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Sayers on the Sidelines
Tim Sayers
HILLSDALE SPORTS
In looking back at the different aspects of Hillsdale athletics
that I've witnessed this year, I saw things that really impressed
me, but I also noticed several items that I believe need to
be addressed.
One of the most impressive things to me about
Hillsdale College is that, despite having a smaller student
body than my high school back in southern Mississippi, Charger
athletics are competitive with schools that are 10 to 20 times
bigger.
All one has to do is walk through the halls
of the George Roche Sports Complex, and he or she will be able
to survey the storied history of this school. The walls are
lined with pictures of All-Americans and national champions.
Our trophy cases are overflowing with awards commemorating past
achievements, and I have even seen boxes of old trophies in
coaches' offices because they have to make room for new trophies.
However, if Hillsdale wants to continue to
compete at this level, I believe that the school needs to increase
the athletic budget. In order for us to continue to get the
type of athletes that will continue to better our programs,
teams need scholarship money to compete with the likes of a
Grand Valley State, Ferris State or Wayne State.
As one of my friends on the golf team told
me last week, "Grand Valley has over five full scholarships
that they can distribute among their [golf] players, whereas
we only have one and a half to divide up among 11 or 12 guys.
It is just hard to recruit good talent if you cannot offer them
what other schools are offering."
Of course teams can fundraise, and I know
that a lot of teams do. There are two different golf tournaments
on June 18 and June 24, which will go to help the volleyball
and football teams. Also, the track teams host three meets,
two high school meets and the Gina Relays during the spring
semester as a way to raise revenue. However, I believe that
the school should increase the athletic budget rather than decreasing
it as they have been doing as of late.
Finally, another problem I've seen is a lack
of space for non-athletes to exercise. During the first few
months of the school year, I was excited to go down to the complex
and play some basketball or get in a workout. But to my surprise,
I was unable to find an open court.
Whenever I went during the afternoon, the
men's and women's basketball teams, as should be expected, were
practicing from 3 p.m. to 7 or 8 p.m., and if I went to the
weight room to run on a treadmill or use the elliptical glider,
there was usually a waiting line because of the small number
of machines available.
I think that if the school is going to require
students to spend so much time studying, they should also present
us with an appropriate place to kick back and relax.
Have a great summer!
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