In a message dated 10/25/00 6:33:24 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << How is the college recruitment of foreign athletes NOT hurting US athletic development? Foreign athletes must be on a 100% scholarship. With only 12 1/2 scholarships to go around for the men, you'd better be a foreigner or able to score 30-40 points per meet to get a full ride. Compared to football, where even the 2nd string punter is on a full scholarship, track is fighting an uphill battle in getting an athlete from a middle or low income family to choose a 50% or less track scholarship over a 100% football or basketball scholarship. It's a shame that our high school national record holder and top junior pole vaulter Eric Eshbach (5.55m) is on only an 80% scholarship, while his own university gives a 100% scholarship to a British shot putter currently under an IAAF drug ban. s.devereaux At >> Every year at some point the same old thread is brought up. When will you understand that many of us foreigners bring a level competition and training that is "foreign" to many of the incoming US freshmen. Take the foreigners out of the NCAA and what happens to the level of competition. This is the ideal interantional setting for a good high schooler to be exposed to in order to see development and gain experience in high quality competition. And since when have foriegners had to have a 100% scholarship. I don't remeber that being the rule. Possibly the polevaulter mentioned above was only given an 80% scholarship because he only competes in one event. I would assume it is very likely that your shot putter also competes in the discus as well...thereby earning more points for the team (although it disgusts me that known drug users are allowed to receive scholarships and compete in the NCAA since the NCAA only recoginizes their own in house drug testing). It really bothers me that we foriegners are usually the first one's that get bashed when it comes to the develepment of your US athletes. Maybe you need to take a closer look at your high school system and the USATF Junior teams and decide where your priorities should be. Is it more important to run great at the Golden West or National Scholastic or Penn Relays or should you be encouraging your kids to compete at the highest levels possible and start putting more emphasis on your Junior teams. And along the same lines, when will more college coaches start to realize not only the importance (experience wise) but also the opprotunity that a young athlete has when they are given the chance to represent their country internationally. To deny that to a developing athlete just wrong. To place the blame on the foreign athletes is a crutch for the lack of development in the high school ranks. I know while I was here I helped my teammates and gave my American competition something to strive to achieve. I think it is only for the best that great American athletes like Paul McMullen, Michael Stember, and Gabe Jennings had the opprotunity to race against the likes of myself, Bernard Lagat, Graham Hood, and Marko Koers. This attitude towards foreign athletes needs to end. We are the least of America's track and field problems. Kevin Sullivan Asst. Cross Country Coach University of Michigan
