C-LeB28
Moderator
June 2, 2006, 12:15AM
Robertson works baseball miracle at Prairie View
By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
The amazing success Michael Robertson has enjoyed in his fourth season as head baseball coach at Prairie View A&M has forced him to examine his coaching history.
Robertson cannot ignore the similarities between his current reclamation project and his previous one, which concluded with Robertson becoming the first coach to lead a predominately black, inner-city program in Forest Brook High School to the state tournament in 2002. That accomplishment opened the door at Prairie View and laid the foundation for this season, which continues today with the Panthers facing No. 1 Rice in the Houston Regional of the NCAA Tournament at Reckling Park.
This marks the first NCAA Tournament appearance for Prairie View. Consider that the Panthers were 3-46 in 2002, the year Robertson took Forest Brook to unprecedented heights, and the rapid turnaround qualifies as a stunning surprise. Take into account that Robertson had performed similar magic before, and the Panthers' ascension is on cue.
"Within his first year, everyone saw the improvement of the team," Prairie View athletic director Charles McClelland said. "We went from being 3-46 and having six perfect games thrown on us by opposing teams to having a lot of enthusiasm in the program."
AD delivers on promise
Robertson, his unwavering faith, his loyal assistants and dedicated players deserve the bulk of the credit for helping Prairie View rise from the cellar of the Southwestern Athletic Conference to tournament champions in four seasons. But Robertson is quick to point out that none of this would have been possible had it not been for the commitment McClelland and the Prairie View athletic administration invested in his program. The promise of unprecedented financial support was what lured Robertson to Prairie View.
"It was very important," Robertson said of assurances of a commitment to baseball. "First of all, I believed in myself. But the biggest thing was believing that I would get support from the athletic administration, and it's been superb through these first four years.
"They looked a little bit at what we did with the program over at Forest Brook, and understanding that the resources were limited, they compared that to their situation. They were looking for some people that could come in here and make some things happen with limited resources, limited budget and limited facilities. That probably was a big factor."
McClelland handled getting Robertson the things he needed to run a successful program. He made an immediate investment of $20,000 to purchase new uniforms for the players and signed Robertson as a full-time coach, meaning he wouldn't have to teach classes.
Eventually the resources expanded. Scholarships increased from two in 2004 to six last year to eight this season with 11 allotted next season. Robertson was allowed to hire full-time assistants in Waskyla Cullivan and Michael Shotwell, and the recruiting budget was increased so Robertson could pursue the Division I talented needed to build a winner.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3921871.html
Robertson works baseball miracle at Prairie View
By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
The amazing success Michael Robertson has enjoyed in his fourth season as head baseball coach at Prairie View A&M has forced him to examine his coaching history.
Robertson cannot ignore the similarities between his current reclamation project and his previous one, which concluded with Robertson becoming the first coach to lead a predominately black, inner-city program in Forest Brook High School to the state tournament in 2002. That accomplishment opened the door at Prairie View and laid the foundation for this season, which continues today with the Panthers facing No. 1 Rice in the Houston Regional of the NCAA Tournament at Reckling Park.
This marks the first NCAA Tournament appearance for Prairie View. Consider that the Panthers were 3-46 in 2002, the year Robertson took Forest Brook to unprecedented heights, and the rapid turnaround qualifies as a stunning surprise. Take into account that Robertson had performed similar magic before, and the Panthers' ascension is on cue.
"Within his first year, everyone saw the improvement of the team," Prairie View athletic director Charles McClelland said. "We went from being 3-46 and having six perfect games thrown on us by opposing teams to having a lot of enthusiasm in the program."
AD delivers on promise
Robertson, his unwavering faith, his loyal assistants and dedicated players deserve the bulk of the credit for helping Prairie View rise from the cellar of the Southwestern Athletic Conference to tournament champions in four seasons. But Robertson is quick to point out that none of this would have been possible had it not been for the commitment McClelland and the Prairie View athletic administration invested in his program. The promise of