Here’s one difference between
NCAA divisions I and III—the Wisconsin Badgers and Oklahoma Sooners will be playing
eight practice games this fall. The
Elmhurst Bluejays will scrimmage, weather permitting, until about the third
week of October. Here’s another
difference: Division III doesn’t hand out athletic scholarships.
Which is not to say
Division III is barely a step up from intramural sports; anything but. Clare plays in the College Conference of
Illinois and Wisconsin. Don’t be fooled
by the unwieldy title. The CCIW is home
to a whole lot of intense, high-quality play.
Alumni include Kenny Anderson (Augustana/Cincinnati Bengals/starting
quarterback Super Bowl XVI) and Jack Sikma (Illinois Wesleyan/Seattle SuperSonics/
starting center, 1979 NBA championship).
In addition, Wheaton College has had 12 of its players sign NFL
contracts since 1979.
And CCIW female
athletes? Maybe someday the conference
and its schools will check to see if anyone’s gone pro. What I do know from watching three years of
CCIW softball is that many of its players are Division I worthy in terms of
talent. These kids know that, which may
explain the chip-on-the-shoulder style of play.
That, or there really is reincarnation and Ty Cobb has come back multiple
times, all at once.
But Division III is
right next door to the real world. At Elmhurst,
school comes first. In Clare’s case, the
two internships she has this semester have been a challenge to balance with
practice. On Tuesday, she was mad to be
missing Wednesday’s practice; then it rained.
But she was still mad because she had her other internship during Thursday’s
practice. Then it rained again. And my daughter is very happy because she can
go to practice this weekend.
As for rain, the team gets
the gym all to itself Friday afternoon.
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