Future of Division III

[DanPadavona]

Absolutely WWWRHH.  Very well written, and I could not agree more.  +K!

[iwumichigander]

Parents should gather facts, ask questions and help keep their child's expectations realistic.   

I'll agree with Mr. Ypsi - your entire post an excellent summary of d3 athletics recruiting.  I wanted to specifically address the quoted sentence.

All too often prospective student athletes, nor parents, do not ask the hard questions they might not want to hear the answer to - Coach, based on what you know now 1)Where do you see me playing as a freshman?  2) What are the things I need to work on now in terms of strength, conditioning or skill sets? 3) What do you feel are my strengths and weaknesses?  4)What's the priority order to make improvements?  5) If I correct or improve all the above before freshman year, where do you see my playing as a freshman; and, when do you (if you) see me as a starter?

[Ralph Turner]

The NCAA convention is this weekend.  The D-III business session will consider the work done by the Presidents Council published in "white papers" addressing such membership issues as future divisional growth and diversity.  Here is the link to the September news release for your review.

"White papers" summary

Here is the full White Paper pdf for your reading pleasure.

White paper pdf

[sac]

•  Implement the increased sport sponsorship requirements slated for 2010-11, consistent with the "broad-based program" philosophy.

• Amend the membership penalty structure and timetable to better distinguish requirements and related penalties, giving top priority to the fulfillment of sports-sponsorship requirements.

Ralph you wouldn't happen to have the sport sponsorship requirement handy would you?

[Ralph Turner]

•  Implement the increased sport sponsorship requirements slated for 2010-11, consistent with the "broad-based program" philosophy.

• Amend the membership penalty structure and timetable to better distinguish requirements and related penalties, giving top priority to the fulfillment of sports-sponsorship requirements.

Ralph you wouldn't happen to have the sport sponsorship requirement handy would you?

Officially, no. Sorry.

[Ralph Turner]

NCAA website notifies us that Myles Brand is undergoing chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer.   

Bummer, bummer...

Our prayers are with Dr Brand!

[Ralph Turner]

2009 Legislative Votes

The Capital AC withdrew its request to have contemporaneous access to the Championship Selections Computer Databases for the respective sports, but requested "brainstorming" to deal with the issue.

The Capital Athletic Conference withdrew its proposal to permit institutions to view NCAA data throughout a season related to criteria for ranking and selecting teams for a championship. But in doing so, an athletics director from a CAC school, Mary Washington's Ed Hegmann, asked the Division III Championship Committee to work with the membership in "brainstorming" ways of monitoring the accuracy of data and helping coaches better understand the selection process.

[Ralph Turner]

Growing influence of recruiting in D-III

Favorable impact on enrollment when LaGrange added football...

LaGrange President F. Stuart Geller provided an illustration of how adding football influenced the institution's enrollment. Although Geller was initially uninterested in doing so, the faculty and athletics department eventually voted to move forward with an implementation plan for football that took 20 months. The more than 100 students who turned out on the first day of tryouts and the 3,500 fans that showed up for the first game of the program's history shattered the institution's modest goals of drawing 80 young men to try out for the team and of attracting 500 to attend the first game. The school underestimated the level of interest from the community and alumni, said Geller, who acknowledged that football has added far more to the institution than he imagined.

[D3Lunatic]

Its important to note that the D3 athlete is often very skilled and very intelligent. He/She might have been trained at thier sport from a very young age as well as had great coaching at the often above avg highschools they attend.

D3 athletes tend to be physically unprepared or physically underdeveloped for D1 programs to actively recruit them in highschool. This can explain why top D3 schools can compete with mid to low D1 schools. Where low D1 schools recieve maxed out higschool stars, with little room for improvement, that may have a D1 body and thus get in the door. D3 schools often recieve a physically underdeveloped, yet highly motivated and highly skilled/drilled athletet that is both smart and dedicated to thier sport.

At good D3 programs weight training can be very intense and thus these young and self-motivated athletes arrive in an environment that is very conducive to thier success, allowing them to grow and develop physically. This player who may be a D3 All Conference player in his/her sportt, had he achieved such a physical state in his Jr yr of highschool, would likely have D1 scholarships to his first choice school.

To summarize and conclude... D3 programs are highly competitive. It takes a very self-motivated and determined athlete to achieve the star potential he/she might have experienced in highschool. Where D1 players have thier campus life literally managed from practices, meetings, team meals, lifts, and even school councelling all falling under thier coaches umbrella of controll. The D3 athlete has much more freedom that  a great personal comittment and level of discipline to achieve his/her goals as an athlete. For this reason, D3 recruits sometimes walk on to campus and relize they have stepped into a very heated competition for playing time. The great thing about sports is they constantly challenge us to become better. better people. D3 sports are no exception. The high level of competition within and between progams, as well as the necessary personal drive that is in e/a very comitted athlete at the d3 level is a recipe for molding wonderful successful people!

[smedindy]

NCAA website notifies us that Myles Brand is undergoing chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer.   

Bummer, bummer...

Our prayers are with Dr Brand!

