FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[79jaybird]

Congrats to the 3 honorees for their Pre-Season AA's.

As a football fan, I was saddened to read about the passing of a great football pioneer in Bill Walsh.  Like Halas, Stagg, Lombardi Keller, etc.  Walsh was a great football mind winning 3 super bowls (81, 84, 88).  God Bless Bill.

[BIG Orange -Florida Connection]

What do you say to someone when they don't think its a big deal that your son is going to play D3 football?  My son has met with a school and has told them that he wants to play for them, and the school wants him there.  We spent the whole day with them.

I had a guy tell me well anyone can play D3 football.  I think there is more to that in my opinion.  I would think you would need to be invited, and accepted.

I'm very proud of my son.  He knows that he is going to get a great education and continue to play the game that he loves.

Does anyone out there something that I can throw back at them?

[matblake]

What do you say to someone when they don't think its a big deal that your son is going to play D3 football?  My son has met with a school and has told them that he wants to play for them, and the school wants him there.  We spent the whole day with them.

I had a guy tell me well anyone can play D3 football.  I think there is more to that in my opinion.  I would think you would need to be invited, and accepted.

I'm very proud of my son.  He knows that he is going to get a great education and continue to play the game that he loves.

Does anyone out there something that I can throw back at them?

First of all, welcome to the board.  And congrats to your son for wanting to continue to pursue his athletic goals as well as getting a great education on the field and off.

Unfortunately, I've found that arguing with someone who believes that D3 sports are bush league is like arguing with your kid brother when you were 10 and he was 7, a lot of action, but very little resolution.  However, I bet if you invited this guy along to one of the games, his story would end up being very different.  When you actually attend a game, you see the level of competition. 

As far as being accepted on the team, there are different rules depending on your conference and your particular team.  Some conferences, like the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference place a limit on the number of players each team can have.  Other conferences have no limits.  Mt. Union, the current team everyone in D3 is trying to catch as far as recent success goes, doesn't limit anyone.   

[79jaybird]

I have never met anybody who has not liked their experience playing a D-3 sport, especially in the CCIW.

I would tell your Son that he has a great opportunity to continue his god given talents, which many others would die to have a chance to have/continue playing.  

Certainly the final decision is his to make, but ultimately I think continuing to play will build up character, give him a boatload of friends, and give him something else to do while he is making his grades.    
Just my 2 cents from somebody who was not recruited to play at Elmhurst, but loved every minute of my experience on the team.

[Mugsy]

What do you say to someone when they don't think its a big deal that your son is going to play D3 football?  My son has met with a school and has told them that he wants to play for them, and the school wants him there.  We spent the whole day with them.

I had a guy tell me well anyone can play D3 football.  I think there is more to that in my opinion.  I would think you would need to be invited, and accepted.

I'm very proud of my son.  He knows that he is going to get a great education and continue to play the game that he loves.

Does anyone out there something that I can throw back at them?

I would say that person is completely and utterly ignorant on the subject.   Seems to me they have little concrete knowledge to base his/her position and are applying the following bogus logic: 

D3 is two less than D1, so therefore the level of athletic skill is so low that anyone could successfully compete.

That's like saying the CFL is not as good as the NFL, so anyone could play in the CFL.  Ludicrous...

That person is unknowingly correct on one account.  At most D3 schools (obvious exception being WIAC schools) virtually anyone can tryout for football...  Many allow players who may never see the field in an actual game be part of the team, so long as they fulfill all requirements expected of any player.  Granted this is dependent on some level of financial limitation (ie. you couldn't have 300 guys on a team), but for the most part anyone could be part of a team. 

Seems to me it works itself out in the end.  If an individual lacks at least a reasonable level of athletic ability or a serious commitment if they are on the border, they generally drop off quickly.  Those who lack ability must have incredible commitment to deal with all the physical demands, knowing they won't see much (if any) playing time during real games. 

That said I can think of at least 8-10 guys during my 4 years as a player who had little chance of ever seeing much time. Yet if you were to speak to them about it, they wouldn't trade their experience as being part of the team or what they learned from being part of a D3 football team that can apply to their life beyond college.  The challenges, the adversity, the discipline, the hardwork, the camaraderie, etc...  All have pratical application to career, family and future decisions.  Very, very valuable experience beyond the core studies and education - IMO.

[matblake]

That's like saying the CFL is not as good as the NFL, so anyone could play in the CFL. 

