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The new Fertitta Athletic Training Center at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas on Thursday, August 2, 2012.
Monday, Aug. 6, 2012 | 2:05 a.m.
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Bishop Gorman High School incoming senior football player Jake Smirk remembers pausing in amazement when he first walked into the school’s new state-of-the-art athletic training center.
He’s not the only one.
The 41,324-square-foot Fertitta Athletic Training Center, which opened last month, is more than a weight-training area. And it’s going to be used by more than the Gaels’ nationally ranked and three-time defending state champion football team.
The center has all of the bells and whistles you’d expect in a modern facility. It includes a four-lane, 60-yard track, a 90-seat classroom designed for film study and teacher training, and an athletic training room with a 4-foot hydrotherapy pool and 50-degree ice bath.
And that’s just on the first floor.
The two-level center’s second floor is mostly space for banquets or pregame meals and to store championship trophies. This summer, it is being used by the Gorman cheerleading team, which previously had no permanent practice space. The balcony has a perfect view of the field — and the Strip — and will be used by the team’s videographer to record game film.
On the outside, there is a sand volleyball court and about a 30-yard turf field complete with hash marks.
School officials, in honoring the request of donors, aren’t releasing details of the donation that completely funded the project.
“I was completely amazed. Stunned and speechless,” Smirk said. “I’m so thankful for everyone who made this possible. I’m so glad we have it to get better.”
Gorman isn’t the only local high school that recently moved into an upgraded facility. Although the new spaces at Arbor View and Del Sol highs don’t equal Gorman’s project, coaches at those schools echo the comments of Gorman coaches: It gives players a sense of pride, especially during offseason conditioning.
Arbor View’s new 3,500-square-foot weight room is filled with custom weights and racks with the school’s colors and logo. Most of the equipment is new.
“We sold a lot of hot chocolate during cold November games for this,” Arbor View coach Dan Barnson said. “This wasn’t a one-year thing. Over the years, we put money aside, saving and saving and saving. The end result was awesome. We couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Gorman coach Tony Sanchez feels the same way about his facility. Sanchez, who had a big hand in the design, is especially proud of how the center honors Gorman’s history.
In the entrance, there’s a framed black-and-white photo of Gorman’s original campus when it opened in 1954 on Maryland Parkway between Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard. Gorman moved to Summerlin in 2007.
“This is where we came from, 1954 to 2007,” Sanchez said, pointing to the photo. “All of the people who came through Gorman and did so much and gave so much for these kids to have the opportunity for a first-class education and athletic experience; we won’t forget that.”
Throughout the center, there are several portraits of Gorman players in uniform, and each is wearing jersey No. 54. The Gorman ‘G’ is visible at every turn, including the ceiling in virtually every room, the locker room and at the bottom of the training room spa.
The new Fertitta Athletic Training Center at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas on Thursday, August 2, 2012.
The first floor includes an 11,470-square-foot weight-training area, an office and work area for the coaches, and a state-of-the-art locker room. Each football player has his own locker stall, which includes his photo, an electronic pass-code lock box, a folding chair with the Gorman logo and space to hang gear. It resembles what you’d see in college and is better than what UNLV has.
On game days, players will walk from the locker room near the back of the facility, touch a bronze "G" for inspiration and head onto the field. Above the glass doors leading to the field is a sign reading “Play Like a Champion Today,” borrowing a line from Notre Dame.
“We have been successful as of late with a smaller weight room than most (schools) have,” Sanchez said. “Our weight room was smaller than Palo Verde’s and Arbor View’s, and we didn’t have any lack of success.
“What this has done is give us an opportunity to get more programs in at the same time so there is no strain on facilities. This is great and it is outstanding as long as we don’t forget who we are and where we came from.”
The facility's uses go beyond football. The girls volleyball team has lifted multiple times each week this summer, conferences and training for teachers frequently will occupy the classroom, and every athletic program and weight-training class will use the three-table training room and equipment.
Gorman’s football opener is Aug. 24 against Our Lady of Good Counsel of Maryland on ESPN, and the football team isn’t the only group preparing.
