Valpo's Future in Swimming

[VULB#62]

This is pretty big. Not often do you see Valpo announcing a departure.

http://www.valpoathletics.com/mswim/news/2017-18/17511/hunte-steps-down-from-valpo-swimming-program/#.WZ5BiK2ZMo8

Bottom line: A Div-I coach has left Valpo to coach a club team. 

Uhh..... what does that mean?  What does this tell us about our program?  What does this tell us about priorities?

I hope this is the event that forces Valpo to make a strong commitment to this program. We are talking as many as 40 student athletes and little in the way of scholarship expense and Howard Hunte coached both the men's and women's squads.   

[vu72]

This is pretty big. Not often do you see Valpo announcing a departure.

http://www.valpoathletics.com/mswim/news/2017-18/17511/hunte-steps-down-from-valpo-swimming-program/#.WZ5BiK2ZMo8

Bottom line: A Div-I coach has left Valpo to coach a club team. 

Uhh..... what does that mean?  What does this tell us about our program?  What does this tell us about priorities?

I hope this is the event that forces Valpo to make a strong commitment to this program. We are talking as many as 40 student athletes and little in the way of scholarship expense and Howard Hunte coached both the men's and women's squads.   

I'm guessing this was a big shock to Mark L as Howard just recently did the swimming part of the "Valpo In The Valley" series.  I would think that the swimming coach doesn't make enough to live on so perhaps this was addressed by having him coach both teams.  No doubt there is very very little commitment to swimming.

[IndyValpo]

This is pretty big. Not often do you see Valpo announcing a departure.

http://www.valpoathletics.com/mswim/news/2017-18/17511/hunte-steps-down-from-valpo-swimming-program/#.WZ5BiK2ZMo8

Bottom line: A Div-I coach has left Valpo to coach a club team. 

Uhh..... what does that mean?  What does this tell us about our program?  What does this tell us about priorities?

I hope this is the event that forces Valpo to make a strong commitment to this program. We are talking as many as 40 student athletes and little in the way of scholarship expense and Howard Hunte coached both the men's and women's squads.   

There is serious money in club swimming so this is not as surprising as it sounds

[JD24]

There is serious money in club swimming so this is not as surprising as it sounds

Is swimming a sport where the club system is more or equally as important in terms of advancement as the collegiate system...such as a sport like gymnastics would be?

[covufan]

There is serious money in club swimming so this is not as surprising as it sounds

Is swimming a sport where the club system is more or equally as important in terms of advancement as the collegiate system...such as a sport like gymnastics would be?

My guess would be more important to international swimming, as the restrictions of practice time for NCAA sports force Olympic athletes to give up the NCAA sport to be competitive. 

[covufan]

This is pretty big. Not often do you see Valpo announcing a departure.

http://www.valpoathletics.com/mswim/news/2017-18/17511/hunte-steps-down-from-valpo-swimming-program/#.WZ5BiK2ZMo8

Bottom line: A Div-I coach has left Valpo to coach a club team. 

Uhh..... what does that mean?  What does this tell us about our program?  What does this tell us about priorities?

I hope this is the event that forces Valpo to make a strong commitment to this program. We are talking as many as 40 student athletes and little in the way of scholarship expense and Howard Hunte coached both the men's and women's squads.   

There is serious money in club swimming so this is not as surprising as it sounds

Not surprised here.  I'm sure the club team has a metered pool, which may be an advantage.

[VUSWIM08-12]

Right, there is quite a bit of money in club swimming. Howard was there for 9 seasons, and they(MLB and Administration) did nothing to help the longevity of the program. They spent 25-30k a couple years ago for a new timing system and he had to keep on them for years just to get that. I don't blame him at all for leaving. It will probably take them at least 6-8 more weeks to get someone hired which by that point a third of the season will be gone. The interim, Andrea Bretl,will do a great job (she tutored the Men's Basketball team last season). I had a whole rant written,but decided to delete it. I really do love Valpo,I always have, I'm always keeping up on all the sports,but I just wish they would do something to help the swim program i.e. more scholarship, bigger budget, new pool, just something, anything!

