July 2008
Hello Lancers,
In just about any workplace, the arrival of summer provides for a more relaxed environment. It provides people with the opportunity to enjoy family vacations or any other time away from the office. This is not necessarily because the workload has lessened, but our mindsets have been adjusted for the weather and mid-point of the year.
This is also the case in college athletics. However, at the Division I level it has become increasingly difficult to adjust your mindset for relaxation. Due of the ultra-competitive landscape, coaches spend a good portion of the summer on the road recruiting. For instance, our men’s and women’s basketball coaching staffs, on average, will be on the road twenty of the thirty days in July.
Gone is the time when student-athletes can afford to go home and not continue to train for their sport. In fact, a few have stayed in Farmville to take extra classes and workout with our director of strength and conditioning, Lisa Martin.
As administrators, we also have a great deal of preparation for the upcoming academic year. Aside from closing-out budgets and refining organizational practices and policies, there are two projects that necessitate our attention: capital projects and conference affiliation.
Currently there are two construction projects that are nearing completion. The baseball/softball team rooms and public restrooms are slated to be finished by the beginning of September. These buildings will provide a great compliment for two wonderful facilities.
We are also renovating the locker rooms in Willett Hall for men’s and women’s basketball. When completed, both programs will be provided modernized locker rooms with approximately double the space.
In addition to construction, as I have previously mentioned, we are continually assessing conference opportunities. Most recently, Longwood was involved in discussions about the expansion of the Great West Conference. Seven independent institutions have joined the Great West, thus expanding their sponsorship from football-only to 14 sports. After an in-depth analysis of the new conference, we felt it would not be the best fit for the Lancers. As such, we will continue with our efforts toward gaining conference affiliation.
The overall impact of these summer activities will keep us busy until just in time for the arrival of our student-athletes in the fall.