“For the past four years, it has been cheer kind of goes where no one else would,” said Maryelizabeth O’Donnell, a senior cheerleader. “We would have to bring our mats from the locker room to a foyer by the theater and be in everyone else’s way because there was no place to practice. We called it the echo room. Having a place where we can get work done and not bug people is amazing.”
That’s what the athletes at Del Sol are saying after moving into their new 4,500-square-foot weight room. The room includes five new double racks, plus new weights and other equipment. Like Gorman, the equipment is customized with Del Sol colors.
“It helps extend the importance of weight lifting in athletics,” Del Sol coach Preston Goroff said. “They see how important it is. (The new area) just gives them a little more sense of pride.”
Arbor View head football coach Dan Barnson talks in the school's new weight room Wednesday, April 18, 2012.
At Arbor View, Barnson said improvement in the weight room has transformed the team. The Aggies have a 19-5 record over the past two years and reached the Sunset Regional semifinals both seasons.
During the school’s second year in 2006, Barnson had a goal of 40 players lifting more than 225 pounds in the power clean. Only two were capable. Two years ago, when the Aggies made the playoffs for the first time, 41 players accomplished the goal.
This year, with momentum from getting the new facility and the strength his players already have, Barnson increased the power-clean mark to 250 pounds — a similar philosophy Las Vegas High used during its dominating seasons starting about a decade ago.
On the wall of the facility is a board tracking which players have accomplished weight-lifting feats.
“It is what we demand if you want to be part of this program,” Barnson said. “If you want to play for us, you have to lift weights. We just don’t hand out a workout and say, ‘Go do it.’ It’s always a whistle system, and the kids are into their lifts.”
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.
It truly is an amazing facility! I'm very proud to see all of the history as well as the state of the art equipment and design. Go Gaels!
Another reason why private schools should not be competing with public schools in sports. There are enough private schools to have their own league.
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It just goes to show that there is a lot of support when it comes to local high school athletics. It is just too bad that we don't see more contribution to UNLV athletics from these same locals. They want their high schools to be the best but when it comes to their hometown university it is a different story. That completely baffles me!!
If these donors want to spend their own money on a top-flight training center at Gorman, it's not my place to tell them they shouldn't. This will certainly make it harder for public schools to complete, though. If you were the next LeBron James or Andrew Luck, would you choose to go to a school with Gorman's facilities, or would you choose to go to Chaparral?
I'd work an extra job to send my kid to school there instead of the public system here in Las Vegas.
Nice artice, I love how you compare this mutimillion dollar 41,000 sq ft plus sports complex, to selling hot chocolate all year at arbor view for a 3,500 sq ft weight room. The real story here is you have to work allot at public schools to get a little, it not just handed to them for free by rich people. I think the weight room at Arbor View & Del Sol will see allot more of a turnout of player, than the high rollers' play house.
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That's an absolutely amazing facility! Makes it harder to compete with them. Public schools just can't afford to keep up with the fertittas.
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Yet another reason Gorman should have to play only schools on their own level. There are probably Division I universities who don't have training facilities this opulent. But then again, when you recruit, you need recruiting tools. Meanwhile, the kids from my neighborhood high school had to raise money all year for a facility less than ten percent the size of this one.
I seem to recall all kinds of coverage of Gorman's past success in American Legion baseball on this site. This year, they lose the championship to Liberty and what do we get? An article about a multi-million dollar facility for the only prep athletes that matter to the Las Vegas Sun. No love for Liberty baseball? I guess it's true that money talks in all aspects of life. Wouldn't want to cover something in this town that Gorman didn't actually win, would we?
Rebelheart, I hear you and feel your pain but, it's not local high school athletics that have so much. It's just one school. Where the rich get richer. The rest of the local schools have to fundraise just to be able to have matching socks. To have new footballs to even practice and play with. Or bigger the kids have to raise $250-300 each to get team shirts and shorts, (spirit packs). While one school has two big donors just write checks for millions of dollars for their program.
What is so troubling is how this paper and reporter constantly mention anything and everything about this school, becoming their very own recruiting tool. YET does NOT mention when Liberty American Legion baseball team beats BG to win the State Championship this past SAT. night. Anytime BG loses (or Sanchez losing in the Senior all-star game badly) no mention by this paper.
