Just this past week, the Bryan College Women's Soccer and Women's Volleyball Teams were recognized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for succeeding in the area that, let's be hones, counts the most.
They were both awarded the 2009-10 NAIA Scholar Team Award. The Lady Lions Volleyball Team had a cumulative GPA of 3.49, which ranks 20th out of all NAIA Women's' Volleyball Programs in the nation. The Lady Lions weren't too shabby on the court as well. They finished the 2009 season. They finished with a record of 31-17 overall, 15-1 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Regular Season and finished the season undefeated at home at 9-0. They reached the AAC Tournament Finals before losing to eventual AAC Champions Union College. They went on to play in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Div. 1 National Tournament where they reached the Final Four of the tournament before losing to Campbellsville University. The Lady Lions VB Team will crank up the 2010 season Aug 23 with a trip to Johnson City, TN where they will face Bethel College (TN) and Campbellsville in the Milligan College Invitational, followed by a trip down to Clearwater, FL where they will play in the Clearwater Christian College Invitational.
The Bryan College Women's Soccer Team was also awarded the 2009-10 NAIA Scholar Team award. They had a team GPA of 3.44, which ranks 14th among all NAIA Women's Soccer programs in the nation. They also had an excellent 2009 season on the pitch as they finished the season with an 8-8-2 overall record and a 4-2-1 record in the AAC. They reached the AAC Tournament Finals and were one win away from securing the program's first ever trip to the NAIA National Tournament, but were defeated by Union College 2-1. The Lady Lions Soccer Team will start with a pre-season scrimmage against NCAA Div. 1 opponent University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, as well as scrimmages against Freed-Hardeman University and Covenant College before beginning the season for real against Campbellsville Univ. and Cincinnati Christian at the NCCAA Mideast Classic at Covenant College Sept. 3-4.
Congratulations to both the Bryan College Women's Soccer and Volleyball Teams for winning the 2009-10 NAIA Scholar Team Award. The type of award that again, let's be honest, counts the most.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Volleyball and Cheerleading not on the same level
Quinnipeac University, a small NCAA Div. l school in Connecticut, has decided to drop Women's' Volleyball and keep the less expensive "sport" of Competitive Cheer leading. The Volleyball team filed a law suit to save there program. It's a shame it has gotten to this point.
Yes, I know cheerleaders work hard, but it is not a sport like Volleyball. Volleyball is much more popular to the student bodies of hundreds of colleges and universities across the country. If the cheerleaders want to compete, they should do it at the club level. Volleyball, at least I believe, generates more revenue for the school than does competitive cheer leading. This is ridiculous! Cheer leading is not a sport1 Volleyball is. That's all I really have to say.
Yes, I know cheerleaders work hard, but it is not a sport like Volleyball. Volleyball is much more popular to the student bodies of hundreds of colleges and universities across the country. If the cheerleaders want to compete, they should do it at the club level. Volleyball, at least I believe, generates more revenue for the school than does competitive cheer leading. This is ridiculous! Cheer leading is not a sport1 Volleyball is. That's all I really have to say.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Chaos in the Carolinas and Florida
As most know by now, the NCAA is investigating both the University of North Carolina and South Carolina football programs to determine if any rules violations occurred. UNC Defensive Back Marvin Austin is the subject of the investigation as to whether or not Austin received monetary benefits from agents. Also involved is University of South Carolina Tight End Wesley Saunders, a friend of Austin's.
The NCAA is investigating what benefits the two players received while they were in Miami this past Spring: who paid for their hotel rooms, food, rent, etc. This happens all to often in big time college sports. Great college players are loured by sports agents into receiving payments before their college career is over, thus subjecting the programs they play for to stiff and costly penalties meted out by the NCAA.
Unfortunately, there is no way every coach can stop this entirely. They cant hold the hands of their players 24/7. For a great college player from a poor family background, as many of these kids do come from, the temptation of thousands of $ offered from an agent is tough to overcome.
Perhaps if a player is found to have accepted cash from an agent before he leaves school, that player, upon if and when he is drafted, should be required to pay back his scholarship money and extra compensation to the university. The extra compensation would be to recoup losses caused by NCAA sanctions (no TV appearances, no bowl games, etc.). That could add up to as much as $2 million, which would be the equivalent of or more than an NFL rookie's signing bonus.
If a student-athlete knows he may have to pay back much more than he took from the agent, he might think again before taking the money. This has also allegedly happened at Florida, where Marquis Pouncey, a member of the Gator Football Team, supposedly took $100,000.00 from an agent some time between the SEC Championship Game and the Gators' Sugar Bowl win over Cincinnati. If Pouncey did take the money during this time, the Gators may have to forfeit their Sugar Bowl win being they used an ineligible player. There should also be a law in place forbidding agents from contacting college athletes while they are still enrolled in school, a law carrying a 5 year jail term if broken.
The NCAA is investigating what benefits the two players received while they were in Miami this past Spring: who paid for their hotel rooms, food, rent, etc. This happens all to often in big time college sports. Great college players are loured by sports agents into receiving payments before their college career is over, thus subjecting the programs they play for to stiff and costly penalties meted out by the NCAA.
