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GRAEME PORT sports@technewsiit.com

TechNews I Tuesday, March 29, 201 1

 

IIT looking into making transition from NAIA to NCAA DIII

By Graeme Port
SPORTS EDITOR

Last week, President Anderson confirmed
that the school is currently looking into the
prospect of moving the university’s varsity
sports program from the NAIA to the NCAA
DIII level “We’re thinking about it," explained
Anderson, “but there are a lot of things that
have to fall into place, and the timing is totally
uncertain If we decide to do it, it could take
many years before we are ready to make the
transition It’s certainly not something that’s
going to happen in the near future?"

But what exactly does this mean?

The two main athletic associations for four,
year academic institutions in the United States
are the National Collegiate Athletic Associa
tion (NCAA) and the National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)? The NCAA
is the larger association of the two and rep,
resents the bigger universities and colleges,
whilst the NAIA is the smaller association that
represents the smaller universities and colleges
in the nation The divisions within the NCAA
are broken down purely by the size of the aca
demic institution, not the standard of the athe
letic teams; there is no demotion or promotion
within the divisions, as each is a separate entity

The NCAA DI is the most prestigious level for
varsity athletics, due to the fact that the schools
have more resources , which, for the most part,
sees them attract the top athletes in the nation?
With the big four American sports , baseball,
basketball, football, and ice hockey , the level
of competition is at a significantly higher stan
dard than at the D11, DIII, or NAIA level Howe
ever, outside these sports the level of competie
tion between the divisions is far more event To
take soccer as an example, many teams within
the NAIA, and D11, regularly compete against
DI teams and defeat them?

The only other major difference of note be
tween the four separate levels of athletic come
petition is the fact that the NCAA DIII , the
division that IIT is currently looking into join,

ing , is the only level that does not allow its
institutions to hand out athletic scholarships?
This is significant for two reasons? The first is
that talented athletes who are good enough to
attain athletic scholarships usually don’t con
sider DIII as a valid option, as they can attain
athletic scholarship money at the DI, D11, or
the NAIA level? The second is that athletic
departments within DIII have far fewer inter,
national athletes, as they find it extremely dif
ficult to attract internationals due to the fact
that they, again, ca.n’t grant athletic scholar,
ships? Evidence of this can clearly be seen by
viewing the number of international athletes
within departments at the division III level? Of
the 22 division III schools in Illinois, the aver,
age number of international athletes is just 4;
IIT currently has 25? President Anderson ace
knowledged this potential loss of international
athletes but stressed that other interests come
into play “It could have a downside effect, I
guess," he explained, “but we do need to look
at the benefits for our entire student body"

So are there any other major problems with
making the move? The simple answer to this
question is yes? The most glaring negative is
that once a school announces its intention to
make the transition into the NCAA they can’t
compete in any posteseason competition for
a four year period? This means that freshman
athletes that joined the school in the first year
of the foureyear transition would not be able
to compete in any posteseason play during
their entire collegiate career? This, obviously,
would make it extremely difiicult for the def
partments’ coaches to attract athletes to the
school, which would severely lower the stan
dards of the universities’ varsity sports teams?
Another negative would be that the school
would have to find a conference within the
NCAA DIII that would accept us? If the school
was not granted immediate acceptance into an
NCAA DIII conference, then we would have
to either operate as an independent, which is
expensive, or remain in the NAIA, where our
teams would have to compete without schole

 
  

arship athletes against universities that would
have a multitude?

Given this significant list of cons, what then
are the major benefits for students?