The reason this school needed this RECRUITING ARTICLE written is because their top freshmen are already leaving, most to Liberty. Their JV is a mess with a very mediocre group. And I was there last week and their Varsity got dominated by Santa Margarita HS from CA. (no mention of this obviously).
FAN, your comment came in while I was writing my last comment, but as you can see I couldn't agree more. Every year we have to read about BG baseball championships in Legion baseball, but now that they lose, no mention. But hey LIBERTY baseball, CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING THE 2012 LEGION STATE CHAMPIONS! Sorry this may be all the recognition you get. But hey BG, since you didn't win we will write an article about your wealth and facilities. That should get back at those public schools for beating you. Oh, and by the way, we want report on you getting beat so maybe nobody will know.
wow. maybe the rebs should go train at gorman.
OK. The Gorman basketball team lost to Manogue from Reno the year before last, the baseball team loses to Liberty last weekend, "the top Freshman are leaving" in droves, the JV football team is "a mess", the varsity was dominated by Santa Margarita in a summer camp ....
Does this mean the whining is officially over? Does the NIAA and CCSD position that "no one can ever beat them" is now retracted?
Side Note - congratulations to Liberty's baseball team. You should feel very proud of your accomplishment. Good luck in regionals.Make Vegas proud.
Ray, I want to take a moment to back up a bit in my remarks towards you. First, I do appreciate all you do for our local high school scene. You have probably done more than anyone else in this city. And for that in its self, I want to say thank you. I don't mean to come down on you, but if you just go back and look over the past few years, the coverage on BG is borderline ridiculous in comparison to all the rest of the public schools combined. And articles like this, which is basically a shameful promotion of BG, just adds fuel to the fire amongst all the public schools. But this has become one of Sanchez' main recruiting tools. He's using this paper whether you realize it or not.
To see this article and yet nothing said about Liberty's baseball Championship this past weekend is hard to stomach. Also, Del Sol didn't get a new facility, they converted their wood shop class into their new weight room, which is what a few schools in the area have done. If you want to talk about Del Sol and Arbor View, then great. But don't do it in a comparison situation with BG, especially when they (DS & AV) look like a token mention in the article. As proud as those 2 schools should be about their new weight rooms, Its like the kid who gets a new bike and is proud only to have his neighbor friend show up with a new motorcycle and steal his moment.
All I'm asking of you Ray, is to slow down and look at your coverage over the past few years and see if you don't see how dominant the coverage of BG over the rest of all the public schools combined has been.
Lets just be a little more balanced in our reporting. Question for you. Obviously you have been going up to BG multiple times because of so much coverage the last few months. How much have you been going around to see the other schools in the area. Liberty is reloaded and has an incredible freshmen class coming in as well. (just ask BG 7 stud freshmen have left BG and come over to Liberty) And the word at Liberty is Canyon Springs has their best team ever. Just be fair Ray that's all any of us ask.
Grayghost, thank you for congratulating our baseball team. That was a big moment for our kids.
Liberty will face Castroville, TX Thursday in the the Western Regional in Fairfield, CA at 12:30 p.m in case you were wondering. I'm sure this is the only way on the Sun site you could find out.
Great new athletic facility at Bishop Gorman however. Don't think I could have survived the summer without knowing it was finished.
A very nice facility but this is where I see amateur being replaced by semi-pro. Is this a much needed thing for a high school? How many of the students are actually going to be able to use the facility? Does this send the right message to kids?
I think athletics can be excellant part of the education experience but I think this is going too far.
I'm of the mind that college football and basketball needs to be turned into semi-pro status. The programs would just be sponsored by the school but separate and run like a business. When you can pack a 100,000 people in a college stadium it has ceased being amateur a long time ago.
A- Congrats to Liberty. Add their win to Coronado showing up at state for both Softball/Baseball, GV to state bball and everyone buy GV winning their first round football playoff and I have to imagine this has been one of the better years of late for Henderson area schools. I know that the Review Journal does a lot of Legion baseball stories, i don't recall seeing them in the sun though. LVRJ did cover Liberty's win.
