Need a Vision -- Fairfield Stags Hoops Forum

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Date Posted: 09:16:55am 12/16/05 Fri,
Author: Paulie74
Subject: Need a Vision

Guys,I have been scanning the chatter and would like to weigh in. The issue is short and long term. In the short term, I think the team as it is right now (even without the addition of the 2nd semester players) can be very competitve in the MAAC if they continue to hustle and our wonderful coaches don't get in the way (i.e. Loyola). The other excuse we should all be ready to hear is we need time for the new additions to gel with the other guys and get into the flow.--BS.
The longer term issue is in one man's hands and that's not Gene,TOT or the sports marketing dept. It's Fr.von Arx. He has to first decide our strategy, make or goals and objectives clear, put a business plan, THE RIGHT RESOURCES and the right people behind it and dedicate our activities vs. these goals. AND DO IT FAST!!!!!!!
The answer is simple. Hustle and stay competitive this year. We all remember 1997. And I beg you Fr. von Arx, show us your vision and the plan (and support) that you will put against it. If not, Sacred Heart or Quinnipiac will take control and be the lead D1 dog in SW CT. After 30 years, I'm personally sick of it. Lets go for it or lets play Bridgeport, CCNY and Pace.

Semper Fi.

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Replies:

[> Re: Need a Vision -- FU73, 07:29:07am 12/17/05 Sat, [1]

I agree. Fairfield NEEDS A PLAN NOW!!! It seems that the University lacks a vision of what it wants to be. First football and then no football. Plans designed to renovate Alumni Hall and then AHY then next season. Taking women's basketball off campus and into AHY. Cancel hockey. Even Fairfield Prep has football and hockey. Buy the nunery for the Dolan Campus and then sell off the last available land for campus expansion. Admit too many incoming freshman and then cram three students into two man rooms in the dorms because of lack of housing. It is frustrating to see Fairfield moving in this direction. Let's hope that Fr. von Ark is the man with the vision to stop this and not have Fairfield being past by Quinnipiac and SHU.

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[> [> Re: Need a Vision -- JoeStag, 08:35:27am 12/17/05 Sat, [1]

I agree that the whole vision of where Faifield wants to be, Athletics wants to be and in particular, where Men's Basketball wants to be.

The AHY and refurbish Alumni Hall debate are diametrically opposite strategies to moving the program in a higher level. If we want to move up we cannot be in Alumni Hall as we canot scheule god teams there, and it s not a facility that lends itself to moving up.

So if we are going with AHY, we have to spend the money, but more important the effort has to be made by everyone to make it happen. Fr. von Arx has to set that direction and goal, and commincate it. I would like to hear him make bold statements like we want to move into a higher league, and we want Alumni to help support this effort by supporting the basketball team.

But if we don't plan on moving up, then commincate that goal and do what is necessary with Alumni Hall.

Now there is a mid gound here in that we build a new on-campus arena that is 4K to 5K. That would take some major legal and political work with the town of Fairfield, and also a major money and land committment. Because with an arena that size come staff and parking garages, and may other costs.

But, Fr. von Arx has said that AHY is the plan, but he has not really commincated a direction of why we ant to go there and how we are getting there. He has been on board 1.5 years, and probably has had more important issues to attend to, but I would think over the next year we will have some direction. He hinted about a plan for Alumni Hall withina year, when I spoke to him at the St Joes Pregame reception.

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[> Re: Need a Vision -- Stagman, 09:33:19am 12/17/05 Sat, [1]

I think the school has a vision, but I'm not sure that athletics plays a prominent part in it.

It will certainly never be a big money maker, so the powers that be probably don't pay much attention to it.

Let's not delude ourselves into thinking that they are focusing their time on non-money making issues that are not related to academics. They will add a Center for Islamic Studies before they throw more money at basketball.

The question really becomes, how much does athletics add to the 'flavor' of university life? If it doesn't make money, but the students and alumni are enthusiastic about it, then it should carry some weight. I fear that most students and alumni don't care a whole lot though, so what incentive is there to raise its importance?

If it is an important element in determining whether prospective students will apply to the school, then it should be a priority, since ultimately it indirectly does generate revenue.

I haven't been on campus in quite a while, but my impression, in general, is that students care less about athletics now than they did years ago. If that's true, and athletics doesn't have much impact on applications, then I can understand why a school would not put much emphasis on it.

If Fairfield is trying to move towards being an elite school, then I can understand this. I doubt many people go to Yale or Tufts or NYU because of their athletic programs.

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