Preseason Camps Ends; Hutchinson Named Quarterback

Camp ended today and although missing the opportunity to play Christopher Newport yesterday was tough on our preparation, we felt the inter-squad work we did gave us a decent chance to evaluate kids in a competitive environment. In camp we have managed to stay healthy for the most part with our upper class kids. The team has Saturday night and Sunday off, and it is time away that everyone needs at this point in the season.

The quarterback position involved close competition and the performances of Jacob and Carlos did not give me the easy no-brainer every coach hopes for. It was a tough call, but our plan will be to start Jacob Hutchinson against St. Vincent next Saturday. He has strengths as a player and a good command of our offensive system that will give us a chance to be successful on the offensive side. We plan to have a role for Carlos in the game plan too and certainly before the season is over this team will need to use his arm in situations to be successful. I met with the players this morning and I would hope their response to both “good and bad news” will be to keep competing and improving. Although both kids have been in college programs for 4 years, neither has much game experience, and in the next 4 non-conference games their leadership needs to help us mold an offensive identity before Conference play begins.

Look forward to greeting all of the returning players from the Decade of Champions back to campus next Saturday. Check out Monday’s post on the Web-site and the Bridgewater Football Team Facebook page for a review of details.

Go Eagles.

Football Camp at Bridgewater Opens Today

The kids report today and although it is fire drill to get things ready for around 140 players it is nice to be forced to morph into a football coach. Over the last two weeks my staff multi-tasks and marking laundry loops, chasing down undelivered equipment, and painting lines on three practice fields provides us all with what I refer to as Division III moments. It humbles you at times, but the players returning and the energy they will hopefully bring get to turn us into college football coaches again. With school being pushed back, we will get unfettered access to prepare our team over the next three weeks. Done right, it can give us an advantage going into the September 3rd game with Saint Vincent. Tim Leister does a great job on the video updates through camp, use the website or our Football Facebook page to stay in the loop.

In January of 1995 I remember standing at the Exxon Station in downtown Lexington talking to Gary Fallon who had just finished his 17th year at Washington and Lee University. I was out of work and asked him at the time his opinion of a career shift to Division III that was my only option to stay in college football. Gary who played at Syracuse and coached both there and at Cornell prior to coming to Lexington told me, “Mike, do not think at times it will not be humbling. You will wonder why other people you know in coaching are making the big money. You will ask why they are on TV and getting asked to speak at all of the clinics, be prepared at times it will be hard.” I had all of those feelings particularly in my early years and occasionally now on a day where the collateral duty overwhelms us. But Gary added, “But Mike I have been my own boss for 17 years, I raised three daughters in a great community and I’ve coached and influenced some great kids who come back and are now my friends. I can’t say I would have said it earlier, but I am 55 now, and I look back and say I didn’t miss a thing.” I took the job at BC and about a month later Gary Fallon died of a heart attack in his sleep.

I turned 55 this summer and year 17 starts today at Bridgewater Football for me. Although I plan on staying healthy, I could go tomorrow and not have been cheated in this life. I believe Gary Fallon that day was a plant by God for me to hear. I have told his wife that on several occasions. In some sense I have morphed into Gary Fallon: Shared his experience 55 miles up I-81, and like Gary if asked I could honestly answer now, “That I have not missed a thing.” Go Eagles. MClark

Summer Ball's Around the Corner

We are five weeks removed from the players reporting date on August 13th. In Division III where we are also the support staff we stay busy managing the details that will allow things to run smoothly in August. The complete coaching staff returns to work on August 1st and we are able as a group to use that two week period to finalize the plans that will hopefully lead to great success in the fall. We had a strong academic performance in the Spring Term and in Summer-I and not a single athlete will be lost for academic shortfall. This is particularly noteworthy in that at BC an athlete can be eligible by NCAA standards, but not have met school GPA levels necessary to play. Congrats to this group and the staff of Student Academic Support who pushed these kids to these efforts.

