Long Beach State???

[PierreAmi]

wolfgang said:

Nothing against LBSU (because I firmly believe you can get a good education almost anywhere) but how the hell did they land Misty May?

How smart did you have to be to go to Long Beach State in those days? I know its currently the best Cal State school academically, but was it always thus?

[pavbfan]

pierreami said:

wolfgang said:

Nothing against LBSU (because I firmly believe you can get a good education almost anywhere) but how the hell did they land Misty May?

How smart did you have to be to go to Long Beach State in those days? I know its currently the best Cal State school academically, but was it always thus?

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students, alumni, and staff would certainly debate that statement.

[USAFAN]

romeo said:

USAFan, we all used to ride in our cars without seatbelts. Most of us survived. Does that mean that we should continue to ride unbelted?

Come ON. We all know there are coaches out there who are waaay out of line (not naming names). There are plenty of successful, tough coaches who are not also abusers. There are plenty of tough great people who care about the athlete as a whole. Paula Weishoff comes to mind. Debbie Green comes to mind. Further, I wouldn't tell the athletes who play for abusive coaches to suck it up. To me that is sticking your head in the sand and ignoring a situation that is dangerous. It is true that we live in a 'me' generation. But good coaches can and do teach a team concept to today's kid, and they do it without being verbally abusive. Those are the winners today.

We get to watch women's collegiate athletics today that is at a higher level of skill and athleticism than ever seen in this country before. A faster, more sophisticated game. And the athletes who play the game can choose coaches who are actually nice people and still be successful. Sometimes it's hard for an 16/17/18 year old kid to believe that there are going to be coaches who don't have their best interest in mind. Gosh, we should make them honor their commitment when they discover reality. Not. If I had a boss like some of the coaches I've seen, I would have my resume out there very quickly. And if I got picked up by another company, I'd be gone.

If you find Brian Gimmillaro to be an "abusive" coach you're obviously a victim of the me generation. Have youever watched the Brazilian coaches, Nikolai Karpol, the Cuban coaches? Should they be locked away for their "abusive" behavior and stripped of their coaching prowess by fans and explayers who don't find it to their liking. What it comes down to is that everything is voluntary in the USA. If you don't like something then don't partake in it. What happens with players like Uhart and Thompson are that they come into programs where they are no longer are the big fish and in a small pond and fail to make the readjustment. Of course they are being treated like goddesses at FSU and Kansas because virtually NO top players go there. Therefore their every whim is catered to. If you want to be critical of Brian G lets hear some legitimate coaching critiques. The fact that you find him abrasive doesn't equate to him being talentless and "verbally abusive."

[beachmaster]

When it comes down to it BG made some bad choices in recruiting. Some of the players just did not want to work as hard as the other players in the program or as hard as the past players. Unless you are a very elite player you have to out work the others if you want to compete nationally, and these player just did not have that type of commitment.

If you talk to the great players that came through LB they all say the program is very demanding but it is worth it. These players rant and rave about how much they learned and how much BG wants them to succeed on and off the court. I prefer to listen to the great players for perspective than the ones that never seem to reach their potential.

[romeo]

"If you find Brian Gimmillaro to be an "abusive" coach you're obviously a victim of the me generation."

Well you'd be surprised to learn about how untrue that statement is. But that's ok. I do know that I am glad to live in America where our daughters can make choices. So you are right there, for sure! As I said before, great success can be achieved, and is achieved, by a much different coaching method than you are describing. Perhaps you have been coached that other way, and therefore perpetuate and advocate that method because it's what you know. Kinda like child abuse victims often become abusers themselves.

BTW, the big fish syndrome has happened forever and isn't a new thing. It is unrelated to this topic.

[tsunami]

beachmaster said:

When it comes down to it BG made some bad choices in recruiting. Some of the players just did not want to work as hard as the other players in the program or as hard as the past players. Unless you are a very elite player you have to out work the others if you want to compete nationally, and these player just did not have that type of commitment.

If you talk to the great players that came through LB they all say the program is very demanding but it is worth it. These players rant and rave about how much they learned and how much BG wants them to succeed on and off the court. I prefer to listen to the great players for perspective than the ones that never seem to reach their potential.

I agree with you on that.

[Tiruray2004]

Quote from Uhart article:

"Uhart had suffered similar injuries as a player at Long Beach State, but she said she received at the University.she didn’t receive the same level of care

For two straight seasons at Long Beach State, Uhart was injured and re-injured while competing. Each year she appeared in less than 1/3 of her team’s matches.

“When I went to Long Beach, I knew they had a high transfer rate,” Uhart said. “It was like a big secret; they ran their players into the ground.”

Makini Thompson, now a senior at Florida State, played alongside Uhart at Long Beach State.

“If you had an injury, they didn’t really accommodate that well. You either practiced or you didn’t practice. And if you didn’t practice, you didn’t play,” Thompson said. “It would cause us to hide our injuries under our knee pads so the coaches wouldn’t notice. She’s the type of person who would play until she couldn’t play anymore.”"

I don't think Uhart and Thompson are complaining about BG's coaching style. What Thompson and Uhart are saying is that when you get injured they practically don't care. And that is abusive!

[beachmaster]

"I don't think Uhart and Thompson are complaining about BG's coaching style. What Thompson and Uhart are saying is that when you get injured they practically don't care. And that is abusive!"

Do you really believe your statement? As an example, last season LB's Libero was hurting as the season closed. The coaching staff had her rest during the week and only play during the matches. This player was begging to practice, but the coaching staff did not think it was in her best interest. There are many examples just like this, but you only seem to hear from the disgruntle ones.

[tsunami]

These kids are so used to things being handed to them on a silver platter....it's just ridiculous. While most are putting the blame on Brian Gimmillaro, no one is looking at this from the coach's point of view. His system is no secret, everybody knows that if want to play for someone like Gimmillaro, you better be prepared to go through vigorous training.

[USAFAN]

romeo said:

"If you find Brian Gimmillaro to be an "abusive" coach you're obviously a victim of the me generation."
Perhaps you have been coached that other way, and therefore perpetuate and advocate that method because it's what you know. Kinda like child abuse victims often become abusers themselves.

Well thankfully I have had the opportunity to be coached by some very highly regarded coaches who display various styles. While I am not saying that BG's coaching style is the best and that all coaches should be like him, I do come to his offense when I feel like people are unfairly critical. I admire other coaches like Dave Shoji and John Cook who are stoic in comparison to BG. We are blessed to live in a country where "our daughters" have the ability to choose, but with choice comes responsibility. I am 20 years old and at 17,18, 19 I was not some naive infant who was incapable of making responsible decisions, and facing the consequences of those decisions. These girls are receiving scholarships that are roughtly worth up to 30-40 hundred thousand dollars a year. They should be grateful that they are even offered a scholarship by these institutions. But as beachmaster stated, the proof is in the pudding and if you ask the elite and successful players who have come out of LB they have a completely different perspective. All I ask is that posters attempt to be a little more impartial when it comes to their evaluations of coaches and players.

Have a good day romeo

[romeo]

You have one as well, USAfan.

[network155]

usafan said:

Well thankfully I have had the opportunity to be coached by some very highly regarded coaches who display various styles. While I am not saying that BG's coaching style is the best and that all coaches should be like him, I do come to his offense when I feel like people are unfairly critical. I admire other coaches like Dave Shoji and John Cook who are stoic in comparison to BG. We are blessed to live in a country where "our daughters" have the ability to choose, but with choice comes responsibility. I am 20 years old and at 17,18, 19 I was not some naive infant who was incapable of making responsible decisions, and facing the consequences of those decisions. These girls are receiving scholarships that are roughtly worth up to 30-40 hundred thousand dollars a year. They should be grateful that they are even offered a scholarship by these institutions. But as beachmaster stated, the proof is in the pudding and if you ask the elite and successful players who have come out of LB they have a completely different perspective. All I ask is that posters attempt to be a little more impartial when it comes to their evaluations of coaches and players.

Have a good day romeo

For a 20 year old, you are very well spoken and mature beyond your years, and I am very proud of you. I am a mother of an 18 and a 22 year old. Anyway, your point came across very clear without having to hurt or say mean things to get your point across, which is more than I can say for a lot of the much older posters on this forum.

[romeo]

Yes, I agree as well. If you are indeed 20 yrs old, kudos to your debating style. Mostly non-confrontational.

topdog said:

usafan said:

Well thankfully I have had the opportunity to be coached by some very highly regarded coaches who display various styles. While I am not saying that BG's coaching style is the best and that all coaches should be like him, I do come to his offense when I feel like people are unfairly critical. I admire other coaches like Dave Shoji and John Cook who are stoic in comparison to BG. We are blessed to live in a country where "our daughters" have the ability to choose, but with choice comes responsibility. I am 20 years old and at 17,18, 19 I was not some naive infant who was incapable of making responsible decisions, and facing the consequences of those decisions. These girls are receiving scholarships that are roughtly worth up to 30-40 hundred thousand dollars a year. They should be grateful that they are even offered a scholarship by these institutions. But as beachmaster stated, the proof is in the pudding and if you ask the elite and successful players who have come out of LB they have a completely different perspective. All I ask is that posters attempt to be a little more impartial when it comes to their evaluations of coaches and players.

Have a good day romeo

For a 20 year old, you are very well spoken and mature beyond your years, and I am very proud of you. I am a mother of an 18 and a 22 year old. Anyway, your point came across very clear without having to hurt or say mean things to get your point across, which is more than I can say about a lot of older posters on this forum.

[Cubicle No More ...]

usafan said:

romeo said:

USAFan, we all used to ride in our cars without seatbelts. Most of us survived. Does that mean that we should continue to ride unbelted?

Come ON. We all know there are coaches out there who are waaay out of line (not naming names). There are plenty of successful, tough coaches who are not also abusers. There are plenty of tough great people who care about the athlete as a whole. Paula Weishoff comes to mind. Debbie Green comes to mind. Further, I wouldn't tell the athletes who play for abusive coaches to suck it up. To me that is sticking your head in the sand and ignoring a situation that is dangerous. It is true that we live in a 'me' generation. But good coaches can and do teach a team concept to today's kid, and they do it without being verbally abusive. Those are the winners today.

We get to watch women's collegiate athletics today that is at a higher level of skill and athleticism than ever seen in this country before. A faster, more sophisticated game. And the athletes who play the game can choose coaches who are actually nice people and still be successful. Sometimes it's hard for an 16/17/18 year old kid to believe that there are going to be coaches who don't have their best interest in mind. Gosh, we should make them honor their commitment when they discover reality. Not. If I had a boss like some of the coaches I've seen, I would have my resume out there very quickly. And if I got picked up by another company, I'd be gone.

If you find Brian Gimmillaro to be an "abusive" coach you're obviously a victim of the me generation. Have youever watched the Brazilian coaches, Nikolai Karpol, the Cuban coaches? Should they be locked away for their "abusive" behavior and stripped of their coaching prowess by fans and explayers who don't find it to their liking. What it comes down to is that everything is voluntary in the USA. If you don't like something then don't partake in it. What happens with players like Uhart and Thompson are that they come into programs where they are no longer are the big fish and in a small pond and fail to make the readjustment. Of course they are being treated like goddesses at FSU and Kansas because virtually NO top players go there. Therefore their every whim is catered to. If you want to be critical of Brian G lets hear some legitimate coaching critiques. The fact that you find him abrasive doesn't equate to him being talentless and "verbally abusive."

well yeah, those coaches have gotten world-class results ... but would their harsh methods really be compatible with what a parent would want as a coach for their college-aged daughter? probably not ... and that has nothing to do with coming from this so-called "me" generation...

the early-commitment undercurrent in college volleyball will no doubt produce some unhappy arrangements down the road ... but it can't all be blamed on this view that these young girls are just being selfish or have no commitment ... that's just as naive a view as the other extreme (the one that says if a student transfers it must be due to an "abusive" or "horrible" coach).

it doesn't have to be one or the other ... i would suspect that in most cases, the reason for the unhappy arrangement lies somewhere in between ....