B- My first thoughts when I saw this facility in person (which is more impressive than in pictures) was that it's a shame the Catholic Church is allowing people to put that much money into a football team when half that money elsewhere in this valley would be a lot better representation of what Catholics are supposed to be. That said it's their (Alums) money and if they say they want to pay for XYZ then that's their choice I just think it sends the wrong message when I would guess 15-20 million has been spent on field and facility and there's viatorian brothers from the old Gorman that are scrapping the bottom of the barrel to fund orphanages in Tiajuana. That judgement aside, obviously it's a ridiculously nice facility.
C- Our "weight room" at Gorman on Maryland Pkwy was 1100 sf. Smaller than almost any public schools' and smaller than the weigh room we had at hoodrat Orr Jr High. Nobody complained that Gorman had to do with less than publics then. Palo, Vegas, etc.. have much nicer facilities (obviously nothing liek Gorman's) that are two-three times bigger or better equipt than other publics. So should all publics get the same # of machines, weights etc? Canyon Springs will never have the parent, community and administrative support that Palo does, so should Palo get bumped? No.
I think the money should have gone elsewhere. A facility half that size would have been amazing. None of the station casino's have a work out room for their employees to use but these kids do. Just seems backwards. HOWEVER that's their choice. THeir money, their choice. I hope the kids at Gorman remember when the soccer team practiced at Fremont Middle School and all teams shared one field. Recruit? Not even necessary. I'd clean toilets and work 3 jobs to get my kid into Gorman, specially if he/she played sports.
Lvfootballfun
You make good points. But, be aware that muraco and liberty are doing some extremely shady recruiting that I have first hand knowledge of. So befor you hammer Gorman know what your school is doing.
Gang: My apologies to Liberty baseball for not covering the Legion title game. But if I was there, and if Gorman would have won, then you would have called me out for only covering Gorman baseball and not the public schools. I totally understand everyone's complaints about not covering the public schools on a more consistent basis. At the same time, it's tough to ignore a school with three nationally ranked teams. Hopefully, when the many public school profiles start coming around later this month, you guys can equally enjoy the coverage. We have some good stories budgeted for the high school football season. Thanks for reading.
e to star.Ray- can't wait for coverage to start. A lot of good storylines this season. I'll be at the del sol scrimmages on the 18th unless they stream the PV vs DV game. Gorman hating aside I'm looking forward to start the football debate.
I'm looking forward to the Palo game, too. Saw their new uniforms today and they are absolutely SICK. Put a photo on my Twitter feed @raybrewer21. Some quality teams at Palo, Liberty, Arbor View and Centennial. Everyone also know I love Del Sol, and I think they are going to get some redemption this year. And, we haven't mentioned Vegas once. The 'Cats sophomore QB going to have the same impact Drew Doxtator did last year at Foothill.
The SE will sweep the NE. If basic can put any respectable line together they should compete with everyone but liberty and gorman. They beat Goeman at 7 on 7 which doesn't translate to real football but does get you browny points when you beat a team with a D1 qb and 3 d1 wr. I'll have to wait till the 18th to see the palo jerseys I'm not cool.enough for Twitter. I'll be rooting hard for Palo.
The comments are always entertaining to me, everyone has their own opinion and free speech surely flows free on here. Im waiting to see what LVFOOTBALLFUN has to say about GURU's comment towards his school as we all know he doesnt hold back from bashing Gorman.... my, my, my, what a tangled web we weaved....
I love the Gorman hate....it only makes our team hit harder, run faster, and score more points! LMAO at all of the public school parents who'd rather spend money on their cars and lifestyle than send their kids to a private school.....we put our life on hold to send our kid to private school.....drove our cars to 200k+ miles and lived without any of the "extras" in our lives. It's paid off in spades and our kid didn't get a scholarship.....he earned it and worked hard at school and in sports. He learned a lot of great life lessons......it's funny to read how many people are jealous of hard work.....so what if a bunch of billionaires want to help out their kid's school by donating a state of the art facility? Jealous? Yep, thought so.....