Unfortunately, there will be some from my home state who will react to this news in an altogether different manner...

[old ends]

Posted on the Centennial  blog on NCAA Convention review

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.

enjoy

[Ralph Turner]

NEAC-NAC affiliation for baseball, women's lacrosse, and men's and women's tennis.

Here is some creative leadership among these two conferences to maintain an AQ bid.

This preserves the opportunities for student-athletes in these sports.

Feb 4, 2009

NAC, NEAC enter partnership to expand associate membership

The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) and North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) have entered into a partnership to expand associate membership. The NEAC will gain associate members in the sports of baseball and women's tennis while the NAC will add members for  men's tennis and women's lacrosse.

The partnership, which impacts nearly all of the current NEAC and NAC membership, provides a conference championship opportunity for student-athletes of both geographically diverse conferences.

"The North Atlantic Conference is committed to providing equitable opportunities for our student-athletes in all sports," said Dave Wolk, President of Castleton State College and Chair of the NAC Presidents Council. "This partnership will help us meet this goal in sports where conference sponsorship is limited. Both conferences support the Division III philosophy and we welcome the opportunity to join with like-minded institutions to ensure the best possible experiences for all student-athletes."

In the sport of baseball, NAC members Castleton, Husson, Lyndon St., Maine-Farmington and Thomas will join the NEAC as associate members. Divisional play will begin in the spring of 2010. Each division will hold a championship and the two divisional champions will meet for a three game series to determine the conference champion. The conference championship site will rotate between the WEST (hosted at either SUNY Cobleskill or SUNYIT) and the EAST (hosted by Castleton). The NEAC will maintain the automatic qualifier they currently hold to the NCAA Division III Championship.

NEAC members Cazenovia, College of St. Elizabeth, Keuka, Penn. St-Abington, Wells and Wilson will join the NAC as associate members in women's lacrosse. Medaille, a current NEAC associate member, will join the NAC as well. Divisional play will begin in the spring of 2010. Each division will hold a championship and the two divisional champions will meet for a conference champion game. The conference championship site will rotate between the EAST (hosted at either Castleton or Green Mountain) and the WEST (hosted by SUNYIT or SUNY Cobleskill). Beginning in 2010, the NAC will begin a two year waiting period to qualify for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

A similar divisional structure will begin for men's and women's tennis in the spring of 2010. NAC members Castleton, Johnson St., Lyndon St. and Thomas will join the NEAC as associate members in women's tennis. Divisional play for the EAST will be in the fall with a divisional champion crowned. The WEST division will compete in the spring and the two divisional champions will meet for the conference championship in the spring. The NEAC will maintain the automatic qualifier they currently hold to the NCAA Division III Championship.

In men's tennis, NEAC members Keuka, Penn St.-Abington, Penn St.-Berks, Penn St.-Harrisburg and SUNY Cobleskill will join the NAC as associate members. SUNY Oneonta, a current NEAC associate member, will join the NAC as well. Both divisions will compete in the spring with the divisional winners meeting for the conference championship. In 2010, the NAC will begin a two year waiting period to qualify for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

"I think this new initiative presents a great opportunity for our Conference and our student athletes," said Keuka College President Dr. Joseph G. Burke who currently serves as Chair of the NEAC President's Council. "We increase our regional exposure and our student athletes have the opportunity to play against teams that they would not normally have the opportunity to play."

NEAC Sponsored Sports    
Baseball
       
EAST
Castleton
Husson
Lyndon St.
Maine-Farmington
Thomas

WEST
Cazenovia
Keuka
Penn St.-Abington
Penn St.-Berks
Penn St.-Harrisburg
SUNY Cobleskill
SUNYIT
   
Women's Tennis
EAST
Castleton
Johnson St.
Lyndon St.
Thoma

WEST
Col. of St. Elizabeth
Keuka
Penn St.-Abington
Penn St.-Berks
Penn St.-Harrisburg
SUNY Cobleskill
Wells
Wilson

NAC Sponsored Sports   
Men's Tennis

EAST
Castleton
Green Mountain
Johnson St.
Lyndon St.
Thomas

WEST
Keuka
Penn St.-Abington
Penn St.-Berks
Penn St.-Harrisburg
SUNY Cobleskill
SUNY Oneonta
   
Women's Lacrosse
EAST
Green Mountain
Husson
Maine-Farmington
Thomas

WEST
Cazenovia
Col. of St. Elizabeth
Keuka
Medaille
Penn St.-Abington
Wells
Wilson

Copied for archival purposes...

[Ralph Turner]

Iowa Conference Expansion

Thanks to Alfredeneumann on the IIAC Football board for this note.

No names mentioned, just the desire to expand to an even number of schools.

[Ralph Turner]

JHU drops Men's and Women's Varsity Crew.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=45466

[frank uible]

How about one of these institutions having the political courage to engage in the indicated shut down of one of their very expensive sacred cows rather than solely to pick at the margins with closure of inexpensive but vulnerable minor programs? In the case of Johns Hopkins how about elimination of lacrosse?