A K LEO T H E
MONDAY, APRIL 8 to TUESDAY, APRIL 9 2013 VOLUME 108 ISSUE 72
Serving the students of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
V O I C E
www.kaleo.org
‘We can’t sit here and meddle in mediocrity’ Ben Jay on the trials facing the athletic department
A LEX BITTER Associate News Editor
Though he has worked at the University of Hawai‘i for three months, Athletics Atthl hlet etic icss Director Dire Di recto cttor or Ben Ben n Jay Jayy said he has many haas already alre al ead adyy identifi ideenti id t ifi fied fi ed m anyy an problems, problemss, both both within wit ithi hin n the th he universiuniv un i er e si si-ty’s athletic ath hle leti ticc department depa de part rtme men nt and nt and nd outside out utsi ut s de si of it, tha that hatt ne need ed to to be b addressed. addre ddress ssed ed d. Jay, Jay ay, who wh ca came m tto o UH H aafter ftt err serving serv rvin ing g as senior senio or associate ass so o ciat c i atee atha hat hletics le e ti tics cs director d ir irec ecto or for for finance fin n a ncc e and a nd opan op erations Ohio University, erat er atio ionss at Oh O io State te eU n i ve ni nive vers rsit rs itt y, ity said s id he sa he hopes to tackle several key k y issues ke issu s es while w hile at UH, all with the overarching the overarch h ing goall of of assuring that the uni university’s niversity’s athletic department doesn’t fall further behind its competitors. “We’re outgunned because we don’t have the t he h facilities,” he said. “We’re outgunned “We’re ’ o ut gunn ut nned d because bec ecau au use we don’t d n’’t have do haave v a specialty. spe p e ciallty ty. We’re We W e’re outgunned not gunn gu nn ned because because s we’re we’ e re n ot going with wi th tthe he ssports he po ort rtss te technology e ch c no n lo log g y that’s out there. We ou ut th ther ere. e. W e ca can’tt sit sit id idly ly y by.”
FA I L I N G T O S U P P O R T S T U D E N T AT H L E T E S? Jay Jay sai said a d pa part off thee reason on UH H is i s “outgunned” “out “o u gu ut gunn n ed nn e ” iss because b eecc a use e the t he university’s u un iversi s ty y ’s ’ trainers t raa in ner erss and an nd coaches co o ac a he hess don’t enough don’ do n t put n’ put en enou ough ou gh eemphasis mpha mp hasi ha sii s on the
basic strength and conditioning training that allows student athletes to reach their full potential while playing. In his three months on the job, Jay has J y h Ja ha as st sstarted arrte t d lo llooking okin i g to t expand exp pan and training t aini tr aiini n ng staff ff to o in iinclude clud ude e experts expe pe ert r s on cardiovascular well caard r iov io ovasc scul ular ul a cconditioning ar ondi on diti tio oning aass w ell el ass nutrition nut utri tri rition on and on and d diet, die et, positions pos o itio ons that tha h t play training other play key pl key rroles olless iin n traini ning n att ot the her college co oll lleg eg e ge at aathletics th hlet etic et icss programs. ic programs m . “That’s “ Th That at’s how ho ow w you play plaay with wiith the the he big big boys,” bi boys bo oys ys,”” Jay Jay ssaid. aid. nother wants A noth no o th ther e r concern er c oncern Jay w ants an n ts ts to prioritize is upgrading upgradin n g athath th hletic facilities. “You walk aro around rou ound und [a [and nd ssee] ee]] it ee just hasn’t been n taken t ak aken en care car are e of … just smaller upgrades upg pgra pg rade dess through th h
the years could have kept us competitive, but we’re so far behind,” he said. “That was probably the biggest disappointment I got – to see the condition of our facilities.
Jay cited facilities that see especially high use by student athletes, such as the weight training room and many locker rooms, as high priorities for renovation. r e no re reno nova vati va tion ti on.. For on F r the Fo th e athletics ath at h l etics director, r e ctor re c t or or, r, the t h e value th vaa lu l u e of lue o f taking t aak k in n g care of these tth h he e se es s e cosmetic cosm co ssm m et e iicc problems, p ro obll eem m s, along with making w itth wi th m a kin k in n g th the e ch cchanges han an n ges g e s in conge ditioning, clear. d ti di tion onin on ing, in g, is g, i s cl clea earr. r. “If “ Iff you you o ssee e e recruits ee r ec ecru u i t s and a n their families f a mi m iili l ess come li c om m e in to t o see s ee e your facilities f a ci fa c i li liti tii ess and a nd then t he e n they theey th e y go g o to UCL U CL UC C L A … or o r even evv en e n just j us ust s t a smaller smal allerr school scc ho hool ol like l ik ke Gonzaga, G onz Go n zag ag g a, and a nd n their facilities f a cili fa c i li liti i ti ties i ess are a re e much m uc uch h better be e tt t er than ours, clear that] we ours ou rs, [it’s [i t’ [i [it’ t s cl clea eaa r that ear th h at a t]] w e got left behind,” behi be h nd,” hee said. said sa id. d
Athletics director Ben Jay spent his first three months on the job evaluating and observing and told Ka Leo that he is not expecting to make coaching decisions soon.
He said that inability to attract talented athletes will take its toll when athletic conferences reorganize in the coming years and T V contracts are redone. “We have got to be in a position to be adopted, but we have to set ourselves up in that posio tion, ot otherwise … we’ll get left behind,” behind, Jay said.
P RO C U R E M E N T P E R I L S
Despite Des being half a semeste into his tenure, Jay has alter gotten a taste of UH proreadyy g curement policies. cureme Shortly after arriving, Jay deSho that he wanted new name cided th plates for f the offices of athletic department officials. Those in departm use now, now he said, aren’t adequate, because the offices for different department positions have moved departm around through the years. “State procurement law says “Sta I can’t buy nameplates using deb partment partmen money,” he said. “I said, ‘Are you yo serious?’ and [the procurement staff] showed me the cureme list off th things you can’t buy. It borlist o ders ders on de on ridiculous sometimes.” Ultimately, Jay paid for the U lt ltii new using his own n e w nameplates ne na na money. He said the experience exemplifies the type of ineffiexempl ciency cii en e n cy c y that creates work backlogs l o gss in lo i n procurement offices, ultimately tima ti mate ma e ly costing the university money time. mone mo neyy and ne a
MARC ARAKAKI KA LEO O HAWAI‘I
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