Date Posted:10:09:46 07/19/04 Mon Author: HCGrad Subject: Re:Scholarships In reply to:
Vingt Cinq
's message, "Puzzled?" on 12:05:10 07/18/04 Sun
As a former athlete at HC, I understand the desire of many for scholarships and increased spending. However, I do not think scholarships will change much and will in fact hurt the overall community at HC. HC can in no way afford scholarships for much more than the basketball team. Additionally, in giving scholarships we are already lowering the bar for entrance to the school for these athletes. Being a small liberal arts school, HC cannot afford to create divisions within the community by favoring athletics to the point where athletes seem favored and money is diverted from academic improvements.
HC can still get good athletes. We are not competing for the same players BC is, nor should we. HC can be sold on its merrits as long as the athletic department puts its best foot forward to get energetic coaches in place who can sell the school. And it is not always the case that Dick Regan and company care about much other than basketball.
Many would argue that when the Cross had scholarships for fball that the quality of the student-athlete fball player was actually higher. Also, as seen in the experience of scholarship-offering schools, winning and even mediocre winning programs help the school to attract a better, smarter student body. See BC, Gtown, ND, even Maryland and UofFlorida. Further, a well-run scholarship program generates revenue to offset the financial loss of scholarship money, and the general student-body throws its weight and support behind the scholarshipped teams. Sure, some kids might pout that the money should go to the kids with 1600 SATs but ask the majority of GTown, BC, and ND fans if they are angry about fball and/or bball scholarships and they will supoort them and a few will even say they heard of and decided to go to school X in part because of its athletic tradition. Other than wannabe academic illuminati, most students at the Cross would love to see more winning and nationally exposed sports teams, not less. I can't think of one alum that I know who complained after Kansas, Kentucky or Marquette that scholarships created a divided campus, in fact, bball and sports in general unite a campus, not divide it.
Done correctly, a well-run sports program can subsidize academic improvements, not hinder them. The folks at the Cross seem to have not figured this out yet. Hockey would have been a great way to do this...especially within the ECAC, and for much less than fball currently costs, with Title IX consids included.