LMAO
It does not cost money to push weight, Flip a tire for 15 minutes or Run the desert hills. Use this anger and make believe classism and work harder and push your program as hard as coach Sanchez works his. You fail to understand that Sanchez and his staff wants the valley to give Gorman their best shot. If that shot is fueled by hate, classism, or good old fashion competition, it is making his boys the best in the state and hopefully the country. Just support your program, push your own son or daughter to be the best. Your efforts will pay off. Just ask Liberty High School. Find that fire in your program. Circle the dates on your calender when you play Gorman in anything. Give it your absolute best effort. You will not be disappointed.
Listen to Tony Sanchez in last years highlight reel. You might understand the true meaning of "Compete". www.youtube.com key words: Bishop Gorman HS 2011 Highlighs
Sorry Sinatra. To call out other parents for not putting their whole heart into a childs' athletics is shameful. I just spent the entire summer driving to and from Las Vegas for my sons Legion Baseball program. In all, for two months I traveled over 3000 miles to make my son a better player and I drive a 1994 car with over 200,000 miles on it. You say that you scraping by just so your kid can play at Gorman? Oh Please. Not once have I seen a car under the year of 2004 in the parking lots. Do you think you paid for that new weight room? Don't think so, the Corporate big wigs that built your football field and everything else there paid for that. I would rather be a proud PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENT thank you very much.
Also, Congratulations do go out to Gold Division Liberty! Great job and so glad you have the opportunity to shine for the State of Nevada!
Wow! This is better than most small colleges. My problem is this, how can anyone here in Nevada compete on a regular basis with this. Football is different from baseball. A good pitcher can get hot and can beat anyone. In football , being strong and having speed play a big fact.Gormanhomer said anyone can flip a tire and work hard. You are absolutely correct, but what kid who is good enough for college is going to go flip a tire when they can go to Gorman. Its the recruiting factor. I am not bashing Gorman ,the kids, parents or coaches. But its like comparing USC to UNLV. When a kid see the facities at USC then at UNLV 98% will go to USC. the other 2% just love UNLV or cant get in USC. Gorman should be playing with other schools like them. When they played Sevite from California, it was a great game. Those are the schools they should be playing. Also Sanchez is a great coach but, look at the kids he gets compared to the kids the other school gets, I don't care if you had NFL coaches on the sidelines, they would not beat Gorman. You need good players to be a good team. When you can get the pick of the Valley every year, you can win state by 20, 30, 40 points, that's not competition, that's just nuts.
Coachearl, given your screen name, I have to believe you have coaching experience. Gorman's advantage lies more in the process than the product. The process is the coaching and experience the players (the product) get exposed to at Gorman. Remember, Sanchez was not some high profile, big time high school coach. He came from a small Northern CA blue collar high school (Cal. High). He called Gorman for the interview. He presents well and seemed to bear the virtues Gorman wanted - highly motivational, very positive outlook, strong family ties (note 2 brothers on this years staff)and is passionate about discipline and personal accountability. Because of Gorman being "iced" out of non-league public school games starting 6 or 7 years ago, they were forced to travel. That challenge has been beneficial, not detrimental. They see better teams, kids get highly motivated, best players get greater exposure for next level opportunity.
The program attracts disciplined, motivated kids with strong parental support. Given the cost ($12,500), both child and parent better be disciplined, motivated and supportive. Kids who don't fit that mold leave Gorman - about a dozen FB players a year to back play at public schools. Maybe talented, but don't fit the mold.
I would propose that the athletic talent level of Gorman's incoming freshman class is not significantly higher than Palo, Las Vegas, Liberty, Arbor View, or other top public programs. But, from day one, the coaching, the practices and the game experiences mature and elevate the kids who "fit the mold". By their junior year, the athletic talent level is significantly developed.
Can you really be critical of a program that develops talent via discipline, commitment and accountability?
Ray,
Did Gorman already cut the check for this paid advertisement?
This is shameful. Bishop Gorman is a Catholic school. I'm all for facilities to help the kids, but this is over-the-top stupid. Gluttony is a sin. What would Jesus have done?
