Centennial Conference SAAC

Writing Comes Naturally to Washington Swim Star

2010-03-01T17:50:00.002-05:00

Many students come to Washington College hoping the writing program will help them achieve their dreams of becoming published authors. For Jenna Moore '12, that dream became a reality during her first year of college, when Dorrance Publishing Co. printed The Creators: Book 1, The Universal Wars. It's the first book in a series she began writing in 7th grade.

"I've been writing since I was really little. I actually wrote the second and third books first, and then went back and wrote the first to fill in some of the basics you need to know about the characters going forward."

She started the series while daydreaming during class; her 7th grade English teacher encouraged her to keep writing and offered feedback on Jenna's work. When the drafts were finished, Jenna's parents urged her to get them published.

"I'm kind of shy about promoting my work like that," she said, but her dad found a list of publishers to approach and the first, Dorrance, wanted Jenna's story.

"It was really surprising, actually. I was so overwhelmed that they said yes!" Jenna said. "I'm hoping this one will do well so they want the others."

Her fantasy series isn't the only thing the creative writing student has in print. As a finalist in a 2006 International Poetry Society contest, two of Jenna's poems were published in an anthology, "Forever Spoken: Centers of Expression."

Jenna chose to attend Washington College because of the opportunities to develop both her fiction and poetry.

"My parents and I were always thinking academics first, and there's really no better place to go for writing," she said. "The teachers are really helpful. I think my poetry's better already."

Another important factor in her decision was Washington College's Division III athletic program. Jenna wanted to attend a school with a strong swimming program that would still allow her to pursue her other interests. "If I really wanted to write," she reasoned, "I needed the flexibility of a D-III school."

Given that flexibility, Jenna also joined the varsity rowing team. If that sounds like a lot to juggle, it is. In college, "It's tougher to find time for writing, especially with two sports," Jenna admitted, but that hasn't deterred her from working on the next books in her series.

"Writing is a good release for me, to get away and relax and not think about studying or races or anything else," she said. And if she doesn't get to write as often as she'd like, it's because she's taking advantage of so many other opportunities at the college.

"I can't imagine fitting anywhere else."

Alesha Sisco Balances Basketball, Softball and Books

2010-02-05T10:57:00.003-05:00

by Eric Thomas, Harrisburg Patriot-News

Alesha Sisco knows at some point she will have to give up the hectic college lifestyle for the real world.

For the time being, though, she's content playing the role of multi-sport star and international business major at Dickinson College.

Sisco, a junior, shares top-scoring duties on the Red Devils' women's basketball team, scoring 13.3 points per outing. She also leads in rebounds with 7.3 boards per game, helping Dina Henry's team to a 13-5 mark through Monday.

Dickinson is in the thick of the Centennial Conference race at 9-5, but is three games behind leader McDaniel.

On the softball field, Sisco is an infielder for a Red Devils softball team which finished fifth in the conference standings last spring. Sisco batted .315 with 12 RBIs.

In the classroom, the junior from the Allentown area also minors in economics.

In other words, there's never a shortage of things to do.

Sisco maintains between one and three classes a day, depending on her schedule, some during the evenings that run from 4 to 7 p.m. Then, it's off to the gym to work out with the basketball team.

When she's not in the classroom or the gym, Sisco is getting some batting practice in to prepare for the softball season, which opens Feb. 28 -- a date Sisco hopes to still be playing basketball, even though she loves both sports.

"The key is being able to take advantage of the time you aren't doing anything, and that's when I will get a lot of work done," Sisco said. "I know the softball schedule in the spring [ahead of time]. My coach [Matt Richwine] is very lenient with that. If I am able to come to a Sunday practice and take some reps, he will let me do that.

"During basketball, I play basketball until that is finished, and then I jump right into softball."

Sometimes the schedule can be a little too hectic. Sisco found that out when she was a freshman. At the end of her first season, she missed the softball season opener. Once basketball season concluded, she boarded a plane and flew to Arizona to meet her teammates for spring training.

But when you love what you do and play it with the passion Sisco does, it isn't a problem.

"I guess I just love playing both sports, and the coaches allowed me to do so, and I love the teams, my teammates and it's a lot of fun," Sisco said. "I never really had a formal sit-down with both coaches and explained to them when I was coming here and looking into the school at the beginning. I told them I was interested in playing both. They both seemed open to it and were willing to work with my schedule."

As an international business major, the college recommends spending a semester abroad. Sisco opted to not partake in that program because of her sports schedule.

"I was originally torn as to whether I wanted to go, but I figured missing the season, coming in halfway would be really difficult," she said. "There are also opportunities to go abroad in the summer which I'm thinking about."

The Red Devils women's basketball team is traveling to Costa Rica this summer, so Sisco may get her chance.

Still, in the back of her mind, someday she knows she will be an office, somewhere perhaps across the globe -- not running on the hardwood or digging out grounders in cleats with a glove.

"It will be a huge change in my life, and it's going to be sad, but I've known that time was going to come for a while, so I think I will be ready to do some new things in my life," she said.

But for now, Sisco plays on.

Balancing Success on the Field and in Class

2009-12-09T09:22:00.002-05:00

George Vescey of the New York Times writes that one of Texas QB's Colt McCoy's secrets to success in the classroom is to sit in the front row. He wanted to show he was paying attention ... and led to a 3.2 GPA and a trip to New York as one of 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given by the National Football Foundation to the top scholar-athlete in the United States. Blaine Westemeyer, from DIII's Augustana (Ill.) College, has a 3.93 grade point average in biochemistry. He noted that his coaches were perhaps more understanding than the DI coaches when he traveled to Utah to take a program in cellular protein research in Utah.

NCAA Postgraduate Internship Opportunities

2009-11-24T11:42:00.001-05:00

Applications for the 2010-11 NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program are due by December 13.

Interested individuals may apply for one of 19 positions in a 12-month internship program at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis beginning in June 2010.

The NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program provides on-the-job learning experiences for college graduates from four-year NCAA member institutions who express an interest in pursuing a career in intercollegiate athletics administration.

Positions are paid with benefits. Opportunities exist in the areas of:

* Administrative services
* Branding and communications (brand strategies and events, public and media relations, publishing/new media)
* Championships
* Corporate and broadcast alliances
* Division I men’s and women’s basketball
* Diversity and inclusion
* Educational affairs
* Enforcement services
* Governance
* Academic and membership affairs/student-athlete reinstatement
* The NCAA Eligibility Center

For more information, including a timeline for selecting intern candidates, contact Kimberly Ford, NCAA associate director for diversity and inclusion, at kford@ncaa.org.

Swarthmore's Celestin Combines Dance, Soccer

2009-11-20T09:03:00.002-05:00

Junior Philippe Celestin and No. 7 Swarthmore College men's soccer team were the subject of a feature story in Thursday's Philadelphia Inquirer. The story focuses on the balancing act that Celestin - who scored the Garnet's game-winning goal on Sunday and performed a stomp music piece at the College's Rhythm and Motion performance - and many Swarthmore students face on a daily basis, as well as the recent success of the men's soccer team.

The article was written by Sam Lacy '11, while photos were taken by Hanna Kozlowska '13 and Jake Mrozewski '11 and video by Jared Brown.

No Money, No Problems: More Division III Perks

2009-11-06T08:13:00.002-05:00

this article appeared in the November 5, 2009 edition of the Swarthmore Phoenix.

BY KEVIN FRIEDENBERG
Get-down-with-your-bad-self

After reading a Rick Reilly column on ESPN.com comparing the life of USC’s star freshman quarterback Matt Barkley with that of another USC freshman student, I began to reflect about my own experience as a scholar-athlete.

From reading Reilly’s column, it’s instantly clear that Barkley already lives the life of a superstar.

How could he not? The kid is 19 years old and is seen every week by hundreds of thousands of fans on the biggest stage in college football. There are already “mock drafts” that predict Barkley will be picked in the first round of the NFL Draft in two years.

Regardless of the fame, the potential big bills contracts, and the tremendous opportunities that are a reality for Barkley everyday of his life, I would never trade my experience as a scholar-athlete for his.

Sure, the cynics among you out there are probably saying this is all bogus; who wouldn’t want a life like Matt Barkley?

I’m not saying it isn’t a sweet deal to be a star quarterback at a storied university with a tremendous future. I’m just trying to say that the life of a Division III athlete isn’t half bad either.

With only one spring season left in my collegiate athletic career, it’s no secret that I’m in the autumn of my experience as a Division III lacrosse player. Looking back over my time at Swarthmore, a few things immediately come to mind when thinking about how my college experience has been different than Barkley’s.

I don’t speak on behalf of many Division I athletes by any means, but whenever I come into contact with Division I players (coaching camps, mutual friends, etc.) I always ask them if they like playing at the Division I level. Nine times out of 10, I hear “not really” or “I guess.”

Again, this is only a small sample of players I have come into contact with, but whenever people ask me if I like playing lacrosse in college my answer is unquestioningly, “I love every minute of it.” At the end of the day, if it isn’t fun, then why do it?

The one thing I truly believe makes Division III the best level of sports to participate in is the practices. Some of my fondest memories from college come from just being on the turf with 30 of my closest friends, watching the pieces of our team come together as a whole.

The overarching feeling, though, is that being out there is just plain fun. Even when we get fired up at each other, even when the snow is really coming down around us and even when I don’t have a great practice, I’d still rather be out on the field with my teammates than anywhere else.

I feel tremendously privileged to feel the way about playing a sport that I do, because I’m sure for many athletes like Matt Barkley, it isn’t all that fun.

