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Post by HarrisburgFlame on Mar 15, 2005 8:41:40 GMT -5
I think when Jerry started the athletic program a kid like Greiser was the type of kid he had in mind. There are more young Christian athletes out there than most think - it would be nice to see LU become the preferred choice. I fully expect that to happen once we become DI.
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Post by Sly Fox on Mar 15, 2005 13:22:43 GMT -5
Most people here would be stunned to learn that many of the athletes they watch play professionally come from very strong Christian backgrounds.
I was surprised to learn Saturday night that the groom of the wedding I was attending was actually Eric Swann of Arizona Cardinals. He is a committed believer he met our friend in Mesa, AZ as he was doing his morning Bible study at a Starbucks. I got a chance to talk to him about a number of other players on the team including a friend of mine named Leonard Davis who plays OT for the Cardinals. Eric told me Andre Wadsworth has started a church in Phoenix and a number of the players on the team help him with it.
I know I have worn this topic out, but I firmly believe if we can find a way to become identified as the Evangelical option for athletes (the way Notre Dame is for Catholics and BYU is for Mormons) we can really have an impact at the Division I level. We haven't been able to make that distinction as of yet. But I firmly believe a combination of onfield success and quality marketing can help us turn that tough corner.
All that said, we need to recruit more Texans in football. Period. But that's another horse I've beaten to death.
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Post by PittLU on Mar 15, 2005 17:12:37 GMT -5
I knew about Andre Wadsworth. My roomate at LU was a teamate of his at Florida Christian. One of my original threads had to do with strengthening the alumni base in order to recruit better. Liberty breeds Christian school teachers, administrative personnel, and pastors that are out at these schools across the country. If we can generate enthusiasm about all sports through the alumni, it makes the coaches jobs easier! The pipe is greased (borrowing a sales term). All recruiting is is selling the program and what better place do Christian athletes have to go than Liberty???!!!! There is no question that Liberty needs to corner the market on the Christian schools. What a huge recruiting base we would have if we had our pick from the Christian schools.
Of course, one huge athlete who is trumpeting the cause of Christ is Ben Roethlisberger right here in Pittsburgh. Ben wasnt even recruited by the big schools, and ended up at Miami of Ohio. If we had a strong alumni base in his church.......
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Post by Jacksparrow81 on Mar 15, 2005 21:24:04 GMT -5
What is the deal with that? Does Liberty recruit more to the Christians schools or Public schools. North Florida Christian is like a well oiled machine when it comes to producing players and good teams. Same goes with alot of other christian schools in FL but you never here anything about recruting . im sure its the same way in other places in the country. Some christian schools would walk all public schools in football and defintily in basketball as its the case in FL
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Post by PittLU on Mar 15, 2005 21:28:20 GMT -5
It never seemed to me like Liberty had a plan in recruiting. It just looked at the kids who sent in tapes.
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Post by Stevev on Mar 15, 2005 21:57:20 GMT -5
We need to reach out to these Christian football recruits as an alternative to going to state universities. We definately need to make more of an effort to upgrade recruiting and hopefully the new AD will make the right decisions and increase marketing.
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Post by V88 on Mar 15, 2005 23:18:17 GMT -5
Read any issue of Sports Spectrum magazine and you may wonder how Liberty missed out on some talented athletes. In some cases a top athlete who is also a committed follower of Christ will want to go to a state school because they sincerely believe they can have a greater ministry at a "secular" school. The perception is that if they go to the christian college, they will be one of thousands of christians, but if they go to the state school, they will have more opportunities to share their faith on campus.
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Post by PAmedic on Mar 16, 2005 7:06:28 GMT -5
that may be for some of the more zealous, but I firmly believe the exposure of the big conferences and potential for NFL scouts to pick up on you leads guys to the USC's, Florida State's etc. Though w/ the advent of cable sports coverage and todays anywhere/anytime technology maybe the playing field is evening out for the smaller schools and D1A, D2, etc?
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Post by Sly Fox on Mar 16, 2005 9:28:19 GMT -5
A little realized fact is that majority of NFL players don't go to high-profile DI-A schools. Take a look at any NFL team's roster. If you have the talent, you can get to the top. The same goes for baseball. Basketball is the one sport where the odds are more difficult. But anymore, even if you are all-conference in a power conference like the SEC or Big Ten, it doesn't guarantee that you'll even get invited to NBA camps as a free agent. With the influx of foreign-born players, the opportunities are becoming fewer & farther between.
With all that in mind, you might as well go play where you will feel the most comfortable. For some, that will be a state school. For others, Liberty would fit their situations perfectly. Unfortunately, many of our target atheltes don't even realize we exist. That's where the school needs to step up and address the issue.
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Post by PittLU on Mar 16, 2005 10:37:41 GMT -5
I believe that the demographic of zealous Christians attending a state school as a ministry is slim. I do feel that some Christian athletes may excel in a state school because they are on their own and their faith can mature on its own without the intervention of parents, school and routine. Of course, if it is thorny ground, their faith could suffer.
Liberty is attractive because kids who have been grown up in a Christian school have an alternative to the trasition to a secular school. Speaking from experience, I came from a small Christian school (not recruited in any sport, but a walk on in soccer - and quickly walk off) and the tranisition from small Christian school to large secular school would have been a huge transition. I was lost enough in the shuffle at LU. I couldnt even imagine that transition at a secular school.
Summary: LU is a great alternative to these state schools. There is a commradery in faith and the brotherhood of Christ, couple that with a team mentality in athletics and you have a substantial experience and life changing environment you can offer the recruits. And forget that it was Eric Green, the bottom line is that even LU can generate a first round draft choice in the NFL. Size and location of school DOES NOT MATTER!
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Post by cheer95 on Mar 16, 2005 11:18:46 GMT -5
I agree that Liberty can produce top picks. But can they be men who represent what Liberty was meant to be and that is a Christian atheletic program? I fear not.
I have been a party to how Liberty recruits and it is usually not about the school itself but about how much fun they can have and get away with as football players.
I know that there are some outstanding Christian athletes and I am only talking about the ones I know personally. And so I ramble...
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Post by PittLU on Mar 16, 2005 11:58:38 GMT -5
You are not rambing, that is a good point; but I think it is a point I addressed in my previous post. That kind of attitude of "getting away with it" goes for all LU students. In my younger days at LU, I was as guilty of that as the football players you mention. I still feel that going to LU has to be a choice made by the athlete and/or student, and not family tradition, peer pressure, or the easy choice.
With the values LU has, you are not always going to get the "ideal Christian" or in this case the "ideal Christian athlete". We all have our weaknesses in our walk, and some people have faked a walk so long, that LU exposes that and they turn into the 10%. That is what you risk with the rules being objective and not subjective. Regardless, LU is a great choice for athletes looking for a Christian alternative. I am sure that these students go to state schools because they are recruited and may have a storied program, but LU can offer what they cant, a Christ centered program. To some that may be more attractive that a state school....
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Post by Sly Fox on Mar 16, 2005 12:06:09 GMT -5
I remember you bringing this up before on the other board, cheer. I wish there weren't bad seeds at Liberty. But the fact of the matter is that are going to be people who use LU for purposes that aren't in line with The Liberty Way. The goal is to find the quality athletes who are serious about their Christian walk. And frankly, that's tough to do. Anybody can say the right things during an in-home or campus visit. But walking the walk is a different story.
But as LUpitt mentions, the problem is not limited to athletes.
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