To Libertyville's Steinhaus, being positive makes a difference

With his team down by 17 points to Conant in the fourth quarter of last season's regional championship at Deerfield, Libertyville guard Josh Steinhaus was optimistic.

Yes, optimistic.

And not just because he believed his team was talented enough for a monumental comeback.

He had made a decision years before that moment that he was going to tackle adversity with a positive attitude.

It's a lesson he learned in the Dominican Republic. He's been there twice in recent years with church missions to build houses from the ground up for families in need.

"These people who have so little ... they are still extremely positive about things, and when you see that, it really makes you think about how you handle tough situations in your own life," Steinhaus said. "I think this really translates to me as an athlete. When things don't go well during the season, just being positive can really make a difference. That's what I try to do. Other people on the team see that and they start to believe that, 'Hey, we can get past this.' "

Libertyville did get past that 17-point deficit against Conant, and won the regional championship that night in spectacular fashion. In overtime.

Drew Peterson, who is now playing at Rice, and Steinhaus, now a senior, led the way.

Peterson hit numerous clutch shots down the stretch, including the game winner in the final moments. Steinhaus twice hit go-ahead 3-pointers in overtime and rolled up a whopping 7 three-pointers in the game for a career-high 21 points.

"We showed a lot of perseverance in that game," Steinhaus said. "After winning a big game like that, I think we gained a lot of confidence in ourselves and we believe that we can carry that on this year."

With Peterson, one of the best players in Libertyville basketball history, now gone, the Wildcats need a leader for the new season and Steinhaus is ready to step into that role, both on and off the court.

Games like the Conant game show that Steinhaus can play like a leader, and lessons learned in the Dominican Republic show that he can think like one, too.

"I want to establish myself as a leader and I want the guys on the team to recognize me as one," Steinhaus said. "What Drew (Peterson) did for us as the leader of our team was that he held everyone to the high standard that he set for himself. He was so great and he expected great things from us.

"That's a role I'm looking to fill this year. I want to be a player others can rely on and I want to help my teammates do their best, too. I think we can do a lot of great things this year."

Steinhaus took a different approach in preparing for the season this year. Over the summer, he skipped playing AAU basketball and instead camped out in the gym each day to work on all the parts of his game that would help him be more of that go-to player.

"Drew (Peterson) made a lot of things easier for me," Steinhaus said. "I did a lot of catch-and-shoot because teams focused on him so much and I could just be out there (on the 3-point line) and he would just kick it to me.

"This summer I concentrated more on being a playmaker, creating for my teammates and myself. That's what we need with Drew gone."

Steinhaus, a true point guard, improved his shooting skills last season and hit a scorching 50 percent of his 3-pointers. He was second on the team in scoring behind Peterson with 10.4 points per game. He also dished out more than 5 assists per game.

He's looking for all of those numbers to go up, and so are his coaches.

"Josh is expected to have a breakout year, even though last year he was one of our top players. But he was behind Drew Peterson so he didn't get a lot of press," Libertyville coach Brian Zyrkowski said. "I have coached him all four years he has been here so he knows what is expected, system of play and how to lead this group. Every year, he has shown extreme growth in his leadership and skill development.

"Josh will leave a long-lasting impression on our basketball program. He spent a lot of time in the gym working on his individual skills in the off-season because he is determined to lead this team."

Steinhaus has come a long way in the leadership department. It wasn't long ago that being a leader wasn't exactly in his wheelhouse.

He has his church, the Christ Church of Lake Forest, to thank for his about-face.

"When I first started doing the mission trips through my school, I was urged to be more of a leader, and I didn't feel comfortable taking the lead or getting out and talking in front of people," Steinhaus said. "But I saw that as a really good opportunity to push myself, and over time, I put myself into more and more situations where I could be a leader. It really helped me grow as a leader and as a person and I definitely see that working in sports, too."

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

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