I certainly don’t have to put up with national media outlets or disgruntled fans maligning me on the Internet after a bad loss. I simply get to enjoy the sport. Let’s not get confused though. Division III isn’t just about having fun, much like my Phoenix columnist brother Andrew Greenblatt noted in his column about D-III athletics. We are real athletes here to win games.

The real love for the game as Division III athletes comes out in the offseason. Swarthmore isn’t USC; our team doesn’t have a platoon of strength and conditioning coaches watching over our shoulders to see who’s improving and who needs to get in gear. We do it because we are highly motivated people who get a lot of intrinsic value out of making ourselves and our teammates better.

I see scholar-athletes of all sports working hard down in the weight room or out on the track and you can see it in their faces that they enjoy it.

You might not consciously admit that you like the feeling of burning lungs or aching muscles, but the bond between teammates that is forged through pain and hard work in the offseason is incredible.

You put in the work because you love the game and you love your team. It’s not even a hard decision to make. Winning games and being a committed team in the offseason doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive with enjoying the game for what it is.

Being part of a sport at this school has been one of the best experiences of my life.

Sure, I’m not going to draw a multi-million dollar salary, I’ve never met Will Ferrell on the field after one of my games and kids don’t constantly snap photos of me on their phones (that I know of).

But I don’t envy Matt Barkley at all. I can’t even imagine the pressure that poor kid has to face every week, but I can certainly imagine that it makes him lose a little bit of the love for the game.

Fortunately as D-III athletes, we typically get to avoid the distractions that constantly attack large programs at large universities. We just have the sport, plain and simple.

When we are in season, I look forward to that time each day when I head down to the field house because there is nowhere I’d rather be than down on that field with my team.

Dickinson's Mitchell Does More Than Break Records

2009-10-17T08:16:00.003-04:00

Mitchell doing more than breaking records
Dickinson signal caller helps to fight cancer one yard at a time ... while winning.

By Andy Sandrik, Sentinel Reporter

Last updated: Friday, October 16, 2009 10:26 PM EDT

When all is said and done in the football career of Dickinson College quarterback Ian Mitchell, he will go down as the most productive quarterback in the history of the Division III school.

The numbers don’t lie, Mitchell is a really, really good quarterback. Career accomplishments include:

* 2,214 career rushing yards. That’s the most-ever in Dickinson and Centennial Conference history.
* A Centennial Conference record of 11 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season. That record was established this season and there are still at least four games remaining. The career record is 27 touchdowns — Mitchell has 24.
* Mitchell is the first Centennial Conference quarterback to rush for 2,000-plus yards and pass for 4,000-plus yards.

“My teammate Mike Maxwell says that I’m a running back that can throw the ball,” Mitchell said with a laugh. “Whenever I started setting some of these records, coach (Darwin) Breaux told me congratulations and that he was extremely proud of me. And then he told me that if I want this to continue, I need to focus on the team and the individual records will come on their own.”

With every yard gained by Mitchell, he comes that much closer to even more individual records. But college football isn’t all about personal glory for Mitchell, who was recruited by schools such as Richmond, James Madison, Lehigh, Lafayette and even given an opportunity to walk on at Florida.

After losing a high school friend, Evan Brady, to cancer, Mitchell has made it a mission to help support cancer victims.

With every yard Mitchell gains, on the ground or through the air, another cancer-stricken child can smile.

By getting people and businesses to pledge money for each yard gained, Mitchell has raised roughly $60,000 for Evanfest, a charity created in Brady’s honor to raise money for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Mitchell has raised this money in three years by doing nothing but wisely marketing himself and playing the game he loves.

“I’ve gotten lucky, this has spread through word of mouth and the media,” Mitchell said.

Those around Biddle Field last year for a Dickinson football game may have noticed Mitchell’s long, blond hair spilling out the back of his helmet. That, too, has been donated to charity. He had his hair donated to ‘Locks for Love.’

“I was told that an 8-year-old girl now has beautiful, blonde hair,” Mitchell said.

Beautiful blonde hair and charity aside, Mitchell is a great football player on a team contending for a conference title.

The Red Devils are 5-1 after last Saturday’s 23-12 loss to the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays.

“We played a good team on Saturday,” Breaux said. “They were as good a team as we’ve faced all year. Field goals didn’t get the job done, we need to put the ball in the end zone.”

All hope is not lost for the Red Devils. They have a bye week this Saturday and follow with games against Gettysburg (2-4), Muhlenberg (2-3), Juniata (0-6) and Ursinus (2-3).

If the Red Devils can run the table, they could earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III playoffs and may even have a chance at winning the Centennial Conference.

“This is a perfect time for a bye week,” Mitchell said. “After a loss, you feel a little bit more sore than usual and it takes a little longer to get past the game. Having this extra week is very crucial.”

With the next four opponents sporting a combined record of 6-16, winning out is a reasonable goal, especially if Mitchell and the offense can get back to their touchdown-scoring ways.

Before last week’s game, the Red Devils were averaging 35.8 points per game to rank second in the Centennial Conference. Mitchell has led the way with another exciting season. Mitchell has led the team with his arm (83-of-138, 952 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs) and his legs (85 rushes, 655 yards, 11 TDs, 7.7 avg.).

Of course, Mitchell will be the first person to point out his teammates.

“Our core group has been together for a long time, we all know each other’s moves,” Mitchell said.

“There’s nothing like having an All-American receiver in Pat O’Connor. With a player like that and a quarterback that can run and some good running backs. There is so much that the defense has to focus on. The line doesn’t get much recognition, but I’d like to say that the offensive line holds those same records that I have.”

One thing’s for sure, things wouldn’t be the same without Mitchell.

“He’s one of the most athletic kids we’ve recruited and the most athletic quarterback we’ve had,” Breaux said. “It’s a team effort, but there’s no question, Ian is the trigger man.”

Already a noted philanthropist and an elite football player, the Religion Major plans on becoming a grad assistant for Dickinson after this season.

“I’ve realized that my future is not in the NFL,” Mitchell said. “If I have to stop playing football after this year, coaching football is probably the next best thing.”

Ward's Dream Continues at D-III

2009-06-28T09:33:00.003-04:00

Jon Ward, a recent graduate of Parkland (Pa.) High School, could have been a big-time Division I basketball recruit. He found out that D-I is a big business ... a cutthroat business ... one that left a bitter taste in his mouth. In this story from Keith Groller of the Allentown Morning Call, Ward reflects on his D-I recruiting experience, he discovers that Ursinus, the Centennial Conference, and Division III may be just the place for him to continue following his dream.

Twitter and the Centennial Conference

2009-06-04T20:24:00.002-04:00

From the NCAA News

to the Centennial SAAC ... what do you think?

"Twitter and college athletics may seem like an unlikely pairing, but dozens of coaches, conferences and athletics departments are aggressively using the microblogging Web service to keep pace with a new generation of prospects and fans.

Twitter, which limits users to 140-character posts known as “tweets,” is designed to provide a quick glance into what a person – or entity – is doing, thinking or feeling. Twitter doesn’t require an Internet connection and can be accessed with a cell phone, with the communication appearing as a text message. The service is free.

The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which stridently opposed text-messaging between coaches and prospects, hasn’t taken an official position on Twitter yet and will discuss the technology at its July meeting in Denver. The SAAC itself uses Twitter to communicate with members and potential members.

Chair Matt Baysinger, a former Kansas student-athlete, said that some of the SAAC’s main concerns with text-messaging – the cost and the lack of professionalism – are mitigated with Twitter. To receive tweets to a mobile phone, a prospect would have to sign up for Twitter, “follow” a particular coach and have the coach follow the prospect in return, and agree to have messages sent to a mobile device. Baysinger said it’s likely that people who would go through all of that would not be worried about the cost. He also said the frequent lack of professionalism in the medium is mitigated by the absence of personalization.

“At this point, I don’t feel Twitter is a personalized medium. It’s meant to be public information. It’s meant for everyone, which puts it in a different category from a text message,” Baysinger said."

A Player's View of an ACL Injury

2009-04-17T09:07:00.003-04:00

McDaniel College basketball player Katherine Restrepo has undergone two reconstructive anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgeries. In today's Reading Eagle, she writes about her experience, why women are at a greater risk for ACL injuries than men, and preventive measures that can be taken to help avoid the injury.

"Pivot. Pop. Scream. This sequence of events represents the cry of someone who has torn an anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL.

ACL tears happen more frequently as high school and collegiate sports become more competitive.

Almost every athlete has seen teammates sidelined due to an ACL injury, but it's hard to understand the major setback it creates until you suffer a torn ACL. Throughout my high school basketball career, at least three of my teammates tore their ACL's. Never once did I think this injury would get in the way of playing the sports I love. Within a span of three years, I tore both of mine.

In fact, I am recovering from my second ACL reconstruction surgery. This past basketball season at McDaniel College, I was down for the count."

NCAA No Friend of Facebook When It Comes to Recruiting

2009-04-12T08:15:00.002-04:00

By Justin Pope | Of The Associated Press
April 11, 2009

"College sports fans, be careful of the company you keep on Facebook.

You might get yourself -- and the program you support -- in trouble.

That was the lesson this week for Taylor Moseley, a North Carolina State freshman who expressed a common-enough opinion on campus when he started the Facebook group called "John Wall PLEASE come to NC STATE!!!!"

More than 700 people signed up for the group encouraging Wall -- a local standout and the nation's No. 1 basketball recruit -- to pick the Wolfpack by national signing day next week.

