Lost Soul
It is yet another sad day for the track and field world. I think somewhere along the way, college administrators and our policital system have lost all sense of rational thinking. I spent 5 years at a school that had "recreational joggers" on their rosters, allowed them to use the athletic department academic services and were given shoes (in some cases) as long as they keep their grades up. It allowed the school to meet the needed numbers for the roster. This does certainly happen at some places........but maybe not as much as many would think.
At that same school, we had 18 full scholarships for women's track, and I can tell you that many years we could not GIVE it away. We typically would have 1.5-2+ scholarships left because we didn't want to just give to someone that had NO-chance at being competitive in our conference, much less at any other level. How many university athletic programs have unused athletic scholarhip money that is never used? I don't know that, but when I was at the Southeast Regional Cross country meet coaches meeting, they talked (only briefly) about a proposal to be presented (again) trying to get additional scholarships for women's cross. When I hear stuff like that.......it upsets me.
There other thing that disturbs me about all this, is that those who are making these decisions don't care about athletics because they have never participated in them at any level other than weekend warrior status. It only proves that they don't understand the importance athletics plays in developing the leaders of tomorrow. All the lessons that learned in the playing arena......not in a book or on the internet.
I agree with you all.............A SAD SAD DAY FOR COLLEGE ATHLETICS, AND THE ELIMINATION OF A FINE COACHING STAFF, AND YOUNG MEN.