Coyote Corner
Coyote Corner December 3, 2014 Volume 1
Issue 3
Becoming Thankful
Dexter Irvin Director of Athletics and Recreation
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with quality coaches and staff. We will work hard to take care of the present challenges and then provide leadership and vision for what the future of athletics can look like at CSN.” "Any changes require planning and hard work, but we must always remember that our greatest assets are the students in the Southern Nevada area. Using athletics to help local students achieve their success in higher education is the correct application of intercollegiate athletics." Dexter and his wife, Connie, have six children and 16 grand children.
Last week at our favorite morning watering hole, (7-11) I was talking with a fellow who was a little down in the dumps and expressing his frustration. It was easy to agree with the situations that he presented, and in general feel pretty miserable about finances, business, tax revenues etc. When I arrived back at the office I was greeted by many of our coaches who had been out recruiting. As we talked about players, facilities, scholarship etc., I began to see a pattern emerging from our conversations. Athletically we may not have as much of the operational funding or facilities as other institutions; however at CSN we are set apart by our institutional support, growth/ opportunity potential, and our awesome staff. The unavoidable question that scores of us face today is no different than the questions we face as an athletic department: do we accentuate the positive and continue work our way forward, or do we whine, complain and bury ourselves in a poor attitude? As a young person going to school I would often walk the mile and a half to school. When I wanted a ride home, I would go to the pay phone (all teenagers Google “payphone”) and call home and ask mom to come and get me. The first thing out of her mouth was “Dexter start walking” followed by “I will come and get you.” Many times I made it home before she showed up, but what she taught me was to not sit around and wait. “Start walking” left a permanent impression on my soul, (and soles) and an attitude that encourages me to work to improve. At CSN we are building athletic teams that will start, as part of our plan, without scholarship funding, and we are working on funding models necessary to build softball/soccer and recreational sports facilities. Any way you slice it these are challenging circumstances for us, but one that will provide opportunities for Las Vegas and Nevada students. By no means are these challenges insurmountable. Solutions include: increasing attendance at home events, working with the CSN Foundation, fostering more corporate sponsorships, and development of our new “Coyote Club”. With some of these ideas we are “beginning to walk” with others who are in full stride.
Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
Coyote Corner In the mean time we have many things to be thankful for! First, thanks to great vision of past coaches, community and institution, CSN has one of the best baseball facilities in NJCAA, even better than some NCAA Division I schools. The battle with facilities to keep up and keep current is ever-present but we have a fantastic foundation. The plan for softball and soccer is to keep the quality necessary to match Lied Baseball Complex/Morse Stadium. Second, scholarships. At CSN we are well funded for both baseball and softball scholarships as defined by the NJCAA, and we are protected against tuition increases which would threaten to erode our total scholarships. What a great arrangement! As we begin to offer additional sports we will start using an opportunity based model and then raise funding for scholarships. In subsequent years we will evaluate where we are within the institution and see what is available for these sports. Per NJCAA rule volleyball is allowed fourteen scholarships and soccer is allowed eighteen for both men and women’s teams. Third, staff. Currently only one of our head coaches is full time but we are blessed with coaches and athletic personal that work tirelessly for our students and our institution. The quality of our coaches, headed up by our current “Dean” of coaching, baseball coach Nick Garritano, reeks of quality, experience and that “can do” attitude. “Part time” head and assistant coaches, who routinely work until the job is done, only enhance the quality that we are seeking. The quality and past success of our staff is amazing and speaks to their personal character and commitment to excellence. Finally I am very thankful for our supportive administration. The honesty, communication and responsiveness from them has been a true infusion of fresh air. Combined with an experienced and unwavering athletic coordinator, and a recreation coordinator who doubles as an SID, these all provide an incredible foundation for us moving forward. Like many folks at CSN their efforts and attitude are outstanding and do not go unnoticed. A few years ago while in LA, I was approached by a person who look a little down on their luck, asking me for some cash as I waited to cross the street. A little miffed that someone was asking me for a handout when trash was all over the sidewalk and in the streets, I ask him, “Whose job is it to pick up all of this trash?” His response stunned me, “I guess if it bothers you, it’s your job” he said. I gave him $20 for a lesson well taught. Instead of whining, complaining and being crabby about our current situation, we can identify the issues that are bothering us, be thankful for what we have, and then as my mother advised, …………. “Start walking”.