But the NCAA says such sites, and dozens more like them wooing Wall and other top recruits, violate its rules. More than just cheerleading boards, the NCAA says the sites are an attempt to influence the college choice of a recruit.

Moseley got a cease and desist letter from N.C. State's compliance director, Michelle Lee, warning of "further action" if he failed to comply. In an interview Friday, Lee said that people who act as boosters but fail to follow recruiting guidelines could face penalties such as being denied tickets or even being formally "disassociated" from the athletic program.

Adam Kissel, director of the Individual Rights Defense Program at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, said the NCAA can impose rules on its member colleges. But universities -- especially public ones -- can't enforce them if it means punishing students in any way for expressing an opinion.

"A student doesn't lose First Amendment rights because of a contract the university signs with [the NCAA]," he said.

Moseley, the student, didn't respond to a request for comment, but the group has been renamed "Bring a National Title back to NC STATE!" and features a photo of Wall.

Though Lee sent Moseley the tough warning, even she finds the rule exasperating. The NCAA, she says, simply isn't keeping up with the technology reality.

''I think nationally the NCAA needs to address further Facebook and how these groups play a part in recruiting,'' she said. ''Is it realistic for us to be able to monitor them? What harm is a group like this causing? But as the legislation stands right now, this is the position we have to take.''

NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said the group considers its rules ''technology neutral.'' A Facebook page is simply a high-tech way to try to influence recruits.

The NCAA's concern is "intrusions into a high school student's life when they're trying to decide where to go to college," he said. He said the NCAA is keeping up with technology, noting new rules on text-messaging from coaches.

Christianson said the NCAA expects institutions to act as N.C. State did, reaching out to the creators of such groups to "educate" them about the rules. He added he was not aware the NCAA had ever initiated any action related to a Facebook group or notified an institution about one.

But dozens of Facebook groups are still up in plain site for current recruits, including Wall, and other top undecided basketball players such as Xavier Henry and Lance Stephenson.

Wall, a 6-4 playmaker, averaged 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Raleigh Word of God this past season. He's the No. 1-ranked recruit in the country by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, and among the last top players yet to commit. A Facebook search reveals groups including "Bring John Wall to Baylor," "John Wall Belongs at UNC" and "John Wall, come to DUKE!!"

Kissel, of the education rights group, and Aden Fine of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that while the NCAA -- a private entity -- could pursue sanctions against a student like Moseley (such as denying him access to an entirely NCAA-run event), it was troubling that the letter and threatened sanction came from the university.

"The school is potentially finding themselves in a tricky situation, because of the NCAA rules, but that doesn't mean public universities can censor lawful speech," Fine said.

Recession Alters College Admission Process

2009-04-06T08:37:00.001-04:00

"Do you sit on pins and needles between now and May 1 wondering who is going to say yes?" CBS news anchor Russ Mitchell asked Jim Bock, the dean of admissions at Swarthmore College.

"Absolutely," Bock said. "So the big fear, the question I get all the time, is we want a class of 390 for next year, and we admitted 950 or 959. What if they all came? The anxiety for those who sit in my position is what will the yield be this year? Do we admit more, do we admit less less?"

At Swarthmore, Bock feels many parents don't realize that the average student who receives aid will get around $35,000 in financial help.

"Some of the most selective schools out there can actually be some of the most affordable options," Bock said.

NCAA Double-A Zone: Should Swimming Turn Back Time? April 2, 2009

2009-04-03T09:40:00.001-04:00

NCAA Double-A Zone: Should Swimming Turn Back Time? April 2, 2009

Posted using ShareThis

Officiating Recruitment Effort Produces Results

2009-04-01T10:18:00.001-04:00

April 1, 2009 - NCAA News Online

"A new program to encourage college students to become referees is off to a good “start” after producing newly registered officials to work five spring sports at the high school level.

The new Students of Today are Referees of Tomorrow (START) program – sponsored in part by three Division III conferences -- produced referees for baseball, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, softball, and track and field

The Capital Athletic Conference, Centennial Conference and Colonial States Athletic Conference, working in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), recently recruited 61 college students who participated in five February START classes held at schools in the conferences.

Planning has begun to offer a similar program during April, focusing on four sports.

The goals of the START program are to recruit new officials in all sports on the participating leagues’ campuses, and to increase opportunities for scholastic officials to advance to the intercollegiate level.

“The START program is an excellent recruitment vehicle for current and former student-athletes to stay in the game as officials in their favorite sports,” said Robert Lombardi, PIAA associate executive director."

Final Four Basketball Blog

2009-03-20T08:43:00.002-04:00

Franklin & Marshall men's basketball players Dontae Johnson, Clay Scovill and Anthony Brooks are "blogging" their thoughts and experiences on the road to the Final Four in Salem, Va. You can follow along with these links.

Muhlenberg's Tim Murray to Trade Uniform for Microphone

2009-02-20T08:42:00.004-05:00

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs' (Philadelphia Phillies AAA affiliate) television and radio broadcast team, including studio hosts, for the 2009 season:

STUDIO HOSTS

• Newcomer Tim Murray enters his first season with the IronPigs and will compliment returnee Tommy Viola and handle on-air and off-air responsibilities as a studio host during all IronPigs home games broadcast on the IronPigs Radio Network. Murray is completing his degree at Muhlenberg College, where he is a senior captain of the Mules' basketball team.

With one game left in the regular season, Muhlenberg (15-9, 11-6) is in third place in the CC, a game ahead of Gettysburg. If the Mules stay ahead of Gettysburg, they earn a bye to the semifinals of the CC playoffs. If the two teams tie, Muhlenberg will host a first-round playoff game next Wednesday.

Student-Athlete Development Coaches Forum

2009-02-18T14:06:00.001-05:00

In partnership with the NCAA championships group, the student-athlete development staff within educational affairs will conduct the first annual Student-Athlete Development Coaches Forum (Forum). The objective of the forum is to provide a three-phase coaching development opportunity to students interested in becoming coaches in the sport of Bowling, Soccer, Swimming & Diving or Wrestling after graduating from college. Forum content includes educating participants in the areas of program management, eligibility, budgeting, student-athlete well being, diversity, championship play, committee structure etc. The conference will take place in Lake Buena Vista, Florida at Coronado Springs Resort and is provided at NO COST (including travel, lodging, and meals) to all attendees.

The application details the Forum design, deadline and submission information, and eligibility and nominee requirements. Nomination Form

JHU Student to Get a $20,000 Shot

2009-01-30T18:31:00.001-05:00

BALTIMORE, MD - One current Johns Hopkins University undergraduate will get a chance to make a dent in this year's tuition as the Department of Athletics, the Alumni Association and the Department of Student Life are sponsoring a shot for $20,000 at halftime of the Johns Hopkins-Haverford women's basketball on Saturday, February 7. The Johns Hopkins-Haverford women's basketball game on February 7 is the second game of a men's-women's doubleheader. The women's game should start at approximately 3 pm and the doors to Goldfarb Gym will open at noon.

All Johns Hopkins undergraduates over 18 who attend the men's game at 1 pm and the start of the women's game (and meet all criteria for eligibility - criteria, rules and regulations above as a PDF) will receive a raffle ticket upon presentation of their valid Johns Hopkins University ID and a valid driver's license. One randomly selected student from all entries will be picked with ten (10) minutes remaining in the first half of the women's game. Each eligible student will receive one (1) raffle ticket.

The selected participant, who must be present, will have one shot from a designated spot on the floor to win the $20,000 prize. No warm up shots may be taken and the participant will get just one shot at the prize.

Students are encouraged to arrive early for the men's game and stay for the women's game.

Mules Speak Out on Super Bowl XLIII

2009-01-30T18:20:00.002-05:00

From Muhlenberg's "Mule Sports Daily"

The Super Bowl is no longer just a game — it’s an entire festivity. People around the country are prepping for this Sunday, buying chips, wings, pizza and new television sets. Whether we watch for the commercials, the halftime show or the actual football game, no one will be missing the party.

And that includes Muhlenberg’s own. Three diehard football fans and Mule athletes spill their thoughts on the big game.

Editor's Note: Since I love Bruce Springsteen's music ... according to Nicki Notarianni, I now qualify as middle age. Thanks Nicki!

NCAA Convention Review

2009-01-20T11:11:00.003-05:00

The 103rd annual NCAA Convention came to a close on Saturday in Washington, D.C. and as Conventions go, this one was pretty quiet. The Centennial Conference was 8-for-8 on its votes on legislative proposals, siding with the majority position. The delegates voted against August 15 as a new date for the start of the fall preseason, while voting in the affirmative to specify that a season of participation shall not be counted when a student participates in the one date of nontraditional competition (baseball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, women's volleyball).

The most important legislation that was adopted specifies that each head coach shall be certified in first aid, CPR and AED. Endorsed by the national SAAC, the vote carried 420-33-6.

The Convention concluded the service of John Fry, president of Franklin & Marshall College, as chair of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council. Fry was recognized by the delegates for his service to the Association.

The most important news to come from the Convention was that the Centennial Conference has added Susquehanna University to the Conference as an associate member in football and women's golf. The Crusaders will participate in the 2009 golf championship and will compete for the CC title in 2010. Susquehanna's gridders will begin Centennial play in 2010.

Centennial Conference Joins START Officiating Program

2009-01-13T08:01:00.001-05:00

The Centennial Conference and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Associate Executive Director Robert A. Lombardi, in conjunction with four other NCAA Division II and III conferences, announced the initiation of the START program at the Pennsylvania State Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (PSAHPERD) annual convention recently.

