CSUN NOTES\Several coaches are worried over what will happen to their sports.Byline: Kevin Acee Special to the Daily News Cal State Northridge men's soccer coach Marwan Ass'ad, who can find tear-jerking drama in a 0-0 tie, was particularly passionate this week. As the uncertainty over how many sports the university will field next season has been protracted pro·tract tr.v. pro·tract·ed, pro·tract·ing, pro·tracts 1. To draw out or lengthen in time; prolong: disputants who needlessly protracted the negotiations. 2. , the rumors surrounding his program - as well as the men's volleyball volleyball, outdoor or indoor ball and net game played on a level court. An upright net, 3 ft (or 1 m) high, the top of which stands 8 ft (2.43 m) from the ground for men, 7 ft 4 1/8 in (2. and swimming programs - have increased. Ass'ad, who coaches arguably ar·gu·a·ble adj. 1. Open to argument: an arguable question, still unresolved. 2. That can be argued plausibly; defensible in argument: three arguable points of law. the most popular Northridge program among community members, is scared. He is frustrated frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: . He is angry. And he knows all he can do is wait. He has no idea what will happen. And, evidently, he is no more in the dark than anyone. Athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Paul Bubb said Saturday that a press conference will be held Tuesday to announce university president Blenda Wilson's final decision on whether to cut any sports to facilitate the Northridge's move into the Big Sky Conference. The university currently fields 19 sports and is required by the Big Sky to add women's golf next year and men's tennis in 1997. The Big Sky does not compete in men's and women's soccer, men's volleyball or men's and women's swimming. The women's soccer program and likely the women's swimming program are in no danger of being cut because of gender equity requirements. A task force made up of coaches, faculty, athletes and community members recommended in November that the university not cut any sports. But nearly three months have passed since the task force made its suggestion public. The rumors and worrying have splintered the athletic department. Bubb conducted a meeting Thursday that included athletic administrators and head coaches. Ostensibly os·ten·si·ble adj. Represented or appearing as such; ostensive: His ostensible purpose was charity, but his real goal was popularity. , the meeting's purpose was to quell quell tr.v. quelled, quell·ing, quells 1. To put down forcibly; suppress: Police quelled the riot. 2. rumors and "bring everybody back together," sources who attended the meeting said. Bubb told the coaches he felt the final decision from Wilson would be a positive one, that no sports would be cut. "But that doesn't mean anything," said one coach who was at the meeting and said he believed that is what Bubb believes. Wilson is believed to still be questioning the feasibility of fielding 21 sports on the athletic department's tight budget. Bubb said the press conference is not until Tuesday because Wilson still needs to consult with "one or two" people today. Ass'ad believes Bubb believes. Bubb has told Ass'ad what will probably happen is that the soccer program will lose scholarship money. The returning players' scholarships will be honored, but Ass'ad will lose the approximately $14,000 in scholarship money that his graduating seniors had. "I respect that," Ass'ad said. "It's unfair, but what can I do about it? The course I should take is one of positive thinking." That is also the philosophy men's volleyball coach John Price has adopted. Sort of. Price, whose program has achieved success paralleled only by the softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' team and is easily the most popular among students, is as involved as any coach in athletic department issues. He is also one of the most vocal coaches A vocal coach is a person, who works with singers on their singing technique, care and development of the voice, performance and preparation of a work. The coach may give instruction to the singer in private lessons, on stage, or during a recording session. around. "I'm getting a little frustrated with the delay," Price said this past week. "They told us (the task force) it was a big hurry. I'm so frustrated by the whole situation. I've stopped worrying about it. "I just want some direction. Eliminate it, cut it back, fully fund it, I'll deal with it. But I need to start dealing with it." Price is one of many coaches who feel what is happening with the department is not what students voted for last spring when they decided by a 1,458-805 margin to increase the Associated Students fee from $33 to $60 per student per semester se·mes·ter n. One of two divisions of 15 to 18 weeks each of an academic year. [German, from Latin (cursus) s in order to "assist in the support of the athletic program." Price does not care what the wording on the ballot was, he said it was not presented that way to he and his players, who worked hard soliciting "Yes" votes. "I know how it was presented to us," he said, "that we need to fund the sports we have at an acceptable Division I level." Price, whose program already does with little more than half the scholarships most of the country's other top volleyball programs, said he is willing to go "bare bones No frills. No luxuries. See bare bones system. " for a while. He also is in favor of football, basketball and the other Big Sky sports getting their share of money. "The better basketball and football do at this school, the better it's going to be for the rest of us (abuse) for The Rest Of Us - (From the Macintosh slogan "The computer for the rest of us") 1. Used to describe a spiffy product whose affordability shames other comparable products, or (more often) used sarcastically to describe spiffy but very overpriced products. 2. ," he said. "In the long run, I think the Big Sky will benefit all of us, assuming we're around to benefit." Different story: The "Whatever happens, happens" tack seems to be the approach of choice among coaches. Barry Schreifels, who coaches both the men's and women's swimming teams, said he is dealing with it the same way as Ass'ad and Price. But senior Adam Blaser says this can't be a good sign. Blaser, for whom the rumored death of his program has been an annual affair, recalled the other day how nervous he was the first time he heard swimming might be cut his freshman year and how it became easier to sluff off the rumors. "I'm kind of more nervous about this one," Blaser said. Blaser does not have to worry about it, but he said tensions are high on the team. "Most people are returning next year," Blaser said. "It's tough right now. They don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what they're going to do." |
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