|
|
| Fall 2002 | a publication for alumni, family, and friends |
Darrell Orand At most colleges, coaches have responsibilities in addition to their work on the field or court. Dakota Wesleyan University is no different. DWU recently completed one of the most successful athletic years in the history of the school. Three head coaches saw their programs win conference championships or finish the season with a national ranking, or both. All three also know their responsibilities don't stop when the game or match is over. Wrestling
Schadwinkel's duties will include a teaching load of five courses during the 2002-03 school year. There are always challenges on the mat, but with the extra load in the classroom, those challenges are doubled for a head coach without an assistant. "It is always strenuous to balance the time for coaching and finding the time to prepare for the classes," Schadwinkel said. "For me, it is more demanding to prepare for classes than it is for me to prepare for practice sessions. I have spent so much of my life around wrestling I have the techniques I want to teach the athletes in my head. That is not the case in the classroom. In the classroom, I really have to study and work on my teaching technique in order to present the material to the students." Schadwinkel expects a strong academic commitment from his student-athletes. His priority on studies is obvious from his own success as a student-athlete at Adams State College, where he was a four-time Academic All-America honoree along with being named All-American twice on the mat. "I really want to see my students succeed in the classroom," he said. "Right now all I can do is be the best teacher I can be on the mat and in the classroom." Baseball
The Tigers finished the season with a 27-17 record and won the conference pulling away from the pack with a 17-5 record. The team was ranked in the top-40 all season and finished the season as the second-ranked team in the region. Head coach Adam Neisius, a DWU graduate, has been back at his alma mater for five years. Last season he saw the fruits of his labor in rebuilding the baseball program, but he has also taken on a role in the classroom. "I really like to teach," Neisius said. "Teaching classes helps me be a better coach on the field. I can take some of the same principles I use in the classroom out to Cadwell Park. Whether I am teaching in the classroom or teaching on the field, it is the same job. Preparing for a class is a lot like preparing a scouting report for the team." Scott Gines, director of athletics and sport sciences, encourages the DWU coaching staff to be great teachers of whatever sport they are coaching. Neisius has bought into that philosophy. "I really think great teachers are great coaches," Neisius said. "Each student is different and each player is different and once you know how to teach to everyone's level, then you can really be a good teacher and coach." Satisfaction for coaches can be seen in the improvements of their teams during the course of a season and in the wins and losses, but as a teacher, you also want to see some satisfaction for your efforts. "What really satisfies me is to be standing in front of the class presenting material and all of a sudden see a student's face light up and know the light has gone on," Neisius said. "Anybody can stand up and lecture, but to have them learn what you are teaching is very satisfying." Women's Basketball
The team finished with a school-best 32-6 record and was ranked as high as second in the nation, finishing the season ranked fourth. The Tigers made it to the Final Four of the NAIA II National Tournament, where team member Randi Morgan received tournament MVP honors and was named NAIA National Player-of-the-Year. Morgan, along with Emily Janssen, earned All-American status. All five starters were named to the All-GPAC team and head coach Kevin Lein was named the GPAC and South Dakota Women's Basketball Coach-of-the-Year. Lein's hard work in building the women's basketball team into a national power is easy to see with their play on the court. He has also seen many success stories in his nine years as a professor in the education department at DWU. With Lein's outgoing personality, his students and players enjoy stopping by to talk, whether it is about athletics, the classroom or anything else, but serving in both capacities has made that part of his day hard to accomplish. "One of the things I really enjoy, but miss doing, is spending time with the students and with my players in informal communications," Lein said. "I now have a calendar on my door for people to sign up so I can get to see as many as I can. If they are unable to sign up, it is usually hard for me to find time to fit someone in, and I really don't like that. I really do like having some time where I can sit and meet or just talk with them." Part of Lein's success on the court and in the classroom has been from his willingness to use new ways to teach. "This is my ninth year teaching at DWU and teaching is far different now than it was when I first got here," Lein said. "I am continually trying to prepare for the courses I teach. Being contemporary in education is very tough these days. One of the great things for me is to have all these teachers that help me in this. They continue to give me good ideas to help me meet the needs of the students in the classroom. Meeting their needs is the core of what I am trying to do as they work toward their future." Lein's opportunities for teaching moments outside the classroom will increase this year; he has agreed to serve as co-head coach of softball with recently hired Tom Fickett. "We have had some success on the court and in the classroom. There is an opportunity there (in softball) to have some success." Lein said. "There are some good players there, and I know working with Coach Fickett will be fun. The thing we have to do is keep it all in perspective and that is the hardest thing to do. I have to remind myself of it constantly." Doug Martin Men's Basketball
On the court, he has amassed a Martin will teach at least two classes during the fall semester and will face the same challenges that he has faced his entire teaching and coaching career. "The time constraint on teaching and coaching at the same time is the largest challenge," Martin said. "Between the preparation for the two, checking all the assignments and grading work, and then preparing for the season makes it very tough. I do know it is a lot easier now than it was when I was also serving as the athletic director." Like others who are serving the dual role of coach and teacher, Martin sees similarities in both positions. "The two are very similar because coaching is teaching," Martin said. "I have a lesson plan in coaching just as I have one in the classroom. It is a fallacy that the two are different; in actuality, coaching is teaching." As Martin prepares for the upcoming school year in the classroom and on the court, he continues to prepare for the same problem as he did when he started in the education business. "We don't try to set up class times around the teacher's schedule, because we are serving the students, so we try to plan the best time for them," said Martin. "This is a challenge for all coaches who teach. I have 5:45 a.m. practice and then turn around and usually teach my first class at 8 a.m. That is tough, but we do it." Martin continues to plan for each class and each season just as he did four decades ago, and continues to enjoy the process. "I still really enjoy teaching," Martin said. "Just last year, I was asked to teach an algebra class for the first time since 1974. That was my major in school and I really enjoyed teaching it again. In fact, I told them I would be glad to do it again if they needed someone." Dakota Wesleyan University |
|
Mike Schadwinkel has taken over a wrestling program that was on the
verge of elimination four years ago and pushed the program into a national power, with one
national champion and three top-20 national finishes over the past three seasons. 
The baseball team at DWU had a highly visible season, one of the most successful
in the history of the baseball program. In the 2-year-old Great Plains Athletic
Conference, the DWU baseball team earned the conference championship in the spring of
2002. 
The women's basketball team was by far the most visible and publicized program at
DWU last year. The team dominated local and regional media coverage. 
Doug Martin has been a constant figure in the Dakota Wesleyan University athletic
department for the past 14 years. He has done a little bit of everything since he arrived
on campus in 1988, from serving as athletic director to coaching men's basketball.