> Excuse me, but what percentage of the time when a gun is fired at Penn is
> there
> even the theoretical possibility of an NCAA qualifying mark being recorded?
While I cannot answer to Division I (and I know that a lot of the list members
believe that DI is the only real track and field division out there), I know
that the staff at Penn (and I am pretty sure that at Drake and Mt. SAC) spend a
lot of time signing POP forms for Division II and III athletes. Perhaps Dave
Johnson can give some approximate numbers. And by the way, before all of those
track gurus chime in a attest of the "quality of DI racing", I can say that I
have witnessed many more and just as competitive and exciting 3:25 4X400's than
3:00 4X400.
As to the regional concept, I know that administrators, for years, have wanted
more head to head competition, especially when they authorize millions of
dollars for facilities on their campus. How can facilities be justified when a
school has only one or two meets a year at home?
The other question that comes to mind is what is wrong with head to head
competition. I certainly don't think that all of those thousands that used to
sit in the stands in the 50' and 60's to watch USC and UCLA duals really cared
about whether someone qualified for the NCAA meet. They were more interested to
see the athlete in their favorite uniform beat the one in the other school's
uniform.
I think that some of the biggest complainers of the regionalization of track are
those who have either had to run a lot of meets at home are compelled to do so.
Having a home meet is a real pain when one figures that the home coaches have to
do most of the grunt work. Regionalization is going to mean that more
dua/tri/quad meets might have to be run and since there will be another meet(s)
in the schedule, then more expense will have to be incurred.
I am not sure where the idea for regionalization is coming from: the Presidents,
the A.D.'s, the media, USATF, or the coaches. I do know one thing, we as
coaches have, at times, done more to hurt ourselves as a profession and the
sport in general. We have done more coaching an athlete how to reach a mark
than we have in coaching an athlete on how to hate to loose a competition
Perhaps regionalization will help bring back that head to head competition of
the "person in the blue uniform beating the person in the red" in order to get
to the next level. Only time will tell, not 500 posting on all of the negative
aspects of regionalization.
A wise old sage said once, "Be careful of what you ask for, you may get it."
Trey Jackson
Assistant Coach - Track and Field
Lebanon Valley College
Annville, PA