START stands for Students of Today Are Referees of Tomorrow, with a goal of recruiting new officials in all sports on the collegiate campuses as well as increasing opportunities for scholastic officials to advance to the intercollegiate level.

Member institutions of these conferences will be offering classes to become a registered sports' official with Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association or their sister association in each member institution's respective state throughout the Middle Atlantic Region.

Working in conjunction with the Centennial and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association are the commissioners of the Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) along with Division III Capital Athletic Conference (CAC), Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation (MAC).

"This program will enable students to learn about what it takes to become an official and give graduates of START the opportunity to begin working games immediately," stated Steve Ulrich, Executive Director of the Centennial Conference.

The initial courses are to be offered during the spring semester at several college campuses.

The pilot program offered by the Centennial Conference will aim to recruit officials for baseball, softball, boys lacrosse and girls lacrosse on the first three Thursdays of February, 2009 (2/5, 2/12 and 2/19).

The three sessions will run approximately 75 minutes, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Steinman College Center at Franklin & Marshall College. Although the program is primarily for students from any college or university, others interested in becoming scholastic, and potentially collegiate, officials are encourage to attend.

At the end of the third meeting, students with proper college ID will be offered the opportunity to take the PIAA officiating test for that sport free of charge. Non-students may take the PIAA test at the regular $30 fee.

Those that pass the test will be assisted in contacting local officiating chapters so they can begin officiating PIAA sanctioned events (and other intramural, youth or recreation league events) as soon as possible.

Other pilot programs are tentatively scheduled to be offered at York College of Pennsylvania (CAC), Cabrini College (CSAC), DeSales University (MAC) and Lock Haven University (PSAC).

End of the Recruiting Rainbow Isn't Always Gold

2008-12-17T10:09:00.001-05:00

After investing so much time and money in a sport, an athlete makes their college choice. Sometimes it's a dream fulfilled; sometimes it's disenchanting.

You might have perceptions about the world of athletic scholarships, but chances are they don't match up with the complex realities. This Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune series aims to debunk some of the myths about scholarships and explain who gets them, how much money they get and what price some athletes ultimately pay.

PART I: Parents and athletes who think they are in line for a full ride often learn the realities of the scholarship are just as elusive as the scholarships themselves.

PART II: A look at life as a student-athlete and the role of money in NCAA Division I, II and III.

PART III: Several steps can help an athlete get a scholarship, but even the best-laid plans can change in a hurry.

College athletes cluster majors at most schools

2008-11-21T11:44:00.000-05:00

When the NCAA adopted new rules in 2003 intended to improve graduation rates of athletes, critics countered that under pressure to keep athletes progressing toward a degree, schools might cut academic corners to help the athletes stay eligible to play.

Teams now can lose scholarships and access to postseason play if enough athletes are not on track to receive a degree or do not graduate.

But giving athletes a more meaningful academic experience also was part of the new rules' intent, NCAA president Myles Brand told USA TODAY for a story in 2003. However, Syracuse University athlete Dylan Malagrino, who had headed the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, expressed concern that "coaches and academic administrators in the athletic department might be strongly encouraging students to take easier majors or to choose a major and never switch."

Graduation rates have improved as the rules have phased in over the past few years. Whether that has been due to students taking easier majors has not been studied.

To study the extent to which athletes disproportionately group in particular majors, USA TODAY chose five sports, selected to give a mix along gender, revenue-generating and seasonal lines: football, baseball, softball and men's and women's basketball. USA TODAY reviewed media guides and school websites at 142 schools — the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) schools and 22 Division I schools with standout basketball teams over the past few years, based on USA TODAY coaches' poll rankings. The result: a list of about 9,300 upperclass athletes on the team rosters during the 2007-08 school year.

- USA TODAY

College athletes studies guided toward 'major in eligibility'

2008-11-21T11:42:00.000-05:00

Steven Cline left Kansas State University last spring with memories of two years as a starting defensive lineman for a major-college football team. He left with a diploma, credits toward a master's degree and a place on the 2007 Big 12 Conference all-academic team.

He also left with regrets about accomplishing all of this by majoring in social sciences — a program that drew 34% of the football team's juniors and seniors last season, compared with about 4% of all juniors and seniors at Kansas State. Cline says he found not-so-demanding courses that helped him have success in the classroom and on the field but did little for his dream of becoming a veterinarian.

"I realize I just wasted all my efforts in high school and college to get a social science degree," says Cline, who adds he did poorly in biology as a freshman, then chose what an athletics academic adviser told him would be an easier path.

His experience reflects how the NCAA's toughening of academic requirements for athletes has helped create an environment in which they are more likely to graduate than other students — but also more likely to be clustered in programs without the academic demands most students face.

Some athletes say they have pursued — or have been steered to — degree programs that helped keep them eligible for sports but didn't prepare them for post-sports careers.

"A major in eligibility, with a minor in beating the system," says C. Keith Harrison, an associate professor at the University of Central Florida, where he is associate director of the Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sports.

- USA TODAY

Athletes' academic choices put advisers in tough balancing act

2008-11-21T11:40:00.000-05:00

B. David Ridpath has a confession to make. As the athletics department's compliance director and liaison to academic services for athletes at Marshall from 1997 to 2001, he often told athletes to avoid tough majors if they wanted to play their sports.

"Academic advisers say that all the time," he says. "You'd do it in more subtle kinds of ways, but I have directly told kids myself, 'You can be in this major if you want to be, but if you want to play football, or want to play basketball, you may want to look at this major.' And that's what happens."

These days Ridpath is an assistant professor of sport administration at Ohio University and a member of the Drake Group, a national network of faculty members and others who advocate broad reform of college sports, particularly in terms of academic integrity.

"These kids are getting steered into these less rigorous majors, or majors with friendly faculty," Ridpath says. "I do admit I did it myself, and I'm ashamed of it, and I wish I'd never done it."

A USA TODAY study of the majors of juniors and seniors in football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball and softball at 142 of the NCAA's top-level schools shows athletes at many institutions clustering in certain majors, in some cases at rates highly disproportionate to those of all students.

- USA TODAY

D-III: Football's Purest Form

2008-10-31T11:05:00.001-04:00

Here is an article from the San Antonio Express-News on Division III football. We hope you enjoy it.

“The whole point of Division III is that student-athletes can be real student-athletes and put academics first,” he said. “They can make education the highest priority while continuing to play sports.”

"On a sunny afternoon this fall, Sul Ross State quarterback Monte Morales completed 13 of 25 passes and ran for a touchdown as the Lobos beat Howard Payne 17-0 at Alpine's Jackson Field.

Less than 24 hours later, Morales started an overnight shift at High Frontier, a residential school for teenagers who are, according to its Web site, “experiencing a wide range of emotional, behavioral and educational problems.”

Morales works at the center, which is between Alpine and Fort Davis in the mountains of West Texas, three nights a week. And takes a full course load at Sul Ross. And practices every day with the football team, makes the bone-wearying bus trips of the American Southwest Conference and manages to have a small sliver of a life outside school and football.

“I'm dragging pretty much the whole week,” he said wearily. “It's pretty rough.”

But for a lot of young men, if they're going to play NCAA Division III football, it's life."

Read the complete story

Recent Campus SAAC Meetings

2008-10-29T11:37:00.002-04:00

January, 2008 - NCAA
Sept. 7, 2008 - Gettysburg
Sept. 23, 2008 - Haverford

Get Conference Championship Results on Your Cell

2008-10-29T11:27:00.001-04:00

Given the success of our football scores program, you can now get Centennial Conference championship results instantly sent to your cell via Twitter. Register with Twitter ... send the message "follow CCplayoffs" to 40404 ... and you'll receive scores from the championship events Don't want that many text messages on your phone ... get them off the web just as quickly. Click on the above link to find out how.

Changes in Drug Testing a Burden for DIII Athletes

2008-10-07T08:15:00.002-04:00

"There have been plenty of embarrassing moments in the sports world. Take, for instance, Diana Ross missing her ceremonious penalty kick as part of the disastrously gaudy 1994 World Cup opening ceremonies. Or take Steve Smith scoring the winning goal in game seven of the 1986 conference finals … for the other team. Oh, and who can forget the infamous 1982 Cal-Stanford football game where the band rushed the field to celebrate Stanford’s victory a little too early, allowing Cal to score a last second touchdown and win the game.

What could I possibly imagine to be the embarrassing moment to top all those? Something so traumatizing it need not involve anything more than a cup, a bathroom stall and a complete stranger. That is, being asked for a urine sample for a drug test and being unable … to perform. It’s a lot of pressure. Too much pressure. Stories of athletes taking hours while teammates wait on the bus can make the most unabashed athletes worry.

Unfortunately for DIII student-athletes like me, this embarrassing moment could become a lot more common. Every year student-athletes at Swarthmore and elsewhere are asked to sign a series of documents that give the NCAA permission to drug test. As fall athletes already know, though, this year the forms are a little different."

- by Hannah Purkey, Swarthmore Phoenix

Digging for a Cure

2008-10-01T11:29:00.002-04:00

The Centennial Conference women's volleyball athletes and coaches have joined together for the third straight year to raise money for Breast Cancer research. The teams will use the dig totals from selected matches to raise money for Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC). LBBC offers various programs to help those fighting the disease and also provides information and support for family and friends. If you are interested in donating, please contact a team member or the head coach. The dates that the teams have chosen to use its dig totals for this worthy cause:

October 4 - Bryn Mawr, Johns Hopkins
October 9 - Muhlenberg, Washington
October 11 - Dickinson, Swarthmore
October 18 - Franklin & Marshall, Haverford
October 22 - Gettysburg, McDaniel, Ursinus

Thank you for your support!!!

NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Conference

2008-07-01T09:45:00.003-04:00

The 2008 fall NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Leadership Conference is scheduled for Oct. 3-4-5 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Attendance is absolutely free! The NCAA pays for airfare or mileage, shuttle transportation, lodging (Friday & Saturday only) and meal costs; rental car fees are not reimbursed. Hotel expenses (excluding incidentals) and airfare are billed directly to the NCAA. Additionally, the NCAA will reimburse reasonable meal expenses associated with travel upon provision of a reimbursement form and expense receipts.

Division III is committed to student-athlete well-being, a key priority of the Division III Strategic Plan. The divisional leadership conferences are designed to encourage student-athletes to become confident change agents on their campuses and in their communities and to provide a forum for student-athletes, coaches, administrators and faculty to build partnerships, develop leadership skills, and discuss Division III issues that impact student-athletes. As part of the divisional leadership conferences, participants from the same institution or conference office will work together in teams. They will use information presented at the leadership conference to develop plans for projects that can be implemented with the support of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and other campus leaders to promote positive change. This jam-packed, weekend conference allows Division III attendees to not only become change agents, but have fun and make new friends while doing it!

The deadline for registration is September 1. Interested? Contact your institution's Director of Athletics for more information.

It's Not an Adventure, It's a Job

2008-03-12T10:52:00.001-04:00

by Bill Pennington, New York Times

"A few months into her first year at Villanova, Stephanie Campbell was despondent.

As a high school senior in New Jersey, she had been thrilled to receive a $19,000 athletic scholarship to play field hockey at Villanova University, a select, private institution outside Philadelphia. But she had not counted on the 7 a.m. start of every class day, something required so she could be in the locker room by noon to prepare for a four-hour shift of afternoon practices and weight-lifting sessions. Travel to games forced her to miss exams and classes. There were also mandatory team meetings, study halls and weekend practices.

She was overwhelmed."

Read More

Recruits Clamor for More From Coaches With Less

2008-03-12T10:49:00.001-04:00

by Bill Pennington, New York Times

The country’s celebrity college football and basketball coaches lead nationally ranked teams on television, controlling a bevy of full scholarships and a sophisticated marketing machine that swathes college athletics with an air of affluence. They are far from typical.

More common is the soccer, lacrosse or softball coach who sits in a closet-sized office beside a $100 air conditioner and a 12-inch TV, trying to figure out ways to buy the best athlete possible for the least amount of scholarship money, which can be as little as $400. A jack-of-all-trades, this coach has a job that requires the skills of a stock portfolio manager, labor lawyer, headhunter, family counselor and soothsayer.

“There have been days when you feel like a used-car salesman,” said Joe Godri, the baseball coach at Villanova University. “I’ve always been completely honest, but you can’t get away from the fact that the process can be crazy. You pump up a kid so much to come to your place, and when he agrees, you say, ‘O.K., and what I’ve got for you is 25 percent of your cost to attend here.’ “And no one believes you, but that’s a good Division I baseball scholarship. You have to convince his parents that you’re being really fair.”

Read More

Expectations Lose to Reality of Sports Scholarships

2008-03-10T12:20:00.001-04:00

by Bill Pennington, New York Times

At youth sporting events, the sidelines have become the ritual community meeting place, where families sit in rows of folding chairs aligned like church pews. These congregations are diverse in spirit but unified by one gospel: heaven is your child receiving a college athletic scholarship. Parents sacrifice weekends and vacations to tournaments and specialty camps, spending thousands each year in this quest for the holy grail. But the expectations of parents and athletes can differ sharply from the financial and cultural realities of college athletics, according to an analysis by The New York Times of previously undisclosed data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association and interviews with dozens of college officials.

Read More

Division III Membership Issues

2008-01-28T13:48:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of podcasts that you might find interesting concerning the possibility of a membership split within NCAA Division III.

Inside Higher Ed talks with Emily Pankow of Luther College, chair of the NCAA Division III SAAC, and Kayla Hinkley of the University of New England.

NCAA Double-A Zone talks with Myles Brand, president of the NCAA, and Dan Dutcher, vice president for Division III.

NCAA Convention Recap

2008-01-16T09:32:00.000-05:00

The 2008 NCAA Convention has come to a close and the nearly 900 Division III delegates certainly will remember this gathering in Nashville for what did happen ... and what did not. The Centennial Conference improved to 2-0 all-time in proposed legislation as Proposal 4, placing limitations on text and instant messaging, was adopted by a 362-72-2 vote. But that was one of the only highlights for the CC, as a number of other Conference votes were in the minority as "more permissive" legislation was adopted. One of these proposals changes the first permissible starting date for basketball contests from the Friday before Thanksgiving to November 15. The Centennial Conference has not officially adopted this legislation and will meet today to discuss the CC's course of action. The Centennial SAAC suffered a defeat, as the membership adopted limitations on the use of male practice players during the traditional segment of the playing season. The Conference students did not wish to see any limitations that would hamper smaller squads. And the national SAAC was defeated in its attempt to require the presence of at least one person certified in first aid, CPR and use of an AED at athletics activities. Read more on the Convention in this story from the NCAA News

Swarthmore SAAC Conducts Holiday Food Drive

2007-12-30T08:52:00.001-05:00

The Swarthmore College Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) sponsored its First Annual Holiday Food Drive. The food donations collected during the drive were donated to the Bernardine Center in Chester, a local organization that assists low-income Chester residents.

NCAA Membership Reorganization Information

2007-12-11T13:32:00.000-05:00

Here is some more information on the issues surrounding the NCAA Membership Reorganization discussion.

Question and Answer Guide

Report of the Working Group on Membership Issues

NCAA Working Group on Membership links

Dickinson Joins Project Share to Help Community

2007-11-27T08:50:00.000-05:00

The Dickinson College Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) recently completed its fall community service project. This year the committee participated in the Carlisle Turkey Brigade. The student-athletes teamed with Project S.H.A.R.E. to gather "turkey baskets" for the less fortunate in the Carlisle community. Dickinson alumnus Elaine Livas '83 is the director of Project SHARE, which she started in 1985. SAAC presented a monetary donation of just under one thousand dollars to the worthy cause.

Hopkins SAAC Hosts Food Drive

2007-11-01T09:26:00.000-04:00

BALTIMORE, MD -- The Johns Hopkins University Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be conducting a food drive to benefit needy families for Thanksgiving at this weekend's athletic events at Homewood Field. All donations will benefit the Maryland Food Bank.

Individuals attending the Johns Hopkins-Franklin & Marshall Centennial Conference Football Game (Saturday, November 3) and the Centennial Conference Women's Soccer Championships (Saturday and Sunday, November 3-4) at Homewood Field are asked to bring a donation of a non-perishable food item in lieu of an admission fee. Unfortunately, cash donations can not be accepted.

Kickoff for the football game at Homewood Field is scheduled for 1 pm on Saturday with the women's soccer semifinals slated for 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm that night. The 2007 Centennial Conference Women's Soccer Championship Game will be held at Homewood on Sunday at 4 pm.

For more information about this weekend's activities at Johns Hopkins University please visit the official web site of Hopkins athletics at www.HopkinsSports.com.

Schedule Of Events
Homewood Field • Johns Hopkins University
November 3-4, 2007

Saturday, November 3
Football:
Johns Hopkins vs. Franklin & Marshall - 1 pm

Women's Soccer (Centennial Semifinals):
#1 Johns Hopkins vs. #5 Gettysburg - 5 pm

Women's Soccer (Centennial Semifinals):
#3 Swarthmore vs. #2 Ursinus - 7:30 pm

Sunday, November 4, 2007
Women's Soccer (Centennial Championship):
Semifinal Winners - 4 pm

- 30 -

D1 vs. D3 Expenditures

2007-10-02T11:54:00.000-04:00

The gulf between high-powered "play-for-pay" scholarship athletics and Division III will never seem wider than it will after you read this series in the Austin American-Statesmen.

"This year, the University of Texas athletics department will for the first time spend more than $100 million. That's double the amount of just six years ago. Since 2000, sports expenses have grown twice as fast as UT spending overall ... At the same time, UT has made a deliberate decision to limit the intercollegiate sports it supports. Ohio State University's athletic department also spends about $100 million per year on sports. But the Buckeyes have twice as many teams as the University of Texas, which has one full time athletic department employee for every two student-athletes."

Wujcik Speaks Out

2007-08-31T09:28:00.000-04:00

Bryn Mawr senior Stephanie Wujcik (Mount Laurel, NJ / Lenape) was quoted recently in Athletic Management magazine about competing in Division III: the pros and cons, what changes she would like to see, and whether the division should split in two.

Haverford's Hinchcliff Featured in Chronicle of Higher Education

2007-08-30T10:28:00.001-04:00

Haverford senior volleyball setter Emily Hinchcliff (Ithaca, NY / Ithaca) is one of the featured students in the August 17, 2007 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education article, "What Good is Undergraduate Research, Anyway"? Over the summer, the The Chronicle spoke with 30 undergraduates doing research at Haverford and the University of Pennsylvania for firsthand accounts of their experiences. Hinchcliff, a second-team All-Centennial setter in 2006, does immunology research in the laboratory of Dr. Jennifer A. Punt, professor of biology at Haverford.

National SAAC Says Text Messaging Has No Place in Recruiting

2007-08-08T16:35:00.000-04:00

The NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee supported the Centennial Conference's proposal that would eliminate informal methods of communication between coaches and prospective student-athletes at its July 19-22 meeting.