Next week we will be announcing the plans that are being set in the fall to honor decades of teams at the five regular season home games scheduled this fall. It will begin on September 3rd where the teams of the 2000’s will gather commemorating the 10th anniversary of BC’s Stagg Bowl appearance. At games in the fall the teams from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s will be featured and honored in the game programs and events surrounding BC Saturdays. Be sure to check BC websites and Facebook pages so those dates can be saved. We hope a large group of people will get a chance to prove you are always an Eagle.

Go BC!

My Take on Pay for Play

Stepping out of my normal Bridgewater Football update I am going to use this as a forum to get an opinion and information out relative to the “Pay these Players” ideas that have hit a lot of the national media outlets. Mind you I am not a Division I “Hater” having played and coached for 14 years at that level. I am well aware of the differences in Saturday afternoon at Bridgewater vs. Blacksburg (I have coached at both) in the Fall. BCS Football does make millions of dollars for their respective programs, I believe there is some hidden guilt in the million dollar coaches club, but the notion that Division I football players are unable to eat hamburgers or go on dates because of stretched finances needs to be looked at a bit closer.

It is a fact that both men’s football and basketball because of the demographic they deal with will deal with a higher level of needy students than men’s Lacrosse or women’s Soccer at the division I level. However, one issue that is never added to the discussion is that a need based student who qualifies for Federal Pell Grant money receives that money in addition to being on a Full Scholarship. That scholarship includes tuition/fees/room-board/books and at BCS schools more “Swag” (warm-ups, shirts, shoes, gear) that you could wear, give away, or sell (see Ohio State) in your time there. These grants could be as low as $555 per year (Family of 4 w/1 child in college income under 50k) or up to $5,550 per year (Family of 4 w/1child in college income under 20K). To me a budgeted young man can go out a time or two on this stipend. Actually it is our tax dollars that helps these kids with the incidentals involved in their college experience. In addition, the NCAA itself provides need based opportunity grants to needy student athletes at any level to help them with some of the hidden, sudden, and necessary expenses involved with college. These grants involve paperwork, and it is usually the NCAA institutions at the higher levels that have administrative staff to focus on these that pull in the lion’s share of this money. Any student (Scholarship or not) would be able to take out Federal Stafford Loan up to $5,500.00 (Interest deferred if you are poor) which could be used to cover total cost of education.

Think back about 6 years ago where Legislation was passed allowing scholarship student athletes to work while being on scholarship. This was the financial problem solver then, but ask any ACC or SEC coach if they have kids working part-time during the school year and be prepared to get that “how stupid are you..Yea right.” stare. If a school abides by the mandatory time limits that the NCAA dictates on the activity of scholarship athletes that job in itself pays anywhere from $26.00 to $52.00 per hour (out of state) according to a Penn State study. I have a nephew who co-ops as a 4^th year Mechanical Engineering student at Ohio State who wished he earned that much.

Education is an investment in you and the college experience should be a springboard where some personal equity in it (even if that includes a loan) is not a bad thing. I do not deny any accountant could go to Virginia Tech and figure out that the football program makes millions and these players are a critical part of that. However, those millions support almost every other program that also involves a lot of scholarship athletes whose sports will never have revenue generating potential. Think of the Title IX implications if cash starts going out. From a Federal point of view there is no value difference in the Quarterback or the Setter in Women’s volleyball.

As a college freshman in 1975 I was in the last class that every month with my full scholarship got a $25.00 “Laundry Money” check as it was called then to cover incidental expense. On that Friday in the off season we also gave blood for $15.00 and the next two weekends were set. I was a middle income full-scholarship athlete (there are a lot of them out there) and I do not remember using the money for laundry. To think that cash to athletes will prevent another Ohio State or solve cheating issues which unfortunately will always be around is naïve. There is a little glass in everybody’s house at all levels of college football and money to players at the BCS level is a Pandora’s Box. Although it is debatable at times we need to keep the education component hooked in college athletics. I see kids at my level who are just as passionate and committed as those at the BCS level. They were not big or fast enough at the high school level to get the opportunity to play, get educated, and set you up for life with your college experience debt free. There really is very little entitlement at the Division III level which is one of our strengths. To get them to spend for this opportunity we have to sell the college experience as a game changing investment for life. This is also true at the BCS level and its’ added value should be sufficient in addition to the scholarships without the cash.

