Blog: From The Athletic Director

KENT REEVES ETBU Director of Athletics 1997-Present

►FEB. 6, 2012: SPRING TIME ON THE HILL
Usually by the end of January and first part of February you will see signs of spring cropping up. Birds chirping, grass turning green, and trees budding out. In the sports world here on the ETBU campus that means watching the baseball and softball teams go through their paces to prepare for yet another season. And while this is true again this year, another unseen sport is emerging within the ETBU athletic ranks; tennis. Yes, men’s and women’s intercollegiate tennis will enjoy their first season since the early 90’s this spring under the leadership of new head coach Joe Vann.

The unseen part is that ETBU currently is in the fund raising stage of building a tennis complex on campus. In the meantime the team will utilize the tennis courts at MISD to practice and host their home matches. And while we are very grateful for the cooperation with MISD to use their facilities, we would love to have something on campus so our tennis student athletes will be able to walk across campus and practice instead of driving across town. The plans have been made and the drawings are in hand, what we’re lacking are the funds to break ground and build the complex. Until that time our tennis players and coaches will continue to make MISD their home away from home. If you or someone you know might have an interest in our tennis facility please contact me at (903) 923-2228.

Thanks for your support.

►DEC. 22, 2011: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
As the Christmas season is upon us and our attention has turned from the fall sports to the winter round ballers it is always nice to see the Christmas break coming. With the break comes the end of the academic semester and a few days off to spend with family and friends.

However, one challenging task the basketball teams face during this holiday time is hosting basketball games when classes are not in session. ETBU normally has a wonderful home following. Our cheerleaders, spirit groups, even the band gets into the action to help gear our student body up for exciting home games when classes are going on. But when we host games and are not in session it is certainly a different atmosphere in the gym. Sure we have the usual following of fans in the way of families of our players and some local fans but the electricity just is not the same without our student body here.

So while our wonderful ETBU fan base is home enjoying mom’s home cooking and a break from their academic schedule we’ll simply have to make do with the small crowds. But when Jan. 9 rolls around and the spring semester begins we’ll get our students back. And they will help make Ornelas Gymnasium a very tough place for opponents to be successful.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday season and remember to keep Christ in your Christmas.

►OCT. 27, 2011: SENIOR RECOGNITION DAY
Every year in every sport we celebrate Senior Recognition Day. This is usually done at the last home game of the season. This is always a bittersweet day for players, parents and coaches. We will typically read off the statistical accomplishments of each senior and maybe recognize some of the extrinsic values they have brought to the program. But the appreciation for these seniors can never be fully expressed without making long drawn out speeches, which is not conducive to a pre-game event. As an ex-coach and parent, I can tell you first-hand these events can be very difficult and emotional moments.

The relationship between a player and coach is very special. And when you’ve coached the young man or woman for multiple years with countless hours together practicing, traveling, competing, and riding the emotional rollercoaster which athletics gives, you can really get attached to them. As coaches, we always appreciate the sacrifices this young person has made to get to this stage in their life; completion of their senior season as a collegiate athlete. The amount of time, energy, and emotion are always given freely by the student-athlete and this time commitment can never really be appreciated by individuals unless they have done it themselves for at least a year.

From the first day they set foot on campus to the moment their name is called out at graduation, both the coach and the parents have a common goal; let’s help get them to the finish line. For the parents it’s usually the end of a long, long ride. The hours at shuttling them to and from practices when they were growing up; the travel to their games when their work schedules would allow; and taking their vacations around play-off games is just part of being an athlete's parents. And unless the parents have younger children who are also involved in athletics, the parents are now faced with a sobering thought: what will we do with all this time we’ll have on our hands? For most parents this question usually is accompanied by a tear in their eye yet a grin on their face. For they know, like everything else, this is just a passage of time for their “baby” to become an adult.

As a Director of Athletics, I want to take time to make a tribute, not only to these seniors who have made it to the finish line of athletic careers, but also to the parents who have entrusted East Texas Baptist University with their most prized commodity, their children. For that we say thank you! Thank you for choosing East Texas Baptist University and thank you for sharing your child with us.

►SEPT. 12, 2011: CLEARING THE SMOKE
Most people never really think about all the behind the scene decisions and planning which are required to pull off hosting a home athletic event, especially when potential hazardous weather or in this case wildfires are possible. Let me go on record to say it is a much easier process for me because I am blessed here at East Texas Baptist University to be working with individuals who help me think and make sound decisions based upon the safety of everyone involved.

For almost the entire week last week the ETBU campus dealt with smoke which invaded our campus as a result of local and regional wildfires. Some days the smoke was light in the mornings and heavier in the afternoon. However, Wednesday morning the smoke was very heavy in the morning but improved as the day went on. Much depended upon what the containment level was of the current wildfires, where they were located, and the current wind direction. The ETBU campus was never in any danger, but we did have the effects of the poor air quality.
During this week I made the decision for our outdoor teams to conduct outdoor practices either before 7:30 AM or after 8:00 PM; when the air quality was at its best. This decision was based upon the warning of poor air quality report given by the pulmonologist at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Marshall. Her warning stated individuals should only be outdoors for 30 minutes without a mask and should refrain from strenuous activity outdoors altogether. This was an inconvenience for our teams, trainers and coaches but it was a precaution which was necessary for the safety of everyone involved.

We also had to make the decision on Friday morning whether to go ahead with our scheduled season home opening football contest on Saturday night as scheduled or look at moving the contest to Austin College or a neutral site. If we would have been forced to make this decision on Wednesday morning, when the smoke was so thick you could not see across campus, we would have had a difficult time convincing ourselves not to move the game to another site. Fortunately, the smoke was less of an issue on Thursday and by Friday morning, when the decision had to be made, the skies were clear and blue, and we made the decision to host the contest as scheduled.

We did make the decision to have several precautions set in place for our Saturday night contest in case smoke returned to the area. The worst case scenario would be to cancel the contest that night if thick smoke moved back in on campus. Another option would be to move the starting time back from a 7:00 to an 8:00 kick-off. Fortunately, the skies remained clear.

We decided to take other precautions as well. First, we had breathing/surgical masks available at the entrance gate at no charge for anyone who needed one. Second, we had a script ready to read warning people with asthma or other breathing difficulties to take precautions. Third, we had an air conditioned facility available next to the football field where we could take anyone who was having difficulty breathing. And fourth, we had the EMTs, which we have on site for all home football contest, ready to treat anyone in attendance, not just the student athletes on the field. Fortunately, the sky was crystal clear and none of this planning had to administered.

In all, the night went off without a hitch. The weather was near perfect, there was no smoke in sight or smell, the crowd was large and loud, the cheerleaders cheered, the band played and the Tigers won. It was on the surface an easy night. But behind the scenes though, it was just a bit more complicated