Dexter
Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
Issue 3
Becoming Thankful
Dexter Irvin Director of Athletics and Recreation
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with quality coaches and staff. We will work hard to take care of the present challenges and then provide leadership and vision for what the future of athletics can look like at CSN.” "Any changes require planning and hard work, but we must always remember that our greatest assets are the students in the Southern Nevada area. Using athletics to help local students achieve their success in higher education is the correct application of intercollegiate athletics." Dexter and his wife, Connie, have six children and 16 grand children.
Last week at our favorite morning watering hole, (7-11) I was talking with a fellow who was a little down in the dumps and expressing his frustration. It was easy to agree with the situations that he presented, and in general feel pretty miserable about finances, business, tax revenues etc. When I arrived back at the office I was greeted by many of our coaches who had been out recruiting. As we talked about players, facilities, scholarship etc., I began to see a pattern emerging from our conversations. Athletically we may not have as much of the operational funding or facilities as other institutions; however at CSN we are set apart by our institutional support, growth/ opportunity potential, and our awesome staff. The unavoidable question that scores of us face today is no different than the questions we face as an athletic department: do we accentuate the positive and continue work our way forward, or do we whine, complain and bury ourselves in a poor attitude? As a young person going to school I would often walk the mile and a half to school. When I wanted a ride home, I would go to the pay phone (all teenagers Google “payphone”) and call home and ask mom to come and get me. The first thing out of her mouth was “Dexter start walking” followed by “I will come and get you.” Many times I made it home before she showed up, but what she taught me was to not sit around and wait. “Start walking” left a permanent impression on my soul, (and soles) and an attitude that encourages me to work to improve. At CSN we are building athletic teams that will start, as part of our plan, without scholarship funding, and we are working on funding models necessary to build softball/soccer and recreational sports facilities. Any way you slice it these are challenging circumstances for us, but one that will provide opportunities for Las Vegas and Nevada students. By no means are these challenges insurmountable. Solutions include: increasing attendance at home events, working with the CSN Foundation, fostering more corporate sponsorships, and development of our new “Coyote Club”. With some of these ideas we are “beginning to walk” with others who are in full stride.
Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
Coyote Corner In the mean time we have many things to be thankful for! First, thanks to great vision of past coaches, community and institution, CSN has one of the best baseball facilities in NJCAA, even better than some NCAA Division I schools. The battle with facilities to keep up and keep current is ever-present but we have a fantastic foundation. The plan for softball and soccer is to keep the quality necessary to match Lied Baseball Complex/Morse Stadium. Second, scholarships. At CSN we are well funded for both baseball and softball scholarships as defined by the NJCAA, and we are protected against tuition increases which would threaten to erode our total scholarships. What a great arrangement! As we begin to offer additional sports we will start using an opportunity based model and then raise funding for scholarships. In subsequent years we will evaluate where we are within the institution and see what is available for these sports. Per NJCAA rule volleyball is allowed fourteen scholarships and soccer is allowed eighteen for both men and women’s teams. Third, staff. Currently only one of our head coaches is full time but we are blessed with coaches and athletic personal that work tirelessly for our students and our institution. The quality of our coaches, headed up by our current “Dean” of coaching, baseball coach Nick Garritano, reeks of quality, experience and that “can do” attitude. “Part time” head and assistant coaches, who routinely work until the job is done, only enhance the quality that we are seeking. The quality and past success of our staff is amazing and speaks to their personal character and commitment to excellence. Finally I am very thankful for our supportive administration. The honesty, communication and responsiveness from them has been a true infusion of fresh air. Combined with an experienced and unwavering athletic coordinator, and a recreation coordinator who doubles as an SID, these all provide an incredible foundation for us moving forward. Like many folks at CSN their efforts and attitude are outstanding and do not go unnoticed. A few years ago while in LA, I was approached by a person who look a little down on their luck, asking me for some cash as I waited to cross the street. A little miffed that someone was asking me for a handout when trash was all over the sidewalk and in the streets, I ask him, “Whose job is it to pick up all of this trash?” His response stunned me, “I guess if it bothers you, it’s your job” he said. I gave him $20 for a lesson well taught. Instead of whining, complaining and being crabby about our current situation, we can identify the issues that are bothering us, be thankful for what we have, and then as my mother advised, …………. “Start walking”.
Dexter
Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
