Winless sprint football struggles with recruitment, small student population

People who are out to find fault seldom find constructive insight. Take, for example, the case of the sprint football team.

It is far too simplistic and even inaccurate to claim that the players are inherently maladroit and uncommitted, that the coaching staff lacks leadership and the creativity to design plays that take advantage of the team's strengths, and that the team is off the athletic department's support radar. None of these claims, however, are valid or effectively explain the current status of the Tiger team, or most notably, its five-year winless era.

Population problems

Successful performance normally increases in direct relation to the size of the student body from which the team can draw. Not only does Princeton have the smallest undergraduate population of any of the five schools with sprint football programs, but it also has the smallest squad. The team this season consists of only 45 players, while Cornell, for example, has 64 players on its roster, and Army has 85. When looking at the Princeton roster, every person other than the kicker is a two-way player, responsible for both offensive and defensive positions.

"With our low numbers, we have to go both ways," head coach Bill Hickey explained. "We have to play offense, and we have to play defense. We actually prepare them for both sides of the ball." While Hickey feels that this dual experience benefits the players, it can also detract from the efficiency of the team. Practice is marred by an inability to isolate specific offensive and defensive plays. Instead, every player must assume multiple roles. Mastery of a position is difficult when players are spread so widely. Coaches must, therefore, choose only the most glaring of problems on which to focus instead of being allowed the luxury of concentrating on overall areas needing improvement. Although most of the players are talented enough to play on both sides, their efforts would be better served by specialization.

Poor turnover

Another reality is that the team must build a new foundation every year. The loss of a relatively large portion of the team due to graduation and voluntary departures requires the cultivation of a significant percentage of new players each season. These players are then expected to learn the system and to fashion a cohesive unit within three weeks. Recruitment prior to the start of school is nonexistent; players do not come to Princeton with the specific intention of playing sprint football. Unlike other teams in the league, such as Cornell, which has an endowed program that allows it to pursue skilled players, the Princeton sprint football program must discover interested and talented participants during the first week of school each year. A short, seven-week season leaves little time to build comfort levels and team skills. "Even though the scores do not indicate it, the team has played better each game," Hickey said. "They realize now what they need to do to play four quarters. And they gain the confidence factor as they learn the offense and learn the defense, because they were both totally new to them this year."

The Tigers face Cornell for the second time this year on Friday. Game prepartion will be made easier in that the offensive and defensive game plans can directly be structured in response to the strength's of Cornell's game. If the Tigers are to improve, they need to learn from their mistakes, focusing on giving junior quarterback Dennis Bakke more time to throw, and defensively covering the Big Red receivers better.

A five-year winless stretch would not appear to inspire much optimism for the future. However, this year is crucial for rebuilding a competitive program. With increased support from the athletic department, the organization embodied by an experienced coach and the first team manager in sprint football history, and crucial on-field leadership, Princeton has the opportunity to regain respect.

However, should winning be everything for this team? No one can claim that the players lack a zeal for victory — the opposition simply enjoys competitive advantages over the Tigers. Eventually, their "love for the game," which has sustained the program, combined with the motivation of coaches and team leaders, will translate into a win.