By Taylor Shillam
Skylar Burke UC Santa Barbara is up next for basketball star
“One of my biggest takeaways from sports is that you can achieve anything you set your mind to and work for,” Coeur d’Alene High School’s Skylar Burke shared. “The outcome is worth all the effort in the end.”
Named one of the high school’s two Athletes of the Year, Skylar’s hard work has certainly translated into an ideal outcome, from her recognition as a scholarship-winning athlete, being named among the top 10 5A basketball players in Idaho earlier this year, and countless more successes.
Skylar has played sports since she was 5 years old and was a multi-sport athlete throughout her high school career, playing volleyball, basketball and softball.
Even still, her high school career wasn’t without its challenges, especially when COVID-19 entered the picture.
“One of my biggest challenges was recruiting,” Skylar admitted. “I knew I wanted to play college basketball, but when COVID hit, it was a struggle to get exposure for a while.”
Through the challenge presented by the pandemic, Skylar successfully emerged with a basketball scholarship to the University of California Santa Barbara, where she’ll attend school in the fall.
In her years of athletic experience, her most memorable moment was beating out a local rival team for a spot at the state championship. “It was my sophomore year that we upset our rivals, Lake City High School, to become district champion and go to state,” she recalled.
As a class of 2022 senior, Skylar graduated as a four-year varsity player in softball and basketball and a three-year varsity player in volleyball. Now, she sets her sights on college basketball and beyond, where her drive will surely translate into continued success.
“I am looking forward to competing at such a high level at UC Santa Barbara, with the amazing coaching staff and team that they have there,” Skylar shared.
When asked her plans for the future and her career beyond school, she shared her interest in pursuing crime analysis and forensic psychology. Even still, she remains open to where her talent in sports can take her. “I would love to play professional basketball, though, if the opportunity came up,” she said.
Right now, she can enjoy the rewards of her efforts. “It felt amazing being selected as Athlete of the Year,” she said, “and getting recognized for all of the hard work and dedication I have put into all of my sports.”