........PSAC.......

no shame in that.

You're right, dig it, I forgot school tradition was based on where the school is located.

Thanks Coach as that is quite helpful in knowing who has what. Unfortunately it does not show housing waivers which is big at Edinboro, or meal plans. Also some schools have more coaches than others.

No wonder Edinboro is tops in XC since they put all their money in distance. It would be interesting to see if all schools had the same funding who would be at the top.

my original post wasn't just referencing scholarships and / or track and field. bottom line, a few years ago, cal's president made the dixon cup a priority and they have really taken off since then.

no shame in having money and spending it.

$ talks as the teams with the most do the best. At least that is what happened last season. What are the predictions for this coming season. Give a top 5.

Mine are:

1. ESU because they have excellent sprinters, top multi, and now can score a few points in distance events.

2. Ship as they have good throwers and distance.

3. Lock Haven as they will score in sprints and distance.

4. IUP with their jumpers and Hatch in mid-distance and freshman in distance.

5. Slippery Rock who has a little of everything.

Let me hear what you think and why.

Since Andy wrote in I feel pretty safe writing in too.

There are many many factors involved in being successful beyond money. Location is very important, maybe the second most important factor. Coaching and total staff are important. Tradition is always a factor.

I know that the two biggest obstacles I have faced are our location and the poor performances over 25 years prior to my arrival.

We are now 3rd on the scholarship money but that money is very recent - as in last year recent. When I arrived the program was allotted 2000 per year. That hurt my efforts for many years. My estimation is that it will take 3-4 years for that money to have an impact (it already has in some ways)

Even with the money we now have, I still have to overcome location. One of my colleagues reported that they have more contacts from female throwers alone then I do for all events!

That leads to the next important factor: my fellow coaches.

I can't think of a better conference in terms of quality coaching and I have been in a couple. Some of you student athletes may not know how good they are but we coaches do. Doug Watts, Aaron Russell, Steve Spence, Danny Coalfield, Andy Young are some of the very best in D2 and all could Coach at any D1 as well. But our distance coaches are not the only ones. Our sprints coaches in the conference like Coach Merli, Coach Osanitch, and Coach Labor have sprinters at the NCAA meet every year and we have some top notch throws people too.

There is no way (and I don't) that I can say I am a better coach then any of these fellows. The only thing I can say is that we have our own program here and we do what we can.

(Please don't construe me leaving anyone out as an insult or slight - I just can't write everyone's name.)

By and large all the coaches do the best they can and many times the hindrances you don't see (administration) are really limiting factors.

I have probably written too much or more then I should have but I would leave you with this thought. I have met many athletes in the conference from many teams and many of you seem very nice in person. You should be less mean to each other on this board. Life is really too short to be mean all the time.

Coach Mike

Caulfield not Coalfield. My apologies.

Caulfield not Coalfield. My apologies.[/quote]

Coach, who are the top 5 teams this year?

This is a great, great post. Andy, I appreciate yours as well. I've always believed the Tradition & Coaching were the two most important factors. I've come to believe that money is as well. This post was a good reminder of the iportance of location. There is no doubt that location means something. Mansfield is clearly more remote than any other PSAC school. My wife's family has an awesome camp near Galeton. A great place to visit in the summers...lots of wilderness, great running trails, nice hills, etc. But, not necessarily the kind of place most youngsters envision going to school. Ship is kind of out in the middle of nowhere as well, but there are lots of decent sized towns not far away (e.g., Changless-burg...err, I mean Chambersburg). And, Harrisburg is only an hour away and Philly a few beyond that. Plus, there is easy access to Baltimore & DC. It's got a lot of the amenities of Mansfield (woods, trails, hills, etc.) over near Blue Mountain, but it isn't in a county with only a few traffic lights. I actually think Ship is an ideal location for a college program...Anyway, thanks for the post. Good to see some coaches posting on here...Hoovis

Any predictions for indoors Hoovis?

If PSAC is the best conference you have been in then you have not been anywhere. And to say that those coaches could coach at any DI is just stupid. Maybe you were trying to be nice but get real. Your weak conference has three good female distance girls and 1 good hept. The men have a good jumper and a good 400 runner. Your all-star team would not win our conference.

Mike Rohl wrote:

I can't think of a better conference in terms of quality coaching and I have been in a couple. Some of you student athletes may not know how good they are but we coaches do. Doug Watts, Aaron Russell, Steve Spence, Danny Coalfield, Andy Young are some of the very best in D2 and all could Coach at any D1 as well. But our distance coaches are not the only ones. Our sprints coaches in the conference like Coach Merli, Coach Osanitch, and Coach Labor have sprinters at the NCAA meet every year and we have some top notch throws people too.

Coach Mike

PSAC would sweep the throws over RMAC

Lets put an all star team together and find out then....meet you halfway

RMAC wrote:

And to say that those coaches could coach at any DI is just stupid. [

Coach Mike

[/quote]

Watts has the credentials and capability to coach at any level.

Watts could have been coaching a prominent D1 program decades ago. Watts chose to stay at Edinboro to coach a long line of us "regular" guys and gals into "talented" guys and gals. I do not know why he made that choice, but it was his choice.

I do know he is a guy with unwavering personal values and the esteem and confidence that comes with that. He would not have moved to a D1 program because it is the “thing to do” and what people expected.

I do not speak for Watts, but I know history, I know his credentials and capability. There are 3 or 4 people in this country I would’ve allowed to manage my athletics. I have been lucky to have worked with 2 of them, and Watts is one of them.

I do not know enough of the others to make a declaration

Have you ever coached at a D I program? If not, you have no idea what it takes. Because someone is semi-successful at a D II program does not mean they could succeed at a D I. This is true the other way around also. A lot of D I coaches would not succeed without the scholarships and support from the administration.

I just do not think you have many people in your conference who would succeed in D I. It is a different world were recruiting is much tougher.

I was not trying to convince you of anything, I was stating a fact.

mplatt wrote:

I was not trying to convince you of anything, I was stating a fact.

Likewise, just saying that coaching D I is not improving "regular guys and gals". Coaching top notch athletes is totally different, mentally and physically, than coaching average runners.

RMAC wrote:

Likewise, just saying that coaching D I is not improving "regular guys and gals". Coaching top notch athletes is totally different, mentally and physically, than coaching average runners.

Watts facts:

Ask around kid, I am not going to teach you 40 years of history.

To your "opinion" of D1 athletes:

D1 is largely populated with "very regular" guys and gals. "Regular" guys and gals can become, as you describe, top notch athletes; some may even ascend to "elite". If you do not believe that, then you are severely limiting your own progress in every aspect of your life.

I assumed you meant "real" D I's.