Other Sports

[Penquin68]

Not much on here about the minor sports at YSU, some of which are doing from respectable to very good.  I follow baseball, softball, track, bowling, and golf mostly.  In the past many time these sports were at the bottom of the standings year after year.  Now it seems only volleyball is on hard times.   Bowling just competed in the final four of D1 bowling. Softball is in first place and on the verge of hosting the league championship tournament. Baseball is in 3rd place and is the only team to beat first place Wright State, 3 times in 8 games against them.  Top 4 teams make the tournament. Track and field are perennial champs in that area with Brian Gorby doing an outstanding job for many years.  Women's golf is very competitive and Men's golf is respectable.  They are currently in the league tournament and the women's team is in 1st place. So overall I think the minor sports are competitive and not an embarrassment like many years in the past. Of all the bashing on this site of Ron Strollo and his management, I think he has done a great job in all sports given the limited recourses we have compared to the competition. In all cases our competition does not sponsor football at the FCS full scholarship level and in most cases are in markets much larger than ours and many more business that are successful and can donate to college sports teams and facilities. Think about raising money for an update of our basketball facilities in Youngstown compared to Cleveland, Detroit, Dayton, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, or Chicago. That is what we are up against. We need to be good to accomplish what we have in that environment.

[go guins]

Nice note, unfortunately I am like almost all on this site, it isn't about football, nobody cares.
I go to all football I can, a couple BB (M & W) a year and couldn't care less about what is apparently a damn good bowling team. 
Any update on the Beeghly remodel?

[Wick250]

68, Good post.  I also follow the "other sports" very closely. I do disagree with one of your points.  I think that schools like Cleveland State, Detroit, Oakland, UIC, IUPUI, and Milwaukee are afterthoughts in their pro sports communities. Robert Morris is a distant fourth in Pittsburgh behind Pitt, Penn State, and Duquesne. Wright State is the "second fiddle" behind the University of Dayton. Although there is certainly more money available for donations in the large cities, I am not sure these schools get many contributions beyond loyal alumni.  Donors here who seek favorable publicity have always given generously to YSU.  Consider the sold out football loges and the contributions to the WATTS, the track/softball complex, and the tennis center.

The softball team needs to win just 4 out of the 8 remaining games to clinch the regular season title and the right to host the four-team tournament. Considering that the next four games are against Cleveland State who does not pitch, field, or hit very well, I like our chances to clinch this weekend.

[go guins]

The softball team needs to win just 4 out of the 8 remaining games to clinch the regular season title and the right to host the four-team tournament. Considering that the next four games are against Cleveland State who does not pitch, field, or hit very well, I like our chances to clinch this weekend.

But I hear they do a mean rhythmic cheer from the dugout!

Sorry, just struct me as funny, can't pitch, catch or hit just about covers it!  For the record 10-30 overall and 5-23 in the conference, so your evaluation seems on point.

[Double ET]

In the past, in the YSU faculty meetings, the sport expenditures summary was regularly discussed as part of the discussions on academic vs athletic spendings in the university.

Couple of years ago, a sport spending report was reviewed. It compared the athletic spending at YSU to other universities in Horizon League (also a including a few Ohio universities in MAC).

It showed YSU’s spending was similar to other Horizon League schools. Obviously, we are the only school in the league with a football program (RMU was not part of the league at that time). Clearly, the other schools spent a lot more $$l than YSU on sports excluding football. Their expenditures on MBB and WBB were especially higher than ours.

Therefore, I am at times surprised that our non-football sports have actually been very competitive (except for Women soccer) although the operations of our athletic department are still locked into the last century.

[go guins]

Therefore, I am at times surprised that our non-football sports have actually been very competitive (except for Women soccer) although the operations of our athletic department are still locked into the last century.

