School since 2010, during which time he earned two Class 4A Coach of the year nominations and helped prepare three student-athletes to play NCAA Division-I basketball.Making it to a Division-I college requires much more than athletic ability. Naturally, to play sports at the highest collegiate level, students must meet specific academic standards, even if offered a full-ride scholarship. Students must graduate high school with a minimum 2.3 GPA, and they must also complete at least 10 of their 16 core courses before their senior year with no opportunity to retake any course for a better score.Prior to 2016, students needed only a 2.0 GPA to maintain NCAA Division-I eligibility and, while that standard has since been raised, it has stayed the same for prospective Division-II athletes. Conversely, the NCAA doesn't have academic requirements for Division-III athletes, however respective universities may set their own standards.
