But a lot of people go to NAIA because they felt it was better for them than a big university. I personally chose the NAIA because I wanted to go to a Christian school with a liberal arts program and still be able to run. I got recruited by several D1 schools, but chose not to go because I felt that it was my calling to be in a Christian environment. I may be a one in a million case, however, I think it is worth mentioning that some people don't go to D1 because of the overwhelming size and the reputation of a party school. Some people let their morals do the thinking, and end up running for a smaller Christian school who happens to be NAIA.
Tyler_x...just an fyi, our "marquee" schools are out of California and Oklahoma...last time I checked those states are in the United States. Check your facts and who the heck cares who is better. Just respect all athletes and quit trying to make yourself feel better by ragging on other organizations. I mean aren't we all in the sport for the same purpose...jeeze man, relax and enjoy the gift we were given and give it your all on the track rather than the flotrack comment board. Good luck in your outdoor season (assuming you're a track guy) and have a great year.
"On March 10, 2008 at 10:39pm Tyler_x wrote:
The top guys at NAIA schools would beat the majority of D1 guys..."
WHAT??? In what events? "IF" they could it is probably because they were DI caliber athletes without the grades to get into a DI institution or didn't have the drive initially at the DI level. NAIA is good, but I've seen several NAIA schools make the jump to DI, II or III over the past few years, not to mention starting next year, the NCAA is going to start allowing Canadian institutions into their organization. So the NAIA is going to be kissing several of their marquee schools bye, bye in the next few years.
The debate taking place in this comments section is what should have been in the interview. The best interviewers always take a slightly aggressive approach, as this reveals much more about the subject. The question I wanted to hear was, "how do you respond to people who criticize the NAIA?"
This wouldn't have been rude, it would have been revealing. I'd like to see more interviewers asking tougher questions.
I was recruited in Colorado by multiple DII schools and I chose NAIA because I wanted a chance to compete past the conference meets...and it paid off. I've been to every cross country and track nationals in my tenure and I loved every single moment. I'm not really worried about the differences between the NCAA and the NAIA, but I am worried about the overall track and field scene. The bottom line is that the NAIA is doing their thing and I can probably speak for most that the competition is fierce and the majority of the athletes are able to reach their full potential. I personally respect every single athlete no matter what their ability is nor their division of competition. Congrats to all of those who competed this weekend and to those who reached the podium. Thank you Flotrack for giving the NAIA a chance and I hope that we will see you guys at Outdoor.
NAIA is good competition. I ran at Cedarville in the mid 70's. We had a two time state champ from New York , a state champ from New Jersey and a top runner from Illinois on our team. Sure the rest of us were not D1 material, but we had a great team chemistry and alot of fun training and racing for our school. We weren't there to impress the fans. We just loved running and competing and improving ourselves. If only the best should compete, are we going to make all the high scool, middle school and youth program kids quit if they can't keep up? I always thought our sport was great because ANYONE who wanted to do it was always welcome, no matter what ability. The love of the sport is what it is all about. Isn't that what Flotrak is here for?
what a great meet JohnsonCity you guys are first class in my book,this was my daughters 2nd trip out there to compete,your results were loaded very quickly flotrack was awesome on there uploads of vids,that enables parents that are unable to attend stay in touch with the meet and root for the home team.Without that I would have been thrown out of the house.Maybe someday we will be able to attend,you saved a marriage thanks for your hard work,its not easy to put on a meet much less having all these add ons,flotrack a big attaboy for going and to the coaches and officals and other volunteers attaboy
competition is competition at any level.If speed is the only requirement of a great athelete then we are missing the point,shouldnt we messure the heart to evailuate the champion?Anyone want to play jacks?
You guys do realize the naia was the FIRST intercollegiate organization BEFORE the ncaa, right? It is older, though not as well known. It also focuses on the character of the athletes more than the money-driven ncaa. It's true the talent isn't overall as high but there are some great athletes that come from the naia. Bryan Clay, Fernando Cabada, Mike Rodgers, all who have had international success. I think it's a great organization that provides a place for athletes who love the sport and want to compete, especially if they are not at the elite level coming out of high school
xc coach... Actually, as far as the rule book for a track meet, the NAIA uses the NCAA rule book. So, in competition there is no difference as far as rules are concerned. The only differences in competition are the different distances of events both indoor and outdoor. NAIA programs are a great opportunity for many athletes to develop and run against top notch competition. Joe Vigil was the guest speaker at the XC championships this year and made it clear that he stopped coaching at the collegiate level after Adams State had switched to a NCAA D2 institution. The NAIA is all about student athletes who want to compete and less about red tape. Most of the schools in the NAIA are smaller institutions and simply don't have the resources to deal with/comply with the NCAA bureaucracy.
Look, I think it is great NAIA schools are being represented, especially because it is track and field or cross country. However, I'm just skeptical of their whole organization. I mean the NCAA has 3 divisions who follow specific rules and then they have their own rules, which make things confusing for HS kids. I find it hard to accept those schools because of some of those differences. It's not the kids fault, but I just have this wierd vibe when it comes to NAIA programs. Too many kids I know have been promised some things that never came to fruition from NAIA programs.
Before this weekend, I really did not know much about NAIA but I ended up having a really good time. There were some awesome races and some really passonate fans. There were alot of heats (3 heats of the men's 5k) but it only proved for a more exciting final. It was really nice to see some races run that aren't run in NCAA.
I am a runner in the NAIA and the whole there's no "competition in the NAIA" take is false. Unless you are quite fast, you will have no problem getting beat at most NAIA track/cross country meets. Thanks for the representation Flotrack!
NAIA Meet Director and Head Track Coach at Milligan College, Chris Layne talks about the NAIA Indoor Track Meet, the NAIA, what he does, and his school.
Chris asked me to come to the NAIA and I was skeptical at first but I like to give everything a shot. The times are not as fast or really close to D1 and there were a lot of heats for a championship meet but racing is fun to watch and there were a lot of great races so I am happy I went because it reafirmed my belief that this sport should be bigger then it is and there are a ton of people that want to be fans of the sport. March 9, 2008
A Case for the NAIA
But a lot of people go to NAIA because they felt it was better for them than a big university. I personally chose the NAIA because I wanted to go to a Christian school with a liberal arts program and still be able to run. I got recruited by several D1 schools, but chose not to go because I felt that it was my calling to be in a Christian environment. I may be a one in a million case, however, I think it is worth mentioning that some people don't go to D1 because of the overwhelming size and the reputation of a party school. Some people let their morals do the thinking, and end up running for a smaller Christian school who happens to be NAIA.
The top guys at NAIA schools would beat the majority of D1 guys..."
WHAT??? In what events? "IF" they could it is probably because they were DI caliber athletes without the grades to get into a DI institution or didn't have the drive initially at the DI level. NAIA is good, but I've seen several NAIA schools make the jump to DI, II or III over the past few years, not to mention starting next year, the NCAA is going to start allowing Canadian institutions into their organization. So the NAIA is going to be kissing several of their marquee schools bye, bye in the next few years.
This wouldn't have been rude, it would have been revealing. I'd like to see more interviewers asking tougher questions.