john
New Member
Posts: 47
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Post by john on Nov 21, 2009 22:05:21 GMT -5
A great video of the University of Guelph's record 5th straight CIS Women's Cross Country Championship is up on guelphrunning.ca. The inter-splicing near the end was particularly effective. I also loved the song that accompanied the highlight package. Congratulations once again to the women of Guelph's XC program who don't seem all that interested in slowing up any time soon. guelphrunning.ca/news.php?id=293 |
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Post by andrin on Nov 21, 2009 22:25:02 GMT -5
I was actually just thinking about this exact topic, specifically how dominant both the men's and women's teams are at the University of Guelph.
Until now, I had always considered it a bad thing, for one team to have the only funded program in the country (correct me if I'm wrong on that one), to snag all the best in-country recruits, and to win every national championship year in and year out.
But I only now realize that this should only motivate other teams to improve their own training and recruiting systems. Regardless of who wins what, this will only improve the state of the sport within Canada.
Once again, hats off to Guelph. Just know that everyone's gunning for you ;)
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Post by ahutch on Nov 22, 2009 0:16:55 GMT -5
...for one team to have the only funded program in the country... In what sense? |
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Post by andrin on Nov 22, 2009 12:53:08 GMT -5
Sorry, I should've been more clear. Obviously every university provides their own funding for their sports teams. My guess is that the U of G XC/track programs probably receive a lot more funding than other schools' XC/track teams.
Hope this clears up any confusion regarding my last post.
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cerruty
Full Member
"Great things take time, Impossible things take a little bit longer."
Posts: 258
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Post by cerruty on Nov 22, 2009 14:17:59 GMT -5
Have you seen their track? I don't think they get any more funding. I think they are good for the same reason that other schools have been good in the past and for the same reason that other schools will be good in the future - i.e., good coaching/smart training and a pool of talented athletes. I think success breeds more success. As a program improves it becomes more appealing to high school seniors who will contribute to its further improvement in the years to come. If we were talking about American schools that are able to offer full-ride scholarships then yes, it probably would be an issue of funding.
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Post by Steve Weiler on Nov 22, 2009 14:20:09 GMT -5
Sorry, I should've been more clear. Obviously every university provides their own funding for their sports teams. My guess is that the U of G XC/track programs probably receive a lot more funding than other schools' XC/track teams. Hope this clears up any confusion regarding my last post. With what reasoning did you guess "that the U of G XC/track programs probably receive a lot more funding" to the extent that they were the "only funded program in the country?" ie. implying that their level of funding was on a completely different level then any other program in Canada? |
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Post by andrin on Nov 22, 2009 15:09:09 GMT -5
It wasn't a logical transition from one point to the next, but rather a correction that turns out wasn't correct in the first place. I'm not as familiar with the financial and political sides of the sport as some of the more frequent posters are which is why I felt it necessary that I be corrected if I was wrong in the first place.
Basically, what I was trying to reason out how they got so good to begin with. Success does breed more success but how does success get there in the first place? Something has to instigate the process, which is why I said what I did.
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madm
Junior Member
Posts: 75
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Post by madm on Nov 22, 2009 15:32:46 GMT -5
"how they got so good to begin with"
three letters, DST
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Post by feens on Nov 22, 2009 16:08:51 GMT -5
To elaborate on madm's post...here's the interview where DST talks about building the team/system in Guelph...it certainly wasn't an overnight success and I'm sure it took a lot of work on sacrifice from DST (and crew). guelphrunning.ca/videos.php?id=26 |
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Post by andrin on Nov 23, 2009 12:02:46 GMT -5
"how they got so good to begin with" three letters, DST This is obvious. I'm more interested in what Guelph had that brought him there in the first place; this is what I see as truly setting the wheels in motion. In more general terms, how does any university bring in top-tier staff? |
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Post by ronb on Nov 23, 2009 12:50:28 GMT -5
Andrin, if you check the video link posted by Feens, you will get the answers to some of your questions. DST went to Guelph on a "wing and a prayer", and apparently it was mine and Brent's fault  Actually Dave was working very well with us in Victoria, but was ready to develop his own program, and saw Guelph as that opportunity. I believe he was correct... |
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madm
Junior Member
Posts: 75
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Post by madm on Nov 23, 2009 12:53:33 GMT -5
maybe opportunity? you see this all the time, coaches with a strong vision and a relentless work ethic are initially given dick all to survive as far as resources go and they turn a program into powerhouses. you dont need much to be successful. the defining factor to success is never resources it's resourcefullness!
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Post by andrin on Nov 23, 2009 15:30:11 GMT -5
Wow, I was really off base with the whole budgeting/funding thing. It's really quite remarkable to hear the history of the whole thing; how he was able to accomplish so much with so little. Guess it's the willpower of the coach that gives willpower to their athletes, as DST so aptly put.
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Post by Steve Weiler on Nov 23, 2009 16:47:28 GMT -5
Wow, I was really off base with the whole budgeting/funding thing. It's really quite remarkable to hear the history of the whole thing; how he was able to accomplish so much with so little. Guess it's the willpower of the coach that gives willpower to their athletes, as DST so aptly put. Most coaches 'happen' to coach in their free time. Some coaches 'love' to coach and can become good/great at it and inspire individual athletes. A few coaches are so passionate that, combined with the right attributes and supporting cast, they can effect significant changes within the community that surrounds them. A gentleman in Newmarket described this to me as creating an Atmosphere for Success. |
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Post by ottlcoach on Nov 24, 2009 10:14:05 GMT -5
While I haven't watched the video, I would imagine that Guelph's former classification as a national endurance training centre had something to do with ability of the program to bring in quality runners. Certainly DST had done some very good work with the program prior.
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Post by ronb on Nov 24, 2009 21:29:11 GMT -5
Certainly, that designation was part of DST's early gig, and helped attract some athletes.
Dave was identified as a young(ish), passionate, intelligent Coach with the capacity to have a broad vision for our sport, and the abilities to motivate others to share in that vision, and willing to build from the ground up (read --- full time commitment, limited compensation)
And when the Guelph opportunity presented itself, it was a go !
Initially, the job description included a 25 to 33 % commitment to liase with other Ontario coaches and assist in the development of National level distance runners within Ontario, in
every way possible... That's how it was in 1997/98.
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Actually Dave was working very well with us in Victoria, but was ready to develop his own program, and saw Guelph as that opportunity. I believe he was correct...