Grayghost, Sinatra, it's not going to matter. Funny it says donors don't won't to be revealed yet building is named after Ferttitas. Sanchez is not that great of a coach. And Gorman doesn't build these kids up. The top kids were studs growing up. The first group of studs were brought in by Grimble and the kids there now were brought in by Farmer. Those 2 built the program. But they are gone now and that's why they had a weak freshmen class last year and another weak class this year. Yes their run is coming to an end as is their baseball team because Scheff is gone and kids aren't so anxious to come over. All that money and facilities yet kids are starting to reject them. I DO look forward to this year cause the tide is changing.
Oh and if you read the article about the young lady from BG that just committed to UNLV, she is leaving BG for some new local school. Why would anyone leave the great BG? Oh and the top Rb this year whose going to Utah left BG 2yrs ago. 7 of the top freshmen left BG already and 5 are at Liberty now. Liberty's freshmen team would slaughter BG freshmen this yr. These kids don't care for sanchez. Even his current players don't like him. And no he didn't come from a small school in Ca. Cal high has about 3000 students and their better now than when he was there. Just keep drinking the koolade, but obviously some are not. Oh didn't BGs 2 QBs leave (Liberty got O'Shea and Hong didn't like Sanchez so he's now in CA).
Tuasdad I'm w you. It's going to be a fun year. But the bloom is coming off at BG.
Let's see, the Sun does a story on XYZ player from XYZ school getting recruited. It gets a few views and maybe a comment or two. Anything with Gorman on it is almost always (for the wrong reason btw) in the "most viewed" "most shared" "most commented" section. So because the haters eat what they're fed they'll certainly continue to oblige. Stop reading, commenting, sharing and viewing and likely that may change.
Also if a team builds a 42,000 sf facility comparable to div I colleges and public HS like Jenks and Union in Oklahoma, it would be silly not to do a story on it. It's kind of a big deal whether you agree with it or not. So here we are 42 comments later. Seriously stop clicking any link to any gorman story and soon enough they'd get the hint that their readers want change.
and lvfootballfun, not touching any of your other points but as far as getting schooled by Santa Margarita.. um, well they're the #1 ranked team in the country pre-season and Gorman (in my opinion) is maybe top 100 or jsut outside top 100. So no shame in #1 team in country beating you.
I'd be more worried that Basic beat Gorman in 7 on 7 passing. Albeit no linemen so it's not a translation of what happens with pads and linement but still.
And if the paper reported what happened to Gorman scrimages people would complain they're getting coverage no other team would get.
On other note I'll be catching the scrimmages at Del Sol the weekend after next and can't wait for season to start i'm sure outside of the gorman debate many of us are looking forward to football
Definitely looking forward to getting the 2012 Season underway...
Hey Ray, when will you start previewing the Season, so there is so much more to read and talk about than BG.
How is everyone at the newly realigned Divison I-A feeling about that League.
Nice to have an ACTUAL League,.... the previous Southern 3A, consisting of THREE teams, did NOT make a League...
Let the Season Previews Begin...
Cheers.
grayghost let me clear a few things up. I'm not saying that they dont coach well or work hard. I see those kids I know they work hard, you cant get that strong watching TV. What I'm saying is they have an upper tier program that should be playing other upper tier programs. Also the freshman classes at palo, arbor, liberty, las vegas were not as good. Also the kids that left were not starters.I am not angry that they spent money on their program, look at Texas there are at least 10 high school stadiums that seat more than 16,000.If I had the money I would do it for my high school. I believe Gorman should be playing with those teams. They have teams like them in California they should be playing.I want them to win every game they play outside of Nevada, I believe we all do. But we dont have a 5A in Nevada, they should be in 5A
For those of you who dont follow the high school football very close, the new division is called 4AA or division1A. I have seen both. There will be a state champion of this division as well. This makes this year extra exciting. My predictions, The traditional powers will still be powers, Gorman, Palo Arbor, Liberty. But question about Las Vegas (new QB),Canyon Springs (step up in competition) and foothill who lost some key players. If new comers step up these question schools could make a real run for it. My sleeper is Vally.
