Hey, All You Young Athletes Out There—Why Not Stay Home For College And Help The Local Universities???
I have lived all over the United States, and have seen high school football in Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Oregon and Montana. San Diego County High School’s can “play ball” with any team from any of those football rich states. We have olympic calibre swimmers and divers, basketball programs that produce major college material. We have a lot to be proud of here, and i want to hear from you. The big question “circling” the prep sports scene is “why can’t we keep our athletes home to play at SDSU, USD, even UCSD? Let me hear from you. It”s time to keep our kids “home,” rather than stocking college rosters from L.A. to Arizona and all points beyond.
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Yes, an interesting conundrum indeed. Having followed SDSU athletics since the days of Dan McGwire, I am often left in a state incredulity over the lack of interest by most of the burgeoning local talent when it comes to choosing SDSU as their school of choice. That’s not to say that SDSU can’t get talent; after all, SDSU has seen its share of talent pass through the coveted hall of Scarlet Red and Black. There was most notably Marshall Falk; and recently, Kevin O’Connell from La Costa Canyon High. A local product that now plays for the New York Jets. Ostensibly, they and others have shown that SDSU can be a viable alternative to the “BCS” schools. But the question remains: why can’t SDSU recruit its own? Win and they will come! That, of course, is easier said than done. Yet, an emerging market, if you will, has been born with the recent addition of Brady Hoke and his marquee staff; as well as, Coach Fisher’s sustained success with the basketball program. By winning Basketball has reeled in phenom Kawhi Leonard. By having the right staff, Coach Hoke brought in the 4-Star, and highly coveted Perry Jackson. Granted these are not local athletes, but you have to start somewhere and those two athletes are superlative examples of the potential SDSU has in getting the prized athletes.
SDSU has built the infrastructure and now has the staff that can get the job done. The basketball program is a clear testimony to what winning can do for a program; especially when it comes to getting recruits. For instance, the recent addition of James Rohan, Malcolm Thomas and Tyrone Shelly, all local talent, left previous programs to come back to SDSU. Additionally, the Basketball program is getting the national exposure as well as, the all I important, local media’s interest (that’s you Mr. Luck). Therefore, it stands to reason that athletes’ and parents of those athletes will think long and hard before committing to another school without first considering SDSU. That alone is a lot considering that it wasn’t to long ago that even a Div III prospect’s list of schools would not have included SDSU.
In my humble opinion, the football program is soon to follow in getting the local recruiting talent to pay attention and give serious consideration to committing to an emerging power that is located in a resort city with beautiful beaches, women and arguably the finest weather in the world. Why would anyone want to go anywhere else?
BRAVO, NORMAN, BRAVO!!! I loved reading your “heartfelt words” and find myself going back time to time to read them….keep the faith….rod…