To Tribal's point. We are hiring the CEO. The AD's job is to build a high performing department that works together seamlessly. Administration, coaches, everyone. We need someone who can motivate and build trust. When teams are high performing, they do unexpected things. Most of the time a CEO has a high performing team they don't need to micromanage and can spend time on vision, growing the company, and in this case fundraising.

Too many student-athletes nowadays believe they are in some unique position whereby their university owes them something more than reasonable. It's this simple, a student-athlete does well enough in their given sport to earn an opportunity to play at W&M. In some cases, their HS grades fall below that of a standard W&M student, but we grant them admission anyway (I've heard a 3.5gpa and top 50% of their HS class is the low bar). Anyhow, upon admission, W&M owes them an opportunity to fairly & safely compete so long as the student-athlete maintains certain standards. That's it.

Refusing to play because of the name on a building, lack of playing time, colleagues are in danger of having their sport dropped, mean coaches, etc, are all valid reasons a student-athlete may decide to quit. All of us can decide to stop going to work, too. But, choices have consequences and W&M is well within its right to say, "Fine, refuse to meet with Martin and refuse to play. W&M has an accredited women's T&F team, coaches, trainers, and ample facilities. We have satisfied our commitment. There will be no track season this year or the next because we have no student-athlete willing to compete. We will now offer opportunities to *** number of T&F competitors until we have enough to field a squad." Lots of HS juniors, seniors and JuCo students would love an opportunity at W&M.



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If the women's track team decides not to compete, does it have any bearing on the title IX numbers? Athletes are still on a roster and still receive financial assistance. Would it matter if every competition was forfeited since they decided not to compete. It sounds harsh, but I'm pretty sure women's t&f would have gone the same route as men's if it wasn't for the title IX numbers.

(10-27-2020 03:31 PM)mrjoolius Wrote:  If the women's track team decides not to compete, does it have any bearing on the title IX numbers? Athletes are still on a roster and still receive financial assistance. Would it matter if every competition was forfeited since they decided not to compete. It sounds harsh, but I'm pretty sure women's t&f would have gone the same route as men's if it wasn't for the title IX numbers.

I think W&M would be fine so long as we hold up our side of the deal. Wouldn't be fair to punish the school because student-athletes are protesting.

I like having T&F, though I admit I've not attended more than one or two meets. They're lucky to compete at W&M but no one is forcing them to take advantage of the opportunity.

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I haven't looked at the details of this protest. Is it just the athletes or are the coaches involved?

(10-27-2020 03:08 PM)Tribal Wrote:  Too many student-athletes nowadays believe they are in some unique position whereby their university owes them something more than reasonable. It's this simple, a student-athlete does well enough in their given sport to earn an opportunity to play at W&M. In some cases, their HS grades fall below that of a standard W&M student, but we grant them admission anyway (I've heard a 3.5gpa and top 50% of their HS class is the low bar). Anyhow, upon admission, W&M owes them an opportunity to fairly & safely compete so long as the student-athlete maintains certain standards. That's it.

Refusing to play because of the name on a building, lack of playing time, colleagues are in danger of having their sport dropped, mean coaches, etc, are all valid reasons a student-athlete may decide to quit. All of us can decide to stop going to work, too. But, choices have consequences and W&M is well within its right to say, "Fine, refuse to meet with Martin and refuse to play. W&M has an accredited women's T&F team, coaches, trainers, and ample facilities. We have satisfied our commitment. There will be no track season this year or the next because we have no student-athlete willing to compete. We will now offer opportunities to *** number of T&F competitors until we have enough to field a squad." Lots of HS juniors, seniors and JuCo students would love an opportunity at W&M.



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Spot on. I am still trying to figure out what they mean by not competing "in uniform," which is what the newspapers keep putting in quotation marks. Do they intend to still compete but just in protest garb? Do they believe W&M should pay for travel, meals, scholarships (if they have them) while this is occurring?

If the team were to choose to compete while not wearing W&M gear, I’d be very interested to see how the college leadership would react. I agree with Tribal, but I see the team clinging to what they see as leverage. I suspect it won’t come to that, but the hypothetical is interesting.

A step too far for the women t&f team?

I'm going to throw an up-and-comer out there: https://scarletknights.com/staff-directo...ulard/2667

State of Virginia ties. New Jersey ties. Former football player. AD at a non-football school. Assoc. AD at a Power 5. Negotiated the waters of moving Longwood into a much better conference fit. I like this guy as an option.

https://goduke.com/staff-directory/troy-austin/489