Division 1A Cheyenne, Desert Pines,and Moapa Valley
are the favorites. My sleepers are Boulder City(yes boulder city)bring back a hungry bunch that believes they can win, and Mojave (yes Mojave) young but talented. I also like what they are doing at Faith, dont sleep on them. Everyone in this divsion feels they have a crack at State.Does anyone see anything different.
As far as the facility goes - it is a MAJOR wow. It still takes athletes showing up and training to make all of this matter.
Congrats to Liberty, finally a program on the East Side that is putting things together across the board. I run into several Coronado Football Players who are eating chilli dogs, cones, ice cream sundaes and slurpees after practice - it would not matter if Coronado had these facilities if Coaches are not more aware of nutrition. Wealthy area that can not get Coaches? Why would you not consider Gorman with this track record or another school with the success at Coronado both in record and kids getting scholarships?
Making UNLV Athletics better through building them a facility like this. Basketball has had this support. Football on the other hand - lets speak to the loyalty shown with this program.
When Durango has a RB who accepts a Utah scholarship and does not list UNLV as a school providing him an offer - that smells of Mike Sanford. Devonte Christopher of Canyon Springs could have been at UNLV. The Coaches said you need to be a DB, instead of listening to the kid who wanted a shot at QB. Utah signed him, gave him a chance to compete - he lost and then was given the chance to play WR where he could get time. UNLV had a kid in their backyard, who they could have had - but was stubborn about not letting the kid compete against others on their squad.
Coaching Staff - Anyone with UNLV connections on Staff or with significant NFL experience? NO. Where is Hunkie or any former Rebel on Staff - like what Stacy Augman has done for hoops? Loyalty for UNLV Alums? Why should UNLV ask for $$ from Alums to upgrade to Gorman's level when they dont hire UNLV Alums to lead the program - from Coaches, Broadcasters or Athletic Department leaders? Gorman should be praised for listening to their Alums who give back to a school that gives back due to going to Gorman. Same should be said for any LV area school who does the same.
Lets talk about those who get paid to be the public voices of the program - in football - NONE with a UNLV Degree. Dave McCann is involved with BYU Alumni Association as President, yet takes his paycheck with UNLV and just sends it to our rival?
John Sandler - No UNLV Degree, no experience with football
Mike Pritchard - No UNLV Degree
Now Russ Langer - Baseball guy, with no UNLV Degree.
Where is the Alumni? Would Auburn hire an Alabama Grad to do their games? Or would USC hire a UCLA Alum. No one would. Politics not a UNLV degree is what is being considered. UNLV has a communications degree, but none have been hired?
Vegas has the players, UNLV has not recruited them or shows up too late. Show them that Alums are taken care of once they graduate that also might be a big help. What does it tell Alums or potential players when the football program has not one connected to the program with a UNLV degree? Frankly not much.
Keith- i think there's a lot of us down here looking forward to the 1A...my only complaint is that they should just call it division II not IA i think that's so lame.
I'm excited to see how all those underclassmen at Canyon Springs developed over the summer and also if Basic has any kind of a line they should compete for second place in SE. I think the SE will win 3 if not all 4 of the first round playoff games again.
CHeck out NIAA.COM for the playoff and state championship brackets for this coming season. Will be interesting. I've already got my days off from work for state games. Should be an interesting season with double the story lines
Tuasdad, Agreed. Call it Division II.
Up North, although it is obviously very early, the top 3 teams in Div. IA should still be Truckee, Fallon and Lowry.
The RGJ will come out with their first Football Preview article on 8/9. That should start to lay out the landscape for Division I.
I look forward to that preview. Any insight to the upcoming season will be greatly appreciated at this point.
These are great comments about the Gorman program. The Gaels have had this competetive advantage for many years, but previously used it to remain highly competetive, not dominant. I wonder what has happened to change their philosophy?
Gorman has a lot of advantages and they really should step up more to become an asset to other CCSD programs. When you compare what they have received in terms of facilities, it's a shame that Clark or Western must make do with so much less. So, Gorman fans, what about the stewardship that has such a high profile in your programs? Gorman could help, but will they?
Being a graduate of Gorman, I'm proud of the facility and I'm sure it will be put to good use...but even when we had the little gym whilst on Maryland parkway...we still won many a title...so go Gaels!