FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[polbear73]

Hopefully, gridiron, Bowdoin looks at this as an opportunity to completely reset the program, effectively addressing  all aspects of building a competitive program.  Their issues go well beyond the hiring of a football coach.  If they don't, it will be business as usual, which is pretty dismal. 

[Nescacman]

Some thoughts on how to build a program from an also-ran to a perenial contender in the 'CAC. More importantly, some insights on the coaching situation at Wes:

http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-state-college-notes-1211-20141210-story.html?track=rss#page=1

[frank uible]

First and foremost, one has to get the kids - but a lot easier said than done.

[FourMoreYears]

Some thoughts on how to build a program from an also-ran to a perenial contender in the 'CAC. More importantly, some insights on the coaching situation at Wes:

http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-state-college-notes-1211-20141210-story.html?track=rss#page=1

This observer would be very, very surprised if Bowdoin College followed the footprint of the success that Whalen has had at Wesleyan.
In order to get the caliber of players needed to turn the program in Brunswick around, it would require a shift in admissions philosophy decades in the making.
Which is a shame, because even the student-athletes that Bowdoin deems "unacceptable" can do the work once enrolled.

[PolarCat]

Unfortunately, that would require a complete sea change at Bowdoin.

Wednesday night, my daughter (recruited athlete) was sitting in the library when a couple of NARP's (non-athletic regular persons) asked her to leave.  They told her flat-out that athletes had no right to be taking up resources that the "real" students needed.  This type of thing has happened on multiple occasions in the 3 1/2 months she has been there, mostly with students, but also with some faculty.

They are building a really divisive culture in Brunswicks: Jocks vs. NARP's, with the jocks  treated like second-class citizens.  Pretty shocking for a school that takes such great umbrage over an off-campus costume party that might offend a handful of students.  (Can you imagine the repercussions if a couple of straight white students told a black, Latino, Native American, or LGBT student to give up their seat in the library?)

The attitude is so pervasive that the current Senior Class President ran on a platform that included eliminating all non-essential athletic expenses, and re-allocating those funds to providing scholarship help for children from middle income families.  And the list of "non-essential" expenses included:

• Assistant coaches
• Trainers
• Uniforms (athletes would buy their own)
• Water on the sidelines (ditto)

There's a lot our daughter loves about Bowdoin.  But if we'd known about the anti-jock mentality 18 months ago, my wife and I would have urged her to accept one of the Division I offers she had on the table, instead of becoming a Polar Bear.

[banfan]

Another wide and deep indication that the school is rudderless, adrift, without direction and a little nasty

[wcrosby]

Unfortunately, that would require a complete sea change at Bowdoin.

Wednesday night, my daughter (recruited athlete) was sitting in the library when a couple of NARP's (non-athletic regular persons) asked her to leave.  They told her flat-out that athletes had no right to be taking up resources that the "real" students needed.  This type of thing has happened on multiple occasions in the 3 1/2 months she has been there, mostly with students, but also with some faculty.

They are building a really divisive culture in Brunswicks: Jocks vs. NARP's, with the jocks  treated like second-class citizens.  Pretty shocking for a school that takes such great umbrage over an off-campus costume party that might offend a handful of students.  (Can you imagine the repercussions if a couple of straight white students told a black, Lation, Native American, or LGBT student to give up their seat in the library?)

The attitude is so pervasive that the current Senior Class President ran on a platform that included eliminating all non-essential athletic expenses, and re-allocating those funds to providing scholarship help for children from middle income families.  And the list of "non-essential" expenses included:

• Assistant coaches
• Trainers
• Uniforms (athletes would buy their own)
• Water on the sidelines (ditto)

There's a lot our daughter loves about Bowdoin.  But if we'd known about the anti-jock mentality 18 months ago, my wife and I would have urged her to accept one of the Division I offers she had on the table, instead of becoming a Polar Bear.

That's crazy.  I can pretty much say that kind of thing would never happen at MIT.  I frankly don't understand that kind of attitude...

[quicksilver]

Unfortunately, that would require a complete sea change at Bowdoin.

. . .

The attitude is so pervasive that the current Senior Class President ran on a platform that included eliminating all non-essential athletic expenses, and re-allocating those funds to providing scholarship help for children from middle income families.  And the list of "non-essential" expenses included:

• Assistant coaches
• Trainers
• Uniforms (athletes would buy their own)
• Water on the sidelines (ditto)

. . .

Do you have a link for this? The reason I ask is because the president of the senior class is a track-cross country athlete so it would be surprising for him to run on an anti-sports platform. Also campaigns for class president tend to focus on lighter things like who has the best ideas for managing class-related social activities as class officers really don't have any responsibility for things like the college's budget.

[PolarCat]

No link.  Just what my daughter told me.  And it's possible it is the President of the incoming senior class (2016) not the current one (2015).  My bad.

[PolarCat]

Here's something refreshing: A top flight college that "gets" the reason why you play football, and has some pretty nice sound bites from successful alumni (CEO of General Electric) and the President of the College.  (Although not credited, I am pretty sure that is the AD - formerly from Williams - doing much of the narrative).

The video doesn't seem to be on YouTube yet, but you can click on it here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vi0ge4nt0iwop4p/AAD2h1ztovVitq0vw-W1X3Coa/Our%20House.mov?dl=0

And here's a nice article from Vermont Public Radio on how they turned the program around.  Maybe Bowdoin could use it as a road map: http://digital.vpr.net/post/big-green-back-resurgence-dartmouth-football?SPSID=48870&SPID=4719&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=11600

[quicksilver]

No link.  Just what my daughter told me.  And it's possible it is the President of the incoming senior class (2016) not the current one (2015).  My bad.

Perhaps your daughter was talking about a losing candidate but I also could not find any evidence of that for either the class of 2015 or 2016. Class officer races at Bowdoin tend to be light - hearted affairs that focus on who can do the best job in getting good entertainment to Bowdoin.

[polbear73]

PolarCat: I am not doubting your word, but this is 100%.against everything I have known about Bowdoin during my 40+.year association with the College. In fact it is diametrically opposed to everything the school stands for, namely acceptance and inclusion. Sorry, but I am not buying that this behavior exists.

[PolarCat]

Sorry, but it does.  The library incident absolutely happened.  Unfortunately, I can find no mention on the Orient of the campaign platforms of the candidates.  But the comments at the bottom of the article announcing Dave Caputi's retirement are pretty telling: http://bowdoinorient.com/article/9577

This one in particular (copied verbatim, complete with grammatical errors) epitomizes the antagonism my daughter feels:

Resources (Money/Admissions) are used for a Football. The money could be used to enhance the academic experience at Bowdoin (more professors/better financial aid). Removing tips (admitting under qualified student athletes) would help raise the quality of student enrolled at Bodwoin.

The incident that really frosted me involves a faculty member.  But I will wait till the close of the grading period to go there.

(And to avoid giving the wrong impression, my daughter is very happy at Bowdoin.  She sees the incidents as annoyances, and just another challenge to rise above.  It's the guy who is stroking the check for her to go there that finds the incidents troubling).

[frank uible]

Sounds as if Bowdoin isn't sure who or what it is.

[quicksilver]

Come on guys, the anti-"jock" mentality is hardly new to Bowdoin or any other NESCAC.  This attitude is practically part of the furniture -- the uneasy co-existence of two very different perspectives on college life is part of the culture.

Have people forgotten the Mellon report of about 10 years ago that focused on this issue of athletes versus the rest of the student body and found athletes (in the "helmet" sports in particular) to be wanting on terms of both their academic credentials and performance?