A major positive that President Anderson
feels would come from making the transition
is that the school would be competing against
likeeminded institutions? “We’re currently
playing schools in the NAIA that are not simi
lar to us," he explained? “There are between
250,300 NAIA colleges and universities, and of
those, only 17 have an accredited engineering
college? We, of course, are a technical school
with an engineering college? So we’re currently
competing against colleges and universities
that are not similar to us? I think the transi
tion would give our athletes a chance to con
nect with other athletes of a similar academic
background?" Another positive that the Presi
dent feels would benefit the school is that the
university would be competing against schools
with similar high academic admission stan
dards? “Our requirements for admission to
the university are more stringent than a lot of
the other NAIA schools," he explained? “This
often puts us at a disadvantage, as we’re look,
ing at a smaller group of applicants than the
schools that we are competing against" A third
benefit that the president envisages is the op
portunity to get students, along with the sports
department, more interested in varsity sports
by competing against similar academic instie

. . Division I”

G) DISCOVER | DEVELOP I DEDICATE

tutionsi “The chance to build rivalries with
schools that are more academically similar to
us will hopefully see our students get into it
a little bit more," he stressed? Other positives
for students that would come from making
the transition into DIII are that the university
would have to both increase its number of var,
sity sports teams, and improve the standard
of the schools athletic facilities; both of which
would see the need for considerable financial
investment?

So do the pros (competing against similar
institutions, competing against schools with
similar admission levels, building rivalries
with similar schools, increasing the number of
varsity teams, and improving athletic facilities)
outweigh the cons (lowering the standard of
the schools athletic teams, lowering the nume
ber of international athletes, going without
post season competition for four years, and
possibly being stuck in limbo as the school
waits for NCAA DIII acceptance)? President
Anderson feels that they do? “There are pros
and cons but I think you can get over it," he
explained? “I feel it would be a more enriching
experience for our student athletes, and for the
students who are not varsity athletes at IIT”

Only time will tell, however, whether the
school decides to make the transition; and, if
they do, whether it proves to be successful or
not?

 

Tai Chi: the ultimate stress reducer

By Ashlie Ingold
STAFF WRITER

Tai Chi is a stress reducing martial art form focused on balance
ing Ying and Yang? The instructor, Paul Channic, has been feae
tured in 65 Alive, a newspaper focused on senior citizens, in an
article describing how Tai Chi is not about causing pain to ben
efit the body and mind , rather, it’s about listening to the body
and making its movements flow together? Earlier this week, I

asked Paul a few questions about his teachings:
How long have you been instructing Tai Chi?

I’ve been teaching full time for almost 7 years now Before that I
was working a job in the ‘corporate world’ and teaching Tai Chi
part time as the schedule allowed? December of 2004 is when
I made the transition into being a full time Tai Chi instructor

How long have you been instructing at IIT?

If memory serves correctly I started in September of 2009?
What do you like about instructing Tai Chi here?

It is a pleasure to meet and interact with students of various
cultural backgrounds? The ones who have come to Tai Chi class
have been very openeminded and sincerely interested in find,
ing out what the Art of Tai Chi is, how it is practiced and the

benefits it offers?

What are the benefits of Tai Chi and how does it reduce stress?
Well, I’m not really all that good on ‘how’ questions, but it seems
to me that because Tai Chi is a natural and effortless discipline
that helps people to enter a true state of relaxation, that when
the body really does relax it just tends to function better? Relax,
ation helps the whole system function more efficiently; men,
tally, physically and spiritually Benefits can include, but are by
no means limited to, increased flexibility, better concentration,
lowered blood pressure, more restful sleep and just an overall

increase of confidence and wellebeingi
How did you get into Tai Chi?

The short answer would have to be ‘by accident’ The long an,
swer would be too lengthy for your article? Sufiice it to say that
the Universe gets us all where we need to be if we just keep

ourselves open, willing and flexible?
Do you teach outside of IIT and where?

This is my schedule from my website? Also, please feel free to
use any information, quotes, etc? that you may find there? http:/l
cha.ntaichi_wordpresstcom/taiechieclasseschedule/

Tai Chi is offered Mondays at 9 pm? and Wednesdays at 1 pm?

at Keating Athletic Center

 

Photo courtesy ofMelam‘e Kata