Just ask Ricky Williams.

[FormerCard]

What do you say to someone when they don't think its a big deal that your son is going to play D3 football?  My son has met with a school and has told them that he wants to play for them, and the school wants him there.  We spent the whole day with them.

I had a guy tell me well anyone can play D3 football.  I think there is more to that in my opinion.  I would think you would need to be invited, and accepted.

I'm very proud of my son.  He knows that he is going to get a great education and continue to play the game that he loves.

Does anyone out there something that I can throw back at them?

Tell him he was adopted, that his parents didn't love him,  that he was a mistake...

just a thought if rational arguments don't work

[washdupcard]

What do you know about the secondary?  I thought you were a dirt eater?

I know short, slow, Cub fan DB's when I see them!!   

Touche

[Comet 14]

Speaking from experience. My son enjoyed his freshman year at Elmhurst last year while it was a hard adjustment from playing every down in high school to very limited playing time his freshman year he enjoyed it very much. Having never seen a D3 football game before his recruitment.  I was extremely impressed with the level of play. I think this person speaks from ignorance.

[Mugsy]

URRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

Just reviewed the 2007 schedule again and discovered more than likely I will miss one of the biggest games of the year in the CCIW and 1 of the 2 most important games from a Wheaton perspective.

Wheaton @ NCC is on Oct. 6th @ 7pm.

I have a rather important appointment at 8am on Oct. 7th that I've been preparing for since January - the Chicago Marathon.  I will be in downtown Chicago and asleep by 9pm or so.

Yes I know... if I were truly devoted I would be there anyway.  But I've put in 8 months and over 650 miles of training so far...

[BIG Orange -Florida Connection]

My son is going to be a senior this year in High School, and already has his mind made up on the University.  We are really enjoying the experience now and he has a whole year of high school left.

I think some of the problem is that he is going to play his senior year in florida, and in florida there aren't any D3 schools so they don't understand.  

He will be going to a CCIW team.  

I really appreciate a lot of the comments that have been made.  

[matblake]

My son is going to be a senior this year in High School, and already has his mind made up on the University.  We are really enjoying the experience now and he has a whole year of high school left.

I think some of the problem is that he is going to play his senior year in florida, and in florida there aren't any D3 schools so they don't understand.  

He will be going to a CCIW team.  

I really appreciate a lot of the comments that have been made.  

Feel free to stick around and get your feet wet on the board this year.  I think you'll enjoy it.  Besides, with the main site and this board, you can be in Timbuktu (or Timbuk3 for you 80's music fans) and still follow D3 sports.

[DIIIinVA]

I have a few anecdotal thoughts/comments on the "playing D-III isn't any big accomplishment" comment.

My freshman year suitemates (both on the team) were both from Oklahoma and had played high level HS football there.  Upon arriving they scoffed at Wheaton's little stadium by comparison to the stadiums they had seen in high school.  But once practices started, these guys were blown away by the speed (compared to high school) of the game and the higher caliber of athletes across the board.  They maintained that any CCIW team would kick the crap out of the best HS teams in Oklahoma.  These were guys who had played with and against a bunch of D-1 prospects.  But for every D-1 prospect on even a very good HS team, you also have a kid (or five or ten) who couldn't cut it in the CCIW.

Look at the bio's of the 2-deep on any good D-III team's roster.  You'll find  kids who were all-conference or all-region in HS, some of them all-state.  Most were team captains in HS.  These are kids who were excellent HS players.  Just a step slow for D-1, or a few pounds too light, or a 'tweener.  Many of them could have been walkons at the D-1 level.  Some were recruited by D1 or 1-AA schools but to play a different position (i.e. Tim Tully, our 5'9"-ish QB at Wheaton, could have had a scholarship to play DB at a higher level but wanted to play QB).

Mugsy's comparison of the NFL to the CFL (or arena league) is a good one.  Same with playing in college.  Only the best HS athletes play at ANY college level. 

That's like a kid getting an academic scholarship to a good State U, but someone saying it isn't an impressive accomplishment, because State U isn't an Ivy League school.  Sure it isn't, but it's still a big accomplishment.

[TRIPD]

This is the new home of CCIW discussion. Welcome aboard, everyone.

[TRIPD]

This is the new home of CCIW discussion. Welcome aboard, everyone.

Are there any transfers of note to the CCIW?