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
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Thursday, July 20, 2006
National SAAC Discusses Male Practice Players, Online Social Networks
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.
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.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
McDaniel Hockey Player Studies Influence of Turf
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Championship Atmosphere
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?
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Generating Excitement at Your Game
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."
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."
Monday, February 06, 2006
Johns Fills Prescription for Success
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."
Friday, February 03, 2006
Life Outside the Playing Field
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
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
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
The First Day of Spring
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?
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?
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
e-Recruiting
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.
"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.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
2006 NCAA Convention Recap
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)