End of Season Wrap-up

Lafalum · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 843

Jeez I have to agree with you. We are perhaps in the third best conference in the country for men's lacrosse its been pretty dismal for us. I was hoping for some out of conference wins but we can't seem to pull it together.
So far the only winning teams this year are football, soccer, and field hockey. And all three couldn't do it to advance to a PL championship. I think football needs another year, soccer has the bodies and could do it next year, FH I'm feeling better about but maybe one more year, men's basketball I don't see it on the horizon, women's bball we are missing a lot of pieces, baseball hasn't shown that potential yet this year, women's lacrosse is year's away, softball is 1-9 so far, women's soccer not close, volleyball is getting better but I don't see us knocking off the best team in the league...I don't follow track,tennis, or fencing.
This is probably the wrong thread for all of the above, but I think women's bball demonstrates where we are athletically. I don't think Tammy is that good a coach. She will not deliver a PL championship ever. Can we attract a better coach??Thank God for scholarships or we'd have no chance.

carney2 · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 1173

You're right, wrong forum - but we've started, so let's keep going.

I'm pretty sure that I don't have the right questions, and I'm certain that I have none of the answers, but I throw this out there: As one of the smallest schools in the country offering D-I sports, should we be offering 22 (my count - please correct if wrong) varsity sports? Many of these are "Who cares, other than the athletes and their families." Are we spread too thin? Are we throwing too many darts at too many boards to have any chance at all? In D-I is this really a student activity the way college athletics began 100 years ago? If not, why do we bother with the low/no interest sports? Why recruit and "hire" kids for these activities (face it that's what you do at the D-I level - even in tiddly-winks) when the "hirelings" account for such a high percentage of the student body? Both economically and with other college resources, can we afford all of this? Should we focus on the activities that really give us some bang for our buck (visibility and name recognition; bonding with alumni and the community; a favorable image at fund raising time; school spirit, pride, etc.)?

At a school like Lafayette, someone has to start thinking outside the box. Same old, same old is not going to work much longer. The landscape is changing and some school needs to be a leader. It's never been Lafayette in the past, but why not now?

Hey Bruce, hey Dan, get some balls! And, get us out of this freakin' rut!

Lafalum · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 843

I believe the minimum for D1 is 16. So what do you cut?? I believe it's not so much savings but attention and emphasis. You will eliminate coaches but that should allow you to pay and attract better coaches and assistant coaches, provide a better infrastrucure, spend more money on recruiting. All this will be for nil unless you make it mission number one to win, (without compromising your academic intergrity). All the remaining sports should be scholarships and the sports dropped should be converted to club status.

carney2 · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 1173

Pard Promise · Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 52

The minimum to compete at D-I is 14. The University of Texas offers 17 varsity sports.

I could be wrong, but I think American has 16 since, indoor and outdoor track count as separate sports. At most schools, track accounts for six sports with men's and women's cross country and men's and women's indoor and men's and women's outdoor track.

bison137 · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 206