- Coach Clark

Spring Practice in the Books

Spring ball finished last week and we are in the process of finalizing recruiting and holding our end of year meetings with returning players. April practice showed promise, but also showed the gaps that have to be filled for BC to be successful in 2011. Final Strength Testing numbers have about 25% of team performing at a competitive award level. Our team goal is 40% of the roster at Award Strength level so significant summer work will have to be done. In Division III where the majority of this work is done away from campus, it will take real commitment and discipline from our group. We did have six new additions to our Super Iron Eagle Level of strength. LBs Chris Wholey, Brandon Barrow/ DL- Tyler Thompson, John Brilliant/ FB- Nick Wimer and DB Orlando Bryant. Leigh Bradley renewed at Super Iron level at WR. Top spring 40 yard dash results were turned in by Leigh Bradley, Julius Delbridge and Orlando Bryant who showed that explosive strength and speed partner up. We hope the younger athletes take notice.

The QB position is always front and center with Football, but our final decision on who will replace Hagan Driskell will be made in preseason camp. Although the skill kids get high volume and quality work in the spring it is difficult to make this final call without the pressure of going against full defenses who are actually hitting back. It would be difficult to analyze a boxer after watching him hit the speed, heavy bag, and jump rope. When the people in the fight swing back at you; that is when real mettle shows. The structure of Division III spring ball (No pads, no contact) does not give us this opportunity. Mobility will be a non-negotiable trait and I do believe the in house players in bits and pieces have ability that will allow us to successfully compete in the fall. Spring has allowed us to indentify weaknesses, the maturity to work on these over the summer could be what gives a player an early edge.

With health and summer development we could have both experience and some depth on both lines of scrimmage entering the '11 season. Never underestimate the quiet impact on games that is played out on the line of scrimmage. I believe this will be important particularly on the defensive side of the ball where the perimeter must be rebuilt somewhat. From a coaching perspective, we will take some time in May and make preliminary plans for August. It is very important here that we play to our players strength and put new people in positions where they can play hard.

I avoid recruiting comments in the spring although our class is in its’ final stages of recruitment. There are always a handful of key kids we are chasing in May and by Memorial Day this phase of our operation should be complete. Skill kids were a high priority and as a group I believe we have gotten athletic kids at RB, WR, and in the Secondary who will bring good versatility to the program. The more flexible a recruit can be from a position standpoint, the quicker his chance to have impact.

Will Davis really did quality work in Place-kicking this spring. As a rising Senior, his kicking game over the past two seasons has had both ups and downs. It was great to see pressure kicks being made at the end of work-outs. Much like the QB, nobody was rushing so the jury is still out, but we made progress in this critical phase.

On a side note I spoke to Tyler Beiler and although he was disappointed at not being a late round draft pick it has been said that a top free-agent often times is in a better position in that he can pick the right spot to take his shot. It is difficult in that under the lock-out, NFL teams are not allowed to contact the players in that Free-Agent pool at this time. Although he and his agent are aware of who needs WR help, and what teams had the most pre-draft contact and interest in him, at present they are prohibited from communicating. It is a waiting game now. When things get settled we do believe he will get his shot.

We will look to do a live chat in mid-May to discuss upcoming season and summer plans. The amount of time we have to prepare is equal to every opponent on the schedule. In Division III there are a lot variables that are out of our control. The choice to outwork your opponent is one we get to make on a daily basis.

~ Coach Clark