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Here is the part of today's Argus story that is not football specific.
http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Sundayfeature.shtml
Preparing for Division I
Chris Solari
Argus Leader
published: 7/18/2004
Many challenges await SDSU's athletes, coaches
BROOKINGS - Lang Wedemeyer knows his South Dakota State women's soccer team will face some "knocks" as it moves to Division I this fall. . . .
While expectations for SDSU's pioneering days of Division I this fall are nebulous, the athletes and coaches are not dwelling on the negatives. They are keeping their focus on the physical and mental components that they feel will be necessary at the new level.
Many athletes are working out as never before. Coaches are learning new rules and strategies. All are preparing for the great unknown of Division I.
"Whether you're a Division III athlete, an NAIA athlete or a Division I athlete, your goal is to become the best possible athlete," said Lee Munger, SDSU's strength and conditioning coach who also runs the Jackrabbit Acceleration program. . . .
Facing the unknown
On Aug. 27 in Milwaukee, the women's soccer team gets the distinction of being the first SDSU sport to compete at the Division I level. They will play Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette in the Milwaukee Cup that weekend. . . .
The senior soccer players are in an unique situation. They were the program's first soccer recruits. Now, they bear the leadership role with the move to D-I.
"The mentality with our rising seniors is one of leadership, one of leaving a legacy," Wedemeyer said. "And then, when we talk about our incoming freshmen and rising sophomores, that type of mentality is one of development, learning how to deal with some adversity and life lessons, not quitting and always giving your best."
Despite his program being the newest in the Jackrabbit fold, Wedemeyer loaded this fall's schedule with the type of competition the Jackrabbits will face annually in the future - schools from regional Division I conferences such as the Horizon League (UW-Milwaukee), Missouri Valley Conference (Creighton) and the Mid-Continent Conference (Western Illinois). SDSU also has a game at Minnesota scheduled for Oct. 29.
"First, it's going to open the eyes of the players we have to a whole other level and help their development advance faster," he said. "And it's going to show our future recruits that we're not going to back away. We've got to play good competition to get better." . . .
Building blocks
Coaches may rule during their seasons, but Munger molds their athletes the rest of the year. Through the 3-year-old acceleration program, Munger works with each coach to identify which skills athletes need to improve before next season. . . .
This summer, the school's athletic department began to provide the acceleration program free to student-athletes. About 50 football players stayed in Brookings to participate in Munger's program, the most Stiegelmeier can recall during his tenure. Another 15 or so athletes from other SDSU programs also remained, including Eilers and four of her teammates. . . .
"Kids know that we have to raise the bar," said Munger, who played football at SDSU from 1994-98. "Part of that is getting the kids to stay around. We've had more kids stay here than ever before. . . .
Division I coaches are not permitted to supervise summer activities due to NCAA restrictions, but a strength coach may establish and oversee conditioning workouts. . . .
"There are a lot of opportunities for us to get better in the summer," said men's basketball sophomore Andy Kleinjan. . . .
Around the corner
The volleyball coaches continue to work on refining an atypical system that relies on quickness rather than height. That blitzkrieg approach caught many of their Division I foes off-guard during spring games, as teams seemed used to a more powerful, methodical style of play.
SDSU went 12-2-1 in those offseason tournaments, which included victories over fellow Division I schools Iowa State and Northern Iowa. . . .
"We made our system a little more sophisticated with our offense," Nelson said. "We've set up a few different things to combat the obstacles we'll run into because we're still going to be smaller than a lot of the Division Is we play. We've got a faster offense, a different style, and we've tried to hone that."
Volleyball senior-to-be Sarah Simet, a Brookings native, recalled breezing through a four-game match against Iowa State during a spring tournament and how, even though the Jacks weren't at their best, they made things look easy and built a positive mind frame. . . .
"This is our first year (at Division I)," Simet said, "and we should go out there and start with a bang and be our best."