[VULB#62]

I was hoping you'd weigh in SWIM08-24.  Most of us on the board follow other sports more deeply, so swimming is not always a priority. You probably have friends and classmates more closely connected to Valpo swimming. So, please stay on top of this to the degree you can and help the rest of us stay clued in. Let's hope the administration gets the wake up call.

[FWalum]

Surprised this did not receive more attention when I posted it to the thread about Dr Heckler visiting Fort Wayne.  He gave us this little tidbit of information about the swimming pool situation.

A whole lot would have to happen before the baseball field would be moved. We would probably need the new Rec center and ARC renovation to replace Kroenke Hall and the full moving of Art and Psychology and Social Work from that part of campus towards the center part of campus would need to occur. We still haven't completed the STEM quad and I believe they want a new facility for Business so that Psych can take over Urschel.

Basically, we need a lot of dominos. First of all though we need a huge donor or some sort of community/city collaboration for the new Rec center and (hopefully) updated pool.

Another tidbit... Doesn't look like we will need an updated pool (in a good way).

Huh?

REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SCHOOL TRUSTEES VALPARAISO COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
By the first of July, 2017 we will have all of the projects bid out with the exception of the natatorium and the Porter County Career Center[/quote]
Was told that VU will be partnering with the school system when this bid for the natatorium is let.

[valpo64]

Is swimming really that big of a deal?

[VULB#62]

I saw your response to my "huh?"  That is good news for the swimming program.  Hopefully the project gets bid soon.  Now the speculation begins as to WHERE the natatorium will be located.  I don't see it being built right on the VU campus but, hopefully, it will be within easy commuting distance of the campus. How about that plot of land off Lincolnway (3D Building lot???)?  Maybe VU could contribute that land and throw in a few extra bucks as a part of the partnership?


While on swimming, I just noticed that the men's and women's swimming teams both lost their first meets of the season to Eastern Illinois at HOME in the ARC (Men: 122-140; Women: 94-167).  They have 4 home meets this year and the men actually beat EIU last season in the ARC pool.

[FWalum]

Now the speculation begins as to WHERE the natatorium will be located.  I don't see it being built right on the VU campus but, hopefully, it will be within easy commuting distance of the campus.

President Heckler said that initially VU wanted it on campus, but the school system did not feel that it would be as accessible to their students as they would like, so it will not be on campus.  He did not say where it would be located.

[valpotx]

This would be huge, as we would attract better student-athletes.  If we can get S&D to be competitive, and with the strides in T&F, we can be competitive in all sports!

[sfnmman]

From this article in the August 13, 2017 Post Tribune, it sounds like the natatorium will be at Valparaiso High School.

"Heavilin Elementary School, at 2450 Heavilin Road, is $17 million. The school corporation's other eight elementary schools, as well as Valparaiso High School,
are in various phases of expansion and renovation.

The work at Cooks Corners and Memorial schools will be complete by Christmas, Frataccia said, with the remainder of the elementary schools done by July 2018.

The high school will nearly be complete by July 2018, with work starting on a new natatorium there in the spring and likely complete for the 2019-2020 school year, he said."

[vu72]

From this article in the August 13, 2017 Post Tribune, it sounds like the natatorium will be at Valparaiso High School.

"Heavilin Elementary School, at 2450 Heavilin Road, is $17 million. The school corporation's other eight elementary schools, as well as Valparaiso High School,
are in various phases of expansion and renovation.

The work at Cooks Corners and Memorial schools will be complete by Christmas, Frataccia said, with the remainder of the elementary schools done by July 2018.

The high school will nearly be complete by July 2018, with work starting on a new natatorium there in the spring and likely complete for the 2019-2020 school year, he said."

Not sure how VU would be "partnering" with the city if it is located at the high school.  Would we pay part of the cost?  In exchange would we have first right to availability/scheduling?

