A diagnosis for success

StringerAlthough his collegiate athletic career is winding down, former Burroughs star Keith Jarbo is headed to medical school Keith Jarbo will probably look back on his collegiate athletic career with a great deal of pride.

The Burroughs High graduate and Pepperdine men’s basketball player has definitely made an impact on the world of college sports throughout his past three years in Malibu.

However, the senior forward’s road to Pepperdine was an interesting one.

After playing football for one year at Brown University as a freshman, Jarbo decided to head back to the West Coast to play basketball for Pepperdine, a move that his fellow Waves have definitely benefited from.

“The atmosphere was so different on the East Coast, and my family is really important to me, so I wanted to be closer to them,” Jarbo said of his decision to head home.

His year at Brown is merely a blur now, as he has spent the last four years building his legacy at Pepperdine and proving himself not only as a talented athlete, but also as a student as well.

Along with balancing basketball and majoring in sports medicine, Jarbo hopes to attend medical school after graduation to become an orthopedic doctor. He has already been accepted to the University of Michigan and is continuing to look into other schools, including UCLA, USC and UC Irvine.

Asked about his biggest passion outside of basketball, Jarbo is quick to answer “medicine and kids ... everything from interacting, helping, tutoring and coaching ... I love to work with kids and to help people in general.”

Coaching kids is essentially a way for Jarbo to return the favor for all the help and guidance he received as a youth. He admits that some of the greatest influences in his life were his coaches throughout high school.

As a student at Burroughs, Jarbo lettered in three sports, basketball, football and track and field. Jarbo credits Indian football Coach Keith Knoop, boys’ basketball Coach Art Sullivan and former assistant basketball coach Tom Kelly -- now a head coach at Hart -- for helping him hone his skills and preparing him for the collegiate level.

“They taught me not only how to play the game and win, but also how to be gracious at the same time,” Jarbo said.

Not only did Jarbo have a team of coaches cheering him along, but growing up in Burbank proved to be a blessing for his athletic career.

“It’s a big city, but then again small at the same time,” he said. “You know everyone somehow; it was a great place to grow up. I had everything accessible to me, from sports to education.”

Jarbo began playing soccer, flag football, baseball and basketball all at a young age in the Burbank Park, Recreation and Community Services Department, an organization that many of Burbank’s youth benefit from today.

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At Burroughs, Jarbo -- a two-sport Burbank Leader All-Area selection -- definitely made his mark. He earned All-CIF Southern Section honors in football and helped the Indians’ basketball team win a Foothill League championship.

Burroughs obviously did Jarbo well, as he has proved his athletic ability at Pepperdine.

Jarbo started his college basketball career by making the Waves’ team as a walk-on in 2003. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound forward played in 28 games -- starting eight -- and averaged nine minutes a contest.

After proving he belonged that first season, Jarbo was offered a scholarship and has become a vital player to the Waves team the past two seasons.

This season, he has played in 15 of the Waves’ 16 games and is averaging 1.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 8.7 minutes a game. Pepperdine is 5-11, 1-2 in the West Coast Conference.

With his college career coming winding down, Jarbo can’t let his tenure in competitive athletics come to a close without acknowledging another important influence in his life. He says he owes his success to his mom, a single parent.

[My mom] worked so hard to raise my sister and I, and I want to make her proud,” Jarbo said.

Jarbo has obviously accomplished more than most 21-year-olds, and with his talent and drive, he will likely continue to succeed.

* CAITLIN SETTLEMOIR is a sophomore public relations student at Pepperdine.

COURTESY DR. MARTIN A. FOLBCOURTESY DR. MARTIN A. FOLBPepperdine University senior forward and Burroughs High graduate Keith Jarbo makes a move in a game against University of Connecticut earlier this season.Keith JarboAlong with playing three seasons for the Waves’ men’s team, Keith Jarbo played football his freshman season at Brown University.20060118it7rusnc(LA)20060118it7rtsnc(LA)