I'm often surprised at how often we introduce championship teams during quarter breaks at football games because that is the largest gathering place to acknowledge outstanding performance.  Funny, championship teams draw dozens and terrible football teams draw thousands.
Kuddos to the players and coaches for each of these programs (even women's soccer!)

[Wick250]

Add another Olympic sport championship.  The women's golf team won the Horizon League by 15 strokes. That is three championships so far this academic year with more probably coming.

[guinpen]

Congrats to all these athletics and coaches.

So why are these sports able to recruit and convince athletes to come to YSU? Not trying to over simplify things but it is all relative and these sports are competing at a high level.

[go guins]

Fine fine fine, but what are we going to do with the damn women's soccer program?!?!?!?  (kidding of course)
All of recruiting it the interaction between the head coach and the prospect and their family.  We seem to have a bunch of "other" sport coaches that can recruit.  Bo couldn't, or at least didn't want to, JT could and did.  It's all about the coach.

[Penquin68]

I agree with the previous post about soccer.  It has been weak for a long time with multiple coaches. I am sure we are not paying the coaches well and supplying much recruiting resources.  But other sports are doing much better at probably similar support.  And the facilities are great compared to baseball at 30 minutes from campus at a nice venue, but still 30 minutes from campus for games or practice. Not ideal. We need someone who will be effective in coaching and more importantly recruiting in soccer.

[IAA Fan]

Congrats to all these athletics and coaches.

So why are these sports able to recruit and convince athletes to come to YSU? Not trying to over simplify things but it is all relative and these sports are competing at a high level.

I think one of the answers lies in the fact that these are primarily women's sports. Scholarship money is just becoming more available, with a huge amount of NCAA assistance as compared to men's programs. Secondly, we were once woefully behind in title-IX & now we are catching up and able to attract girls. I think Strollo has done a nice job in getting facilities in place.

[go guins]

Congrats to all these athletics and coaches.

So why are these sports able to recruit and convince athletes to come to YSU? Not trying to over simplify things but it is all relative and these sports are competing at a high level.

I think one of the answers lies in the fact that these are primarily women's sports. Scholarship money is just becoming more available, with a huge amount of NCAA a$$istance as compared to men's programs. Secondly, we were once woefully behind in title-IX & now we are catching up and able to attract girls. I think Strollo has done a nice job in getting facilities in place.

You and Strollo, what a bromance!  We have NOT been behind in Title-XI, we would have been put on probation if we didn't follow the rules.  We don't "attract girls," we recruit women.  GET WITH IT 1AA we are 21 YEARS into the 21 century and you are still mired in 1976.  Title-XI has been around 45 years and you and Strollo think it's something new? 

[IAA Fan]

I will rephrase, we were woefully behind in women's sports. The only reason that we (along with many other colleges and universities) were not punished was because the NCAA kept pushing out the timelines. It would not surprise me if we had to pay some sort of fines.

YSU offers Basketball, Women’s Basketball and Tennis. These are our headcount sports, thus they are allowed to offer full ride. Now FCS football is NOT a headcount sport. We can divide a maximum of 63 full-ride scholarships up in a variety of ways. Usually it is Academics vs Room & Board... for a total of 126 scholarships.

Titile-IX also requires equality in number & type of scholarships. So we have to come up with female 'equivalents' for about 63 male full-ride scholarships, just to cover our football offerings. Let alone probably 100 more scholarships in other men's sports. This is why so many schools have dropped football or went non-scholarship. Bringing in newly-sanctioned sports is a great idea, as the competition for the athletes is less. Now women's sports have become a strength at YSU.

Also I am proud of your political-correctness go guins. LOL I guess I am just to old to change and too busy to care.

[Wick250]

Two more conference championships today, men's and women's track.  That is five for the year with the softball team having a realistic opportunity for the sixth.  Of course, even though we will have two or three more championships than any other school, we again won't win the farcical conference "all-sports" trophy. Farcical because they do not really count all sports and they devalue winning championships while rewarding third and fourth place mediocrity.