Unfortunately, there is no way every coach can stop this entirely. They cant hold the hands of their players 24/7. For a great college player from a poor family background, as many of these kids do come from, the temptation of thousands of $ offered from an agent is tough to overcome.
Perhaps if a player is found to have accepted cash from an agent before he leaves school, that player, upon if and when he is drafted, should be required to pay back his scholarship money and extra compensation to the university. The extra compensation would be to recoup losses caused by NCAA sanctions (no TV appearances, no bowl games, etc.). That could add up to as much as $2 million, which would be the equivalent of or more than an NFL rookie's signing bonus.
If a student-athlete knows he may have to pay back much more than he took from the agent, he might think again before taking the money. This has also allegedly happened at Florida, where Marquis Pouncey, a member of the Gator Football Team, supposedly took $100,000.00 from an agent some time between the SEC Championship Game and the Gators' Sugar Bowl win over Cincinnati. If Pouncey did take the money during this time, the Gators may have to forfeit their Sugar Bowl win being they used an ineligible player. There should also be a law in place forbidding agents from contacting college athletes while they are still enrolled in school, a law carrying a 5 year jail term if broken.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
College Football Around the Corner: Pre=season Polls, Practice, Media Guides, Arrests?
College Football wouldn't be in the air without those pre-season polls, media guides, sports talk shows and of course, arrests.
What? Arrests? You guessed it. At both Tennessee and Georgia, the police blotters are in full swing.
This past week up in Knoxville, several Tennessee football players were involved in a bar fight in which a police officer was knocked unconcious. Freshman Wr Da'Rick Rogers, one of the top HS Wide Receivers in the country from Calhoun, GA, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct. His teammate, fellow Georgia native and Sophomore Darren Miles Jr., a Safety from Atlanta, was charged with assault, resisting arrest and evading arrest. Rogers chose Tennessee over Georgia at the last minute during signing day last February.
The arrest bug has visited Athens as well. A week after former UGa athletic Director Damen Evans was arrested for Drunk Driving, which led to his subsequent resignation, UGA Sophomore Tailback Dontavius Jackson and starting Split End Tavarres King were both arrested. Jackson was arested for DUI, leaving the scene of an accident and other motor vehicle charges. King was arrested for under age possesion of alcohol. This all happened at around 3 a.m. Saturday morning.
I heard some sports talk pundit say that if your football program has players geting in trouble with the law, your program, as far as winning on the field, is in good shape. Does this mean that breaking the law translates to making plays on the field? Of course not! Why weren't these guys on curfew? As the old saying goes: Nothing good happens after midnight. As for Darren Miles Jr., this was his second offense and he has been kicked off the team. It's a shame. I've actually met Darren Miles Jr. along with his father. I waited on them at my job at a Men's clothing store in Atlanta. They seemed like nice people.
I guess this is just the norm. Boys will be boys , so they say. Well, Darren, Da"Rick, Dontavius and Tavarres, welcome to Idiot University.
What? Arrests? You guessed it. At both Tennessee and Georgia, the police blotters are in full swing.
This past week up in Knoxville, several Tennessee football players were involved in a bar fight in which a police officer was knocked unconcious. Freshman Wr Da'Rick Rogers, one of the top HS Wide Receivers in the country from Calhoun, GA, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct. His teammate, fellow Georgia native and Sophomore Darren Miles Jr., a Safety from Atlanta, was charged with assault, resisting arrest and evading arrest. Rogers chose Tennessee over Georgia at the last minute during signing day last February.
The arrest bug has visited Athens as well. A week after former UGa athletic Director Damen Evans was arrested for Drunk Driving, which led to his subsequent resignation, UGA Sophomore Tailback Dontavius Jackson and starting Split End Tavarres King were both arrested. Jackson was arested for DUI, leaving the scene of an accident and other motor vehicle charges. King was arrested for under age possesion of alcohol. This all happened at around 3 a.m. Saturday morning.
I heard some sports talk pundit say that if your football program has players geting in trouble with the law, your program, as far as winning on the field, is in good shape. Does this mean that breaking the law translates to making plays on the field? Of course not! Why weren't these guys on curfew? As the old saying goes: Nothing good happens after midnight. As for Darren Miles Jr., this was his second offense and he has been kicked off the team. It's a shame. I've actually met Darren Miles Jr. along with his father. I waited on them at my job at a Men's clothing store in Atlanta. They seemed like nice people.
I guess this is just the norm. Boys will be boys , so they say. Well, Darren, Da"Rick, Dontavius and Tavarres, welcome to Idiot University.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
If You Set Standards For Others, You Must Live Up To Them Yourself
Unless you live in a cave or don't follow Georgia Bulldog sports, you know by now that former UGA Athletic Director Damen Evans resigned from his post after being arrested for Driving Under the Influence.
What is ironic about this is that there were announcements made by Evans on the jumbo tron screen at Sanford Stadium during UGA football games telling fans to not drink and drive. It's unfortunate Evans couldn't live up to the standard he wanted students and fans to follow. The main topic in this blog is pretty simple. If you are a professor, athletic director, principal or some other position of leadership where you are responsible for setting the right example for young people, you must LIVE what you preach. Evans didn't do that and UGA President Michael Adams had no choice but to ask Evans to resign (i.e fire him).