[FWalum]

From this article in the August 13, 2017 Post Tribune, it sounds like the natatorium will be at Valparaiso High School.

"Heavilin Elementary School, at 2450 Heavilin Road, is $17 million. The school corporation's other eight elementary schools, as well as Valparaiso High School,
are in various phases of expansion and renovation.

The work at Cooks Corners and Memorial schools will be complete by Christmas, Frataccia said, with the remainder of the elementary schools done by July 2018.

The high school will nearly be complete by July 2018, with work starting on a new natatorium there in the spring and likely complete for the 2019-2020 school year, he said."

Not sure how VU would be "partnering" with the city if it is located at the high school.  Would we pay part of the cost?  In exchange would we have first right to availability/scheduling?

This maybe just semantics, but we are partnering with the school system not the city. President Heckler did not elaborate on what we are paying and what our rights to availability might be. He did say that having it on campus was ruled out because the school system feared reduced access for their students.

[VULB#62]

This maybe just semantics, but we are partnering with the school system not the city. President Heckler did not elaborate on what we are paying and what our rights to availability might be. He did say that having it on campus was ruled out because the school system feared reduced access for their students.

Doesn't it go both ways?  Originally I was hoping for a 'neutral' location -- that is, a centrally located facility in the community that would be as near as equally accessible to VU as it would be to VHS and maybe the middle schools.  I missed the point that it was the school system and not the community in general that was the main party.  That's why my hope was that it would be a multi-use facility:  competitive swimming and diving for both VHS and VU along with access to the community throughout the year.  The 3-D property would have been big enough for a facility that would be able to to handle all of these constituents.

[crusader05]

Well my guess is that College students have more mobility than high school students. Most High school students swim practice occur early in the morning before classes start. Having it on campus means parents would have to drop them off at the University than find a way to bring them to the school for classes as my guess is that bus availability would be limited as that is when they would be out picking up all the students. College students are all over 16 and can travel easily. I mean on a big campus the distance from a student's dorm to the pool could be almost as long as the distance from campus to the high school.

[valpopal]

I am hearing that the Valparaiso Community Schools have committed to building a new 50-meter natatorium for next year. More details will be forthcoming, and it will be interesting to see if there is any connection to VU swimming.

[FWalum]

I am hearing that the Valparaiso Community Schools have committed to building a new 50-meter natatorium for next year. More details will be forthcoming, and it will be interesting to see if there is any connection to VU swimming.

I mentioned  A couple of weeks ago that  President  Heckler told me that VU would be partnering in that 50 m Natatorium.

Look up about 10 posts.

[valpopal]

I am hearing that the Valparaiso Community Schools have committed to building a new 50-meter natatorium for next year. More details will be forthcoming, and it will be interesting to see if there is any connection to VU swimming.

I mentioned  A couple of weeks ago that  President  Heckler told me that VU would be partnering in that 50 m Natatorium.

Look up about 10 posts.

I saw your post, but it did not specify the 50-meter size, and it had no details about the VU partnership; thus, my comment about forthcoming details that might offer more complete information.

[VUSWIM08-12]

These rumors have been going around for years, but this time it seems like it might actually come to fruition. Really hoping it does for the Valpo swim community! I have also heard over the last decade that once they get the team into a new pool there would be a significant amount of scholarship added to both sides. I have my doubts about all of this because there have  been so many rumors over the last few years, but hopefully this time it becomes reality.

Also hoping they get a head coach hired soon. I saw the job posting was taken down so it should just be a matter of days. I had the resume to apply, but just started a head coaching gig at the NAIA level and it just didn't seem right at this time. Plus I have 5x the amount of scholarship to work with  Looking forward to seeing how this all plays out, and at least they aren't cutting the program like Wright State and many others!

[VULB#62]

Congrats on the new head coaching gig, VUSWIM.

[VU2014]

Valpo just hired a new *EDIT: Men's & Women's Swimming Coach.

https://twitter.com/valpoathletics/status/931600923427819520

[vusupporter]

She will be coaching both the men and women, according to the story.