Walk Through

The American Southwest Conference received some good news last week when the Division III Management Council gave its support for allowing walkthrough sessions during the opening days of pre-season football practice. The ASC along with the Empire 8 and the New Jersey Athletic Conference all sponsored this legislation for the 2010 NCAA Convention in Atlanta.

The proposal will allow Division III schools to have walkthroughs-consisting of daily one hour instructional periods during the five day acclimatization period without helmets, pads or conditioning activities. Last year the proposal failed to make it to the convention floor as several committees expressed their concern over the safety factor of having walkthroughs during the hottest time of the year. Now with an additional year of research and the expected support of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the proposal will go to the convention floor in January.

I hope the proposal will pass, because I think this is a good way for our coaches to get some additional opportunities to work with our student-athletes in a safe environment. I think that anytime we can create more opportunities for our coaches to be with our young people, it is a positive thing for both sides.

I realize that some of my colleagues might view this as an attempt by Division III to mirror Division I and Division II, which already has the walkthrough policy in place. Many times I hear representatives from Division III institutions remark that it is bad policy when we try to implement a policy that is in place from the other two divisions. I hear them say that we should be different than the other two divisions because that is where our identity is: we are the only division that does not offer athletic scholarships.

It’s not that we want to be Division I or Division II- we only want to provide our student-athletes with the coaching and support that they have come to expect from their high school. When we attempt to upgrade our facilities or petition the NCAA for more interaction with our coaches and student-athletes, it’s not an attempt to be the University of Texas. It’s an attempt to provide the student-athletes with the opportunities that they have grown up with, whether they compete for a club team or for a high school program.

The walkthrough proposal will not have a financial impact and should not require any additional manpower from athletic training or other support staff. I hope the membership will see the value of this proposal as the Management Council has.

Cowboy Up,

John Neese