How can you expect students to do what is right when those in charge of them don't. Yes, I know we all make mistakes, but some mistakes have more severe consequences than others. A major university's reputation is at stake. I wish Damen Evans would have thought of that before he did what he did. He did a fine job while he was the AD. Bulldog sports was doing well under his watch. He has brought in good coaches like Men's Basketball Coach Mark Fox, who will have the Dogs in the NCAA Tournament in the not too distant future. It is tragic that in one 24 hour period he ruined everything he had worked for at Georgia. However, if you are an educator, there are standards that you have to set for your students, and to do that, you must first set them for yourself.
What is ironic about this is that there were announcements made by Evans on the jumbo tron screen at Sanford Stadium during UGA football games telling fans to not drink and drive. It's unfortunate Evans couldn't live up to the standard he wanted students and fans to follow. The main topic in this blog is pretty simple. If you are a professor, athletic director, principal or some other position of leadership where you are responsible for setting the right example for young people, you must LIVE what you preach. Evans didn't do that and UGA President Michael Adams had no choice but to ask Evans to resign (i.e fire him).
How can you expect students to do what is right when those in charge of them don't. Yes, I know we all make mistakes, but some mistakes have more severe consequences than others. A major university's reputation is at stake. I wish Damen Evans would have thought of that before he did what he did. He did a fine job while he was the AD. Bulldog sports was doing well under his watch. He has brought in good coaches like Men's Basketball Coach Mark Fox, who will have the Dogs in the NCAA Tournament in the not too distant future. It is tragic that in one 24 hour period he ruined everything he had worked for at Georgia. However, if you are an educator, there are standards that you have to set for your students, and to do that, you must first set them for yourself.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Gamecocks Win National Title
With all of the excitement of the FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament going on, I haven't been paying attention to the NCAA College world Series in Omaha, Nebraska. There was quite a finish for the national championship in the finals of the CWS.
As most of you know by now, South Carolina won the National Title when they beat UCLA by the score of 2-1 in 11 innings. I believe this may be the Gamecocks' first national title in Baseball. I might be wrong. It certainly was their first national title in any sport in a long, long time.
Whit Merrifield, a Junior Infielder from Advance, NC, singled home teammate Scott Wingo in the bottom of the 11th inning to win it for the Cocks. Wingo led off the inning with a walk, then advanced to second base via a passed ball. Freshman Outfielder Evan Marzilli, a native of Cranston, RI, bunted Wingo over to third base to set up the magical moment for Merrifield. The fine pitching of Sophomore Michael Roth kept the Cocks in the game. The Greer, SC and Riverside HS product allowed 1 run on six hits over 5.0 innings.
Head Coach Ray Tanner was named National Coach of the Year. What a tremendous moment for South Carolina. Though their Men's Soccer program is still strong, they have not done much in Football or Basketball as far as coming close to competing for a title. It's nice that the Gamecocks can finally celebrate a national championship in Columbia and throughout the state.
As most of you know by now, South Carolina won the National Title when they beat UCLA by the score of 2-1 in 11 innings. I believe this may be the Gamecocks' first national title in Baseball. I might be wrong. It certainly was their first national title in any sport in a long, long time.
Whit Merrifield, a Junior Infielder from Advance, NC, singled home teammate Scott Wingo in the bottom of the 11th inning to win it for the Cocks. Wingo led off the inning with a walk, then advanced to second base via a passed ball. Freshman Outfielder Evan Marzilli, a native of Cranston, RI, bunted Wingo over to third base to set up the magical moment for Merrifield. The fine pitching of Sophomore Michael Roth kept the Cocks in the game. The Greer, SC and Riverside HS product allowed 1 run on six hits over 5.0 innings.
Head Coach Ray Tanner was named National Coach of the Year. What a tremendous moment for South Carolina. Though their Men's Soccer program is still strong, they have not done much in Football or Basketball as far as coming close to competing for a title. It's nice that the Gamecocks can finally celebrate a national championship in Columbia and throughout the state.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Texas Holds Big 12-2 Together
Well, it didn't happen as I was afraid it would. The Big Xll, minus Colorado and Nebraska, is still in tact thanks to commissioner Dan Bebe and to Texas for deciding to stay.
Texas would not be able to have its own TV network if they had joined the PAC 10. They will be able to do that by staying. It makes sense also for parents of the student-athletes not having to travel to Oregon or Washington to watch their kids play. Texas and Oklahoma will still have their "Red River War" rivalry, one of the fiercest rivalries in all of College Football. To me , their are more positives for keeping the Big Xll in tact than not. A 16 team conference just doesn't make sense.
Texas would not be able to have its own TV network if they had joined the PAC 10. They will be able to do that by staying. It makes sense also for parents of the student-athletes not having to travel to Oregon or Washington to watch their kids play. Texas and Oklahoma will still have their "Red River War" rivalry, one of the fiercest rivalries in all of College Football. To me , their are more positives for keeping the Big Xll in tact than not. A 16 team conference just doesn't make sense.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)