Character as Important as Talent
TC Fleming
Issue date: 4/25/07 Section: Sports
Every two weeks or so, the American Baseball Coaches Association gathers together (in spirit, technically) to determine, based upon their point system they use to rank teams, the best baseball team among all of the NCAA's third division. Once upon a time (2002), those powers and their system decided that the third best of the teams in the country was the University of Dallas Crusaders.
At points in the following season, those same decision makers ranked UD 14th in the nation. How could our humble university achieve such dazzling heights? While no one factor could be called entirely responsible, much of the credit belongs to UD's former coach, Sam Blackmon.
With the return of that same Sam Blackmon as the coach of the East Texas Baptist University last Thursday, it seems altogether fitting to take a look at what Blackmon did for UD and where he sees the program going in the future.
The players on the field, of course, create any success any team will have. A good strategy has little worth without players competent enough to carry it out. Accordingly, recruiting players forms much of any college coach's job. Blackmon said as much himself: "recruiting at any level is the name of the game." As to his own job of recruiting, Blackmon deferred some of the credit to his predecessors: "I think we were fortunate to have a good group of players when we got there."
So far as his own philosophy for finding the players he wanted on his teams, Blackmon said, "We tried to identify young men with character who not only helped us on the field, but took care of business in the classroom and of campus as well." Given the academic demands of an institution such as this one, these can be challenging goals indeed. But given the results, Blackmon appears to have done well enough in accomplishing them.
So far as coaching philosophy goes, Blackmon had enough of a premium on the stolen base to set school records that stand today.
And where does he see the program heading now that family considerations have made it prudent to take the job at ETBU?
Of the man he coached in high school, Blackmon said, "Chris has and will do a great job of getting the program to a high level of play." He continued the praise: ". If I had a team full of guys like Chris Strockbine, with his work habits and character, we would be hard to beat." But how will all this translate to the win-loss record? "For [these] reason, I think he will do great things for UD."
Given the 8-4 victory the Crusaders scored over the ETBU Tigers on Thursday, the available signs indicate he may be on his way to doing just that.
At points in the following season, those same decision makers ranked UD 14th in the nation. How could our humble university achieve such dazzling heights? While no one factor could be called entirely responsible, much of the credit belongs to UD's former coach, Sam Blackmon.
With the return of that same Sam Blackmon as the coach of the East Texas Baptist University last Thursday, it seems altogether fitting to take a look at what Blackmon did for UD and where he sees the program going in the future.
The players on the field, of course, create any success any team will have. A good strategy has little worth without players competent enough to carry it out. Accordingly, recruiting players forms much of any college coach's job. Blackmon said as much himself: "recruiting at any level is the name of the game." As to his own job of recruiting, Blackmon deferred some of the credit to his predecessors: "I think we were fortunate to have a good group of players when we got there."
So far as his own philosophy for finding the players he wanted on his teams, Blackmon said, "We tried to identify young men with character who not only helped us on the field, but took care of business in the classroom and of campus as well." Given the academic demands of an institution such as this one, these can be challenging goals indeed. But given the results, Blackmon appears to have done well enough in accomplishing them.
So far as coaching philosophy goes, Blackmon had enough of a premium on the stolen base to set school records that stand today.
And where does he see the program heading now that family considerations have made it prudent to take the job at ETBU?
Of the man he coached in high school, Blackmon said, "Chris has and will do a great job of getting the program to a high level of play." He continued the praise: ". If I had a team full of guys like Chris Strockbine, with his work habits and character, we would be hard to beat." But how will all this translate to the win-loss record? "For [these] reason, I think he will do great things for UD."
Given the 8-4 victory the Crusaders scored over the ETBU Tigers on Thursday, the available signs indicate he may be on his way to doing just that.
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