Great Article, everyone needs to hit the link and read the whole thing. I broke it up into football and non-football so as to make it "fit" into our formats but everyone should read the whole thing. Good to see that the D-I attitude is already on our campus! 8)
Go State! ;D
http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Sundayfeature.shtml
Preparing for Division I
Chris Solari
Argus Leader
published: 7/18/2004
Many challenges await SDSU's athletes, coaches
BROOKINGS - Lang Wedemeyer knows his South Dakota State women's soccer team will face some "knocks" as it moves to Division I this fall. . . .
While expectations for SDSU's pioneering days of Division I this fall are nebulous, the athletes and coaches are not dwelling on the negatives. They are keeping their focus on the physical and mental components that they feel will be necessary at the new level.
Many athletes are working out as never before. Coaches are learning new rules and strategies. All are preparing for the great unknown of Division I.
"Whether you're a Division III athlete, an NAIA athlete or a Division I athlete, your goal is to become the best possible athlete," said Lee Munger, SDSU's strength and conditioning coach who also runs the Jackrabbit Acceleration program. . . .
Facing the unknown
On Aug. 27 in Milwaukee, the women's soccer team gets the distinction of being the first SDSU sport to compete at the Division I level. They will play Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette in the Milwaukee Cup that weekend. . . .
The senior soccer players are in an unique situation. They were the program's first soccer recruits. Now, they bear the leadership role with the move to D-I.
"The mentality with our rising seniors is one of leadership, one of leaving a legacy," Wedemeyer said. "And then, when we talk about our incoming freshmen and rising sophomores, that type of mentality is one of development, learning how to deal with some adversity and life lessons, not quitting and always giving your best."
Despite his program being the newest in the Jackrabbit fold, Wedemeyer loaded this fall's schedule with the type of competition the Jackrabbits will face annually in the future - schools from regional Division I conferences such as the Horizon League (UW-Milwaukee), Missouri Valley Conference (Creighton) and the Mid-Continent Conference (Western Illinois). SDSU also has a game at Minnesota scheduled for Oct. 29.
"First, it's going to open the eyes of the players we have to a whole other level and help their development advance faster," he said. "And it's going to show our future recruits that we're not going to back away. We've got to play good competition to get better." . . .
Building blocks
Coaches may rule during their seasons, but Munger molds their athletes the rest of the year. Through the 3-year-old acceleration program, Munger works with each coach to identify which skills athletes need to improve before next season. . . .
This summer, the school's athletic department began to provide the acceleration program free to student-athletes. About 50 football players stayed in Brookings to participate in Munger's program, the most Stiegelmeier can recall during his tenure. Another 15 or so athletes from other SDSU programs also remained, including Eilers and four of her teammates. . . .
"Kids know that we have to raise the bar," said Munger, who played football at SDSU from 1994-98. "Part of that is getting the kids to stay around. We've had more kids stay here than ever before. . . .
Division I coaches are not permitted to supervise summer activities due to NCAA restrictions, but a strength coach may establish and oversee conditioning workouts. . . .
"There are a lot of opportunities for us to get better in the summer," said men's basketball sophomore Andy Kleinjan. . . .
Around the corner
The volleyball coaches continue to work on refining an atypical system that relies on quickness rather than height. That blitzkrieg approach caught many of their Division I foes off-guard during spring games, as teams seemed used to a more powerful, methodical style of play.
SDSU went 12-2-1 in those offseason tournaments, which included victories over fellow Division I schools Iowa State and Northern Iowa. . . .
"We made our system a little more sophisticated with our offense," Nelson said. "We've set up a few different things to combat the obstacles we'll run into because we're still going to be smaller than a lot of the Division Is we play. We've got a faster offense, a different style, and we've tried to hone that."
Volleyball senior-to-be Sarah Simet, a Brookings native, recalled breezing through a four-game match against Iowa State during a spring tournament and how, even though the Jacks weren't at their best, they made things look easy and built a positive mind frame. . . .
"This is our first year (at Division I)," Simet said, "and we should go out there and start with a bang and be our best."
Great Article, everyone needs to hit the link and read the whole thing. I broke it up into football and non-football so as to make it "fit" into our formats but everyone should read the whole thing. Good to see that the D-I attitude is already on our campus! 8)
Go State! ;D
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