Wrong conclusion. This is what happens when the coaches don't know how to manage a team. Penn doesn't have any heart but they sure do win! The other problem, which is the team's fault, is that most people have no self motivation. If you think the coaches can't coach you go join a club and invest your own time. Work around the rules. There is allways a way to win. If you are in it for the social activity you should not be in a varsity team. Varsity is about winning and making the school look good.
actually i never mentioned the coaches' ability to train the kids....that was never in question. There's more to coaching than technique. The problem is that there is no heart in the team. They have no desire to come to practice, no pride in their team, no comraderie (sp) with their teammates - or at least as much as there used to be. Social activity is in the definition of a team. Varsity is not about winning, it's the level of competition. The school looking good is a result of winning...or the names of the people on the team
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I didn't say they couldn't train the kids. I said they couldn't manage a team. At good schools, fencing is like a job. You get paid to go to fencing by getting a scholarship. The basketball team, under Jim Catalano, used to be part of the honors college and they knew if they don't perform they get kicked out. The same is in Penn. People who fence get a scholarship and if they don't perform they loose the scholarship. NJIT doesn't do that for fencing. Drew doesn't do this either. This means that sometimes they have a good team and sometimes they don't. Heart isn't everything. If you have all heart but your fencers suck the team will suck. The problem is that when the team sucks and you just go, oh well, we tried our best. Well, the school isn't interested in your best, they are interested in winning. Now weather or not they will give you what you need to win is another question.
I was not aware the current NJIT coaches had prior experience coaching a varsity team. AFAIK, they were club mentors & that's it.
Hence in my eyes they stood to learn much from the team dynamic that was already very healthy 2 seasons ago... & instead beat it with a stick. A stick each, I guess, so 2 sticks.
While I understand that they also have busy schedules & that some amount of control has to be exerted on the team, alienating the fencers was definitely NOT the way to go. Oh well. - Ryan
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IM
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At good schools, fencing is like a job. You get paid to go to fencing by getting a scholarship. The basketball team, under Jim Catalano, used to be part of the honors college and they knew if they don't perform they get kicked out. The same is in Penn. People who fence get a scholarship and if they don't perform they loose the scholarship. NJIT doesn't do that for fencing. Drew doesn't do this either. This means that sometimes they have a good team and sometimes they don't. Heart isn't everything. If you have all heart but your fencers suck the team will suck. The problem is that when the team sucks and you just go, oh well, we tried our best. Well, the school isn't interested in your best, they are interested in winning. Now weather or not they will give you what you need to win is another question.
IM
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Hence in my eyes they stood to learn much from the team dynamic that was already very healthy 2 seasons ago... & instead beat it with a stick. A stick each, I guess, so 2 sticks.
While I understand that they also have busy schedules & that some amount of control has to be exerted on the team, alienating the fencers was definitely NOT the way to go. Oh well. - Ryan
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IM
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