While the SAAC was concerned about the costs incurred by prospective student-athletes related to text messaging, the committee also believes the use text messaging, instant messaging and social networking sites are invasive forms of recruiting.

“It’s impersonal and intrusive,” said committee Chair Sameer Khan, a former golf student-athlete at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham. “With the traditional form of recruiting, prospects weren’t bothered at all hours of the day. Text messaging makes them accessible all the time and we don’t agree with that philosophy.”

The committee also asserted that Division III shouldn’t be in the habit of recruiting in such an informal manner — institutions of higher education should be held to a higher communication standard.

Read more in the NCAA News

Results of NCAA Male Practice Player Survey

2007-04-18T10:17:00.000-04:00

Results of male practice players survey released

April 17, 2007

After more than two years of debate — both inside and outside the governance structure — about whether to limit or even eliminate the use of male practice players in women’s sports, the NCAA has collected data from athletics administrators and coaches in all three divisions to better assess both the extent to which male practice players are used and the effect they have on participation opportunities for female student-athletes.

Survey results show widespread use of male practice players in all three divisions — most prominently in women’s basketball and to a lesser degree in volleyball and soccer — and most respondents said male practice players don’t change how the non-starting members of a team are used in practice and don’t affect the number of grants-in-aid schools award to female student-athletes.

Specifically, survey results show:

• Two-thirds of all Division I institutions reported using male practice players in at least one women’s sport in 2005-06. Two-thirds of Division I women’s basketball teams also reported use, about one-third of which said they used male practice players almost every day.
• About 35 percent of Division II schools and 40 percent of Division III institutions reported using male practice players as well.
• About two-thirds of Division I women’s basketball and volleyball squads and more than 80 percent in soccer reported no change in how non-starting team members were used when male practice players were used.
• Only two schools (one each in Divisions I and II) said they recruited fewer female players or provided fewer scholarships because of using male practice players.
• More basketball teams use male practice players in the championship segment than do volleyball and soccer teams, which concentrate use more in the nonchampionship portions of the playing and practice season.

The intent of the survey was to gain a more realistic assessment of the types of use on campus rather than rely on anecdotal evidence. Only Division III included philosophical questions about eliminating or limiting the practice, since that division is the only one to have considered legislative modifications so far. Division III delegates at the January Convention considered and subsequently deferred a proposal from the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to limit the use of male practice players to once per week during the traditional season and to no more than half the number of players required to field a starting team.

When asked about eliminating the practice, about one-fourth of the Division III membership indicated support. However, more than 90 percent of the schools that used male practice players in 2005-06 opposed a ban, and even of those schools that did not use male practice players in 2005-06, almost two-thirds said they would not want the practice eliminated.

The Division III survey did reveal interest in limitations, though, as about half overall indicated support for limiting both the frequency of use and the number of players that can be used. Even half the schools that used male practice players in 2005-06 agreed with that approach.

Governance vetting

The Divisions II and III Management Councils reviewed the survey results during meetings April 16-17 in Indianapolis. The Division I Management Council, which also met April 16, has asked its Championships/Competition Cabinet to study the results and make recommendations. A subcommittee of that group was briefed on the matter during an April 19 conference call. The full cabinet expects to review the issue at its next meeting in June.

NCAA Senior Vice President for Championships Joni Comstock said the comprehensive review was appropriate, given the number of years the practice has gone relatively unregulated. The Division I survey indicated schools have been using male practice players for an average of about seven years, and fewer than 16 percent of schools that used male practice players said they had formal policies governing their use.

“The use of male practice players has gone on for many years without formal review, and it is time to consider if the practice is in the best interests of women student-athletes,” Comstock said.

With usage numbers now in hand, both the Division II and III Councils agreed to seek more feedback from their respective governance structures and coaches associations on the appropriateness of using males in practice situations. It remains to be seen whether that solicitation will lead to proposed legislation for the 2008 Convention.

Survey response rates were high in all three divisions, highlighted by the 95.4 percent response in Division I. Divisions II and III earned response rates of 86.8 percent and 77.1 percent, respectively.

“The response indicates that people have become engaged in the issue, which is a positive outcome,” said Carolyn Femovich, executive director of the Patriot League and chair of the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet. “The survey is intended to get people talking at the campus level about the pros and cons and the management of the issue. That clearly has been accomplished. If you don’t ask the question, you don’t know what’s actually happening on campus and why coaches believe it may or may not be an important issue.”

The issue of male practice players emerged in October 2004 when the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics, in accordance with its mission of protecting and enhancing female student-athlete participation opportunities, began questioning whether the use of male practice players reduced opportunities for women athletes. The committee urged a three-pronged review to determine whether the practice was widespread, whether the membership was adequately educated about male practice player eligibility requirements, and whether legislative modifications were necessary.

Though several constituencies have been outspoken on the issue since then — including the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, which said it would oppose elimination of the practice — the NCAA did not take a position on the issue until research could inform a decision through the governance structure. The recently conducted survey represents the best opportunity for the NCAA membership to take that approach.

“With an issue of this nature, it is imperative to have a process in place that allows the issue to be well vetted in the membership,” Femovich said. “We now have the research necessary to inform those discussions.”

Survey highlights
Division I
• Of the 312 schools responding, 205 (65.7 percent) said they used male practice players in 2005-06.
• The sports most frequently using male practice players are basketball (61.2 percent of sponsorship), volleyball (16.4 percent) and soccer (10.3 percent).
• Usage was more frequent in basketball, as 20 teams reported daily use and 47 others reported using male practice players four to six times per week. In volleyball and soccer, most teams reported occasional use (one to three times per week or just a few times per month).
• Results show no meaningful statistical relationship between the squad size and the number of male practice players.
• Results show no meaningful statistical relationship between the number of grants-in-aid awarded and the number of male practice players.
• About two-thirds of women’s basketball and volleyball squads and more than 80 percent in soccer reported no change in how non-starting team members were used when male practice players were used.

Division II
• Of the 257 schools responding, 89 (34.6 percent) said they used male practice players in 2005-06.
• The sports most frequently using male practice players are basketball (24.8 percent of sponsorship), volleyball (10.4 percent) and soccer (6.8 percent).
• Frequency of use was reported primarily as occasional (one to three times per week or just a few times per month) in basketball and volleyball.
• About 75 percent of respondents reported no change in how non-starting team members were used when male practice players were used.
• Only one institution reported an impact on financial aid decisions.

Division III
• Of the 337 schools responding, 136 (40.4 percent) said they used male practice players in 2005-06.
• The sports most frequently using male practice players are basketball (26.2 percent of sponsorship), volleyball (12.4 percent) and soccer (6.6 percent).
• Almost all respondents reported frequency of use as one to three times per week or just a few times per month.
• For the most part, the role of non-starting team members went unchanged when male practice players were used; however, there was a slight increase when compared to the starters in the number of instances of being relegated to the bench or implementing the visiting team’s offense.

Division III a Good Place to Be

2007-01-25T13:06:00.000-05:00

By Mike DiMauro, New London Day
Published on 1/24/2007 in Sports » Sports Columns

We've all seen it, the public service announcement that airs frequently during the NCAA Tournament. It's the NCAA's little reminder that as you watch this billion dollar production, we must remember that “there are more than 380,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities and most will go pro in something other than sports.”

Two things that must be established before we proceed:

• Yes, the NCAA comes off somewhere between pigheaded (no football playoff system) and detestable (allowing TV to start tournament games after 10 p.m.) in most cases. But the bit about how most student-athletes use sports as a means to a better education is no less true.

• Yes, there's an inherent allure to Division I sports, especially the ones we watch on television.
But last week, our corner of the world provided a perfect illustration about the competitiveness and the meaning of college athletics at lower levels, every bit as important to the participants as the big time is to the big timers.

There was a college basketball game at Coast Guard last Monday, Coast Guard and Connecticut College. Conn has this forward named Charles Stone, who is as good as anyone else who has ever played at Conn, members of Glen Miller's tournament teams included. Coast Guard has this little guard named Al Sowers, who looks better suited to perhaps write for the yearbook than knife through opposing defenses.

The quality of play wasn't surprising to anyone familiar with Division III basketball. But I had this thought roll through the old noggin repeatedly:

Do you know how many parents of basketball players in the Eastern Connecticut Conference think their kid is too good for Division III?

Do you know how many players around here could have honestly competed in that game?

You wouldn't need all your fingers to count them.

There was a college basketball game in Milton, Mass., last Thursday, Wentworth and Gordon. Wentworth has a pair of Fitch grads, Gil Ward and Todd Doyle, who are part of quite an impressive reclamation project. From 4-21 two years ago, Wentworth has a chance to win its regular season conference title. The Leopards hadn't beaten Gordon since what felt like the year the American League went to the designated hitter.

They finally did. It was 76-63 in an entertaining one hour, 40 minutes, not ruined by TV timeouts, intrusive background noise and cheerleaders wearing less than beach patrons.

The quality of play wasn't surprising to those of us familiar with Division III basketball. But I had this thought roll through the old noggin repeatedly:

Do you know how many parents of basketball players in the Eastern Connecticut Conference think their kid is too good for Division III?

Do you know how many players around here could have honestly competed in that game?

You wouldn't need all your fingers to count them.

Doyle and Ward, like Sowers and Stone, couldn't be happier where they are. They are playing the most competitive basketball of their lives. They all have the same dream at the moment: get hot, win the conference title and make the NCAA Tournament.

Just ask anyone on the Conn teams of the late 90s with Miller and Kevin Jaskiewicz coaching them. The best atmosphere in the history of New London sports came at Luce Field House in those days when 1,200 students painted their faces and roared and howled and chanted, just the way you see it on television.

Here's the best part: Doyle, Ward, Stone and Sowers will earn college degrees that will get them virtually any jobs they want, except playing for the Celtics. They are the NCAA commercial, among the 380,000 who will go pro in something other than sports.

This is not intended to be one of those “you don't know what you're missing” laments about why crowds for local sporting events aren't as big as they used to be. This is merely a message for all Division III athletes and especially their parents, that there is ample nobility and significance to the games.

Just because you can't see them on television doesn't mean they mean less. They still count.

This is the opinion of Day assistant sports editor Mike DiMauro. He may be reached at m.dimauro@theday.com or 701-4391.

2007 NCAA Convention Recap

2007-01-09T10:21:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick recap of the 2007 NCAA Convention, courtesy of the Chronicle of Higher Education. I will provide a more detailed review of our four days in Orlando in the next few days.

Steve Ulrich
Executive Director, Centennial Conference

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Controversial Division III Proposals Could Be Harbinger For Changes At All 3 NCAA Levels
By BRAD WOLVERTON

Orlando, Fla. -- Two of the biggest stories in college sports in the past year happened at universities that normally do not attract the attention that major-college programs do. During last season's NCAA men's college-basketball tournament, George Mason University made an improbable run to the Final Four. Earlier this month, Boise State University upset the University of Oklahoma, a perennial football powerhouse, in a Bowl Championship Series game.

Perhaps it was fitting, then, that on Monday, the last day of the NCAA Convention here, Division III colleges and universities -- the true little guys of college sports -- took center stage.

Division III members debated two controversial measures: one to cap membership, the other to limit the use of male practice players in women's sports.

Members voted to table both proposals, but each measure appears to have legs, both at the Division III level and beyond. Members of Division I and II are also discussing growth issues and whether women's teams should limit the use of male practice players.

In other action on Monday, the National Collegiate Athletic Association voted to:

• Adopt the final "historical" penalties for teams that repeatedly underperform academically. Those penalties will include practice limitations and a ban on postseason play. NCAA officials estimate that, in the spring of 2008, as many as 6 percent of programs -- including up to 20 percent of men's basketball teams -- could lose scholarships under other penalties that are already in place. Last year, just 2 percent of teams lost scholarships.

• Allow Canadian colleges and universities to be considered for NCAA membership. Two Canadian universities have inquired about joining the NCAA.

The Division III proposal to cap membership, introduced by members of the North Coast Athletic Conference, was withdrawn by conference members on Monday, in part to allow a new NCAA working group, made up of individuals from all three NCAA levels, to explore the possibility of creating a fourth NCAA division or a Division III subdivision.

The NCAA has not changed its membership structure since 1973. Many athletics officials believe the association needs to add another division to create more competitive equity across college sports.

"Division III is too large: too unwieldy to be effective, too big to be fair," Douglas C. Bennett, president of Earlham College and a North Coast conference member, told more than 400 fellow Division III members during a legislative session on Monday. He pointed out that because of the division's size, too few teams have access to postseason opportunities, and said "persistent, irresolvable disagreements about philosophy" have proven that the division has too many different kinds of institutions under one umbrella.

A change to the NCAA's structure would most likely have implications for all three divisions, Dan Dutcher, the NCAA's vice president for Division III, said in an interview on Monday.

Among the chief concerns: how to pay for a new membership level. Athletics officials are considering several ways -- raising dues for all NCAA institutions, increasing dues only for those colleges and universities that join a new division, and reallocating revenue from the existing associationwide budget.

Practice-Player Limits
Division III is the only level to have considered formal legislation limiting the use of male practice players on women's teams, but members of all three divisions have discussed the topic in the past year.

On Monday, Division III members recommended further review of the issue, and 15 minutes of lively debate suggested there is a wide spectrum of opinions on the subject.

Jennifer Warmack-Chipman, an assistant director of athletics at Muhlenberg College and a member of the NCAA's Committee on Women's Athletics, told attendees that the committee opposes the use of male practice players, a strategy many women's programs use to improve the skills of top female players. (Teams often bring in men who played in high school who are bigger and faster than second-string women's players.)

The committee believes that the approach impedes female participation, Ms. Warmack-Chipman said, and "reinforces the implied notion of male pre-eminence."

She urged members to ban the practice, saying, "Any action that threatens the quality of participation opportunities for women is a large step backwards."

Many athletes supported the measure, which would restrict teams to using a limited number of male practice players for no more than one practice a week in their traditional season.

"This is not only an equity issue," said Doug Tima, a senior who plays football at Otterbein College and is vice chair of the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. "But we have to ask, Are we doing this for the rights of student-athletes or for competitive advantage?"

Several people, however, supported the continued use of male practice players. Timothy Shea, athletics director at Salem State College, said he was against any institutional limits.

"We oppose any intrusion into the coach's classroom," he said. If members passed this legislation, he said, "how long before we mandate playing time?"

Representatives from all three divisions plan to continue reviewing the issue in coming months.

Male Practice Players in Women's Sports

2006-11-06T10:17:00.000-05:00

from the NCAA News, November 6, 2006

Better. Faster. Stronger. In athletics, we constantly try to attain these goals. Athletes spend hours in the weight room and on the track to improve their strength and speed. They stay after practice and work on their shots. Coaches scour video looking for weaknesses to exploit. All in the name of better, faster, stronger.

But sometimes our vision becomes clouded by looking only at the benefits and failing to recognize whether the end justifies the means. When it comes to the use of male practice players in NCAA women’s athletics, for example, nobody seems to have a concrete answer. Even those who support their use are beginning to wonder about the ethics behind the practice. We love the payoff, but the cost might be too much.

The main issue at hand is whether the use of male practice players takes away opportunities from female athletes who are sitting idle at their expense. True, the female athletes who are opposite the male practice players in drills enjoy being pushed to the limits of their athletic abilities, and they love the edge it provides them in the game. But is that enough? These athletes usually are the starters on a squad. Do we sacrifice the growth of a team’s depth to push its elite? Is that really what the NCAA stands for these days?

It’s a tough question and even the student-athletes can’t figure out exactly how to best serve the interests of female players. Just like coaches, we want to rack up the wins and we’re dedicated to doing what it takes to get results. At the same time, most of the membership is made up of the non-elite, as are many squads. In women’s basketball, there are five starters and 15 available scholarships. In a fully funded program, the potential is there to deny almost two-thirds of the athletes on a roster the opportunity to earn playing time by improving in practice. That opportunity is what we are here for and it’s what gives the NCAA lasting power in the college arena.

Playing an NCAA sport can be compared to living the American Dream. Every 5-year-old wants to play for their favorite college team, but not that many actually will get there. For those of us who do make it, challenges often await. Injuries, attitude, prejudice — so many things can hold an athlete back, but male practice players shouldn’t be among them.

So how do we deal with that conundrum? The growing consensus is not simply to ban the use of male practice players in NCAA women’s athletics. Coaches and student-athletes agree that these young men are performing a valuable service for women’s athletics and that their use is pushing competitive levels to never-before-seen heights — and we don’t want to give that up. However, there also is a growing recognition that lines need to be drawn.

The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee proposed limiting the use of male practice players in a way that allows teams to gain from their strengths and also gives its competing female athletes the opportunities they are seeking in college athletics. Judging from the discussions and feedback coming from the various cabinets, those limitations seem to be settling into a two-pronged set of standards involving both the number of hours that male practice players log during a practice week and the number of players used compared to the starting squad size. (The Division III membership will consider a similar set of standards proposed by the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at the 2007 NCAA Convention.)

As the stakes get higher and the level of competition rises in women’s athletics — and as the need for that edge over an opponent intensifies — the room for exploitation grows as well. The most responsible thing that membership can do at this point is to be active and draw a line before it can be crossed. That mind-set puts the well-being of student-athletes ahead of victory — which is exactly where it should always be.

Better. Faster. Stronger. The female athletes of the NCAA are all of these things and continue to break through barriers with zeal. Let’s just make sure that as an organization, the NCAA continues to be in the business of removing barriers to opportunity, not keeping them in place.

Beth Waggoner played volleyball at Winthrop University and is a member of the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

New Year Brings Hope for BMC Athletic Association

2006-09-28T20:19:00.000-04:00

courtesy of The Bi-Co News
“One person cannot do everything, but every person can do something.” This seems to be the mantra of the Athletic Association this year, which has returned re-energized and re-focused over the summer, led by newly elected president, Stephanie Wujcik ’08.

Wujcik and the Athletic Association Board have clearly done a tremendous amount of work this summer, meditating upon the ever-present dilemma facing Bryn Mawr athletics.

As Wujcik said in her remarks at the first full meeting of the Association last week, the Athletic Association is technically the largest student group on campus, and yet athletics remain underrepresented in Bryn Mawr culture and consciousness.

The Athletic Association has clearly made it their mission this year to remedy this paradox, by making the Athletic Association a more visible and active force on campus.

This is not a task to be undertaken lightly. Luckily, the board has come up with several innovative ideas to achieve this presence.

The first is Wujcik’s proposal of “Gold Games.” In this program, each athletic team is paired with another team on campus that plays in a different season. Each team picks a game that is especially significant and the other team will come out to support their sister team at that event.

The idea is to get all athletes talking to one another, creating a firm athletic kinship, and ensuring that every team feels supported by the larger community.
Read more

National SAAC Discusses Male Practice Players, Online Social Networks

2006-07-20T09:41:00.000-04:00

July 19, 2006
The NCAA News

The NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committees met in Dallas July 13-17 to discuss student-athlete issues, including the use of male practice players and the risks involved with posting personal information on online social networks. The committees also participated in a community-service project at the Boys and Girls Club in West Dallas.

During the joint meeting, committee members from all three divisions acknowledged that the use of sites like Facebook has proliferated and become a part of the culture on the majority of college campuses. While many SAAC members acknowledged the risk associated with posting personal information and pictures online, they appreciate the ability to communicate and stay in touch with friends through that medium. The SAACs agreed that all student-athletes need to be aware of the risks.

All three committees also discussed their positions on the use of male practice players in women’s sports. The Division I SAAC does not support eliminating the use of male practice players, but members did agree that the practice should be limited. The committee felt that there should be a limit to the number of times male practice players can be used each week or that they should only be used when a team doesn’t have enough players for a full scrimmage due to injuries.

The Division III committee supported the use of male practice players with similar conditions, and also addressed the question of whether a male practice player should be considered a student-athlete.

A more complete summary of the SAAC meetings will be published in the July 31 NCAA News.

McDaniel Hockey Player Studies Influence of Turf

2006-04-13T11:16:00.000-04:00

courtesy of McDaniel College

When you’re playing field hockey, like Laura Baggaley does, the team you're playing against matters just as much as what you’re playing on. The Physics major says balls go faster and farther on AstroTurf than they do on grass, and it can affect the outcome of the game.

“I can feel a difference on turf, you’re moving faster and the ball goes faster,” Baggaley says.

For her Physics Capstone project (the culminating experience with a major of a liberal arts education at McDaniel), Baggaley is analyzing grass and turf surfaces in order to calculate the difference between them. She will perform experiments tossing the ball and rolling it over the two surfaces, with the help of a softball machine to control how fast the ball goes and at what angle. Baggaley will analyze the different ground surfaces and take into consideration the forces of friction. Based on velocity and bounce, she’ll estimate how far the ball will go.

“I really wanted to do something with Physics that applied it to my life. Our faculty presents it in a way that’s real life, so we can use it,” says the veteran of four years as a Green Terror field hockey team member. The team finished the 2005 season with an 11-8 record playing on both artificial turf and grass. About two-thirds of the team’s opponents’ fields are made of artificial turf, according to McDaniel field hockey and women’s lacrosse coach Muffie Bliss.

Baggaley’s experiments could add to the heated debate about how the official team sport of Maryland is played.

“In the sports world, it’s a hot topic, especially in field hockey,” Baggaley says. “I wouldn’t be surprised if one or the other was mandated in the coming years.”

Baggaley plans to attend graduate school in the field of medical physics. She wants to work in diagnostic therapy helping plan radiation for cancer patients. And, she also hopes to teach.

Championship Atmosphere

2006-02-28T14:08:00.000-05:00

In the Centennial Conference, we permit the top-seeded team to host the sport's "final four" and to choose which semifinal game it wishes to play - the first game or the nightcap. Some coaches prefer to play the first semifinal to provide more rest for their team should it win ... and to scout the next opponent. Unfortunately, this also reduces the crowd for the second semifinal, creating a less-than-desirable atmosphere for our championship experience. In NCAA basketball, the home team for a sectional tournament does not have the option ... it must play the second game. Should the Centennial consider such a rule as well?

Generating Excitement at Your Game

2006-02-07T17:10:00.000-05:00

Here is an idea that is used at the University of Notre Dame to provide promotion for most Fighting Irish sports. This may be something that you can use at your school to increase attendance at the most important Conference home games of the season.

All varsity sports with the exception of football and men's basketball at Notre Dame select their most important/significant home event of the year, to be deemed a "Gold Game." Football and men's basketball are excluded at Notre Dame, as their student and general attendance figures have reached capacity. The marketing staff, in conjunction with the SAAC and head coaches, agrees upon dates of all Gold Games. It is important to keep Gold Games spread throughout the year and to ensure they do not conflict with scheduled school breaks or holidays.

Once dates have been selected and confirmed, the marketing staff assigns two varsity teams to attend each Gold Game. When possible, a team will be assigned to a Gold Game that does not occur during their traditional season of play. Football is divided and assigned as "offense" and "defense" due to its sheer numbers. Teams are asked to resolve conflicts amongst themselves (ex. SAAC members discuss at a meeting and switch or trade assignments).

With Gold Game dates and assignments in place, the rest of the program defaults to the marketing staff. In order to be most effective and efficient, one Gold Games promotion was created, which could easily be applied to any sport.

* A stand-alone ad is run in the student newspaper.
* A Gold Games link can be found on the athletic website.
* At each event, 100 Gold Games t-shirts are distributed to fans.

Since its inception in 2002-03, the Gold Games have made student-athletes much more aware and supportive of each other and take pride in attending their assigned Gold Games. Especially on campus, the faculty and staff have been wonderfully supportive of these events, knowing the impact their attendance may have on this one "big game."

Johns Fills Prescription for Success

2006-02-06T14:20:00.000-05:00

by Colin Chmielewski, York Dispatch

"Tough and pediatrician are two words that don't normally share the same sentence.

After all, parents aren't normally looking for a rugged doctor for their kids.

But Dana Johns is by no means normal.

The Franklin & Marshall senior point guard, while only 5-foot-3, possesses a personality that cannot be measured with physical size. Diplomats' coach Beth Elbon said she has not come across a player as tenacious as Johns."

Life Outside the Playing Field

2006-02-03T10:09:00.000-05:00

Every so often, we'll compile a list of links for articles that feature our students that participate in athletics doing something outside the playing field. The opportunity to excel and participate in many activities is one of the things that makes the Division III - and Centennial Conference - experience special.

Ted Serro, Franklin & Marshall baseball, 2005 Centennial Pitcher of the Year
"When most people think of making a career in baseball, they think of pitching for the Yankees, batting clean-up for the Phillies, or coaching the Dodgers. Senior business, organizations & society major Ted Serro, however, experienced a different side of baseball this past summer when he interned with Lancaster’s new minor league team, the Barnstormers. Serro, a starting pitcher for Franklin & Marshall’s baseball team, spent the summer working for the business side of the Barnstormers organization."

Ian Ramsey-North, Haverford cross country, 2005 All-Centennial Runner of the Year; Division III All-American
"Haverford College student Ian Ramsey-North visits Guatemala to look at how the country and people are coming to grips with Guatemala's brutal past when hundreds of thousands of people were massacred during the civil war." Click here for a video narrated by Ramsey-North

The First Day of Spring

2006-02-01T13:57:00.000-05:00

Considering we had just a trace of snow during the entire month of January ... and the temperatures have been well above normal for the 31-day period ...yeah, it seems like spring, doesn't it? But today - February 1 - is the official first day of spring for Centennial Conference athletes.

You see ... February 1 is the first day of practice for spring teams in the CC. So today, look for baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis and golf teams to be outside practicing for the first time (officially) since October.

As a student participating in athletics, is this a good date to start practice?

e-Recruiting

2006-01-24T10:33:00.000-05:00

by Ken Gordon, Columbus Dispatch
"At 2 a.m. on a snowy winter night, Justin Boren’s cell phone beeped. He was awake, preparing to help his father, Mike, plow snow as part of Mike’s landscaping business. But who would have known that? And who could be text-messaging him at this hour? It was Luke Fickell, an Ohio State assistant coach, keeping in touch with the former Pickerington North offensive lineman.

The NCAA has strict rules regulating phone calls and face-to-face contacts with recruits. But the governing body so far has allowed coaches unlimited e-mails and text messages because they are not viewed as intrusive. Recruiting always has been about trying to outwork other coaches for the top kids. And in the instant-information age, text-messaging has become the latest way to keep in touch."

What do you think? We'd like to know. Share your thoughts here on our Centennial SAAC blog.

2006 NCAA Convention Recap

2006-01-17T10:13:00.000-05:00

Division III strides forward decisively
Delegates map out future after preserving ‘redshirting’ ban

By Jack Copeland
The NCAA News

"At least by past standards, the Division III membership marched through a lengthy legislative agenda January 9 in Indianapolis with breathtaking speed.

It took less than three hours for delegates to deal with a long list of proposals designated by the Division III Presidents Council for roll-call votes — and only about 30 minutes during the annual Convention business session to establish a strong sentiment for preserving recent reforms.

Delegates rejected Proposal No. 3, which sought to reinstate “redshirting,” by a 2-1 margin — a more decisive action than the original vote at the 2004 Convention to eliminate the practice.

They then endorsed three Council-sponsored proposals that resulted directly from recommendations of the Future of Division III-Phase II Oversight Group, with 99 percent of voting delegates approving Proposal No. 9, which amends the Division III philosophy statement to clearly state that athletics should be conducted within institutions’ academic and cultural mission."

Link to complete story

You Asked for a Blog ... You Got a Blog

2006-01-11T15:51:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the blog for the Centennial Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). As requested by the SAAC at its November 2005 meeting, this will be used as the main form of communication between the Centennial SAAC, the Conference membership and the Centennial Office.

We will post information pertinent to students participating in athletics on our campuses ... and we hope that the SAAC members will use the blog to let us know your response(s) ... and how we can improve the student-athlete experience on our 11 campuses.

Located on the side are links to the NCAA SAAC page ... the Centennial SAAC page ... and links for our campus SAAC pages, if they have been created. Coming up soon, we recap the NCAA Convention ... where the national SAAC went 11-4 with its positions on the Presidents Grouping proposals.

Hope you enjoy ... and contribute to ... our Centennial SAAC blog.