Article

Binghamton athletes on a more global scale

According to men’s Basketball Coach Al Walker, there is less competition for recruiting players outside of the northeast
Zainab Mahmood - Staff Writer

Since Binghamton University’s switch to Div. I, the competition to acquire local athletes, and the fact that top athletes are attracted to the most prestigious sports programs, has forced many Binghamton University coaches to recruit from more distant circles of the globe.

It’s no suprise that some coaches have started to look abroad or in other states for athletes. According to men’s Basketball Coach Al Walker, there is less competition for recruiting players outside of the northeast. Thirteen of Walker’s 15 players are from outside of New York; they come from Kansas, Michigan, Alaska, Texas, Minnesota and Florida, and even as far as Holland. Walker says that there is more competition to land recruits in the Northeast because there are about 60 Div. I schools in the area that offer scholarships. In many other regions of the country, however, local talent often goes unnoticed because there are fewer Div. I schools.

While Walker expands his search for talent nationally, Swimming Coach Benji DeMotte looks overseas. He feels that skilled players in the U.S. are “being hounded” by other schools; therefore, increasing the competition for BU. According to DeMotte, foreign students don’t know the difference between Penn State and Binghamton University.

Meanwhile, athletes in the United States are well aware of the differences. “The caliber of students that I’m able to recruit internationally is therefore higher than locally,” says DeMotte.

Although recruiting outside of the United States can be more beneficial for the team, it is also a lot of work, dealing with issues from student visas to language barriers and finances. “Foreign students are not difficult people,” said Demotte. “But they have a lot more hurdles to jump through and hands to be held. There are a lot of coaches that won’t be willing to do that.”

Most international athletes are found through international meets and success, but others promote themselves to coaches through letters and emails. DeMotte said he will be recruiting more foreign students in the future and through the scholarship money available, it can be made possible.

Another coach that is interested in recruiting internationally is Hristos Dimitriou of the men’s soccer team. “Foreign students have grown up with the game and understand it little bit more,” says Dimitriou. He feels that they “live the game day in and day out.”

“There is a lot of talent in New York,” said Dimitriou. “But, due to the competion between other schools, recruiting locally is difficult.” Though he hasn’t in the past, Dimitriou plans to expand his recruitment outside the Northeast, in order to compete with other Div. I teams.

For Wrestling Coach Mike Fusilli, finances limit extensive out-of-state recruiting. “We always look for the best recruits we can get, no matter where they are from, and we continue to also look outside of New York state. But with such good talent in the state, and a lesser scholarship budget than some other sports, we don’t need or want a roster with too many out of staters.”

A majority of the non-New York-based athletes are fascinated by the educational opportunities the university had to offer and also by the campus itself. According to women’s basketball player Dagmara Bartula, from Illinois, transportation on campus is good and the classes are small.

“I know the swimming team is good, the education is a lot better than some of the schools at home, and all the people are great here,” said swimmer Hannah Clegg, from England.

Tennis player Sylvain Ruest, from Canada, chose Binghamton for its educational values and the fact that BU was moving to Div. I. Ruest said he was considering other schools, such as Ohio State and the University of North Florida, but wasn’t pleased with them because they didn’t offer him a scholarship until January. He desperately wanted to start college in the fall, and BU was the only school that gave him the opportunity.

Binghamton’s geography was what attracted Alaskan basketball star Nick Billlings. “The surroundings remind me of home, because of the hills and trees. It seems like a good rural community.”

Unlike Billings, Ruest, who comes from the small town of Edmuston, New Brunswick, feels that the atmosphere here is more urban than he is used to. Fortunately for Ruest, he has adjusted somewhat by living in Quebec for a year and also attending a school in Texas.

Many distant recruits first hear about BU either through a friend or through the coaches. According to Clegg, her friend (BU men’s swimmer Chris McGuire of Essex, England) told her about the school while she was on a trip to Portugal with one of the English teams: “I’ve always wanted to come to school out here, and then the coach got in touch with me,” said Hannah. Billings was also recruited by a BU coach who is friendly with Billing’s high school coach.

Although most players are enjoying their stay here, some still suffer from an occasional homesickness. Billings and Bartula are quickly adjusting to the school and are not missing their hometowns much. However, soccer player Yuichi Hashimoto, from Japan, is not happy here because he misses his country.

Sylvain also misses his family because he is unable to see them as often as other students. Since Canada is so far away, he can only go home during long holidays like Christmas vacation. He copes with homesickness by studying and keeping busy.

Many of the players from other countries appreciate the opportunities this country has to offer when it comes to sports and education. “In England, [colleges aren’t] so concentrated around athletics; if you want to be successful [in athletics] there, you don’t do it through colleges or universities,” said Clegg. As well as with the opportunities, she is enjoying the change and especially the friends she has made here. Hashimoto added that people here study more than the students in his country.

These athletes represent an increasing part of the student-athlete population at BU. They hold the key to BU’s future in Div. I, and have already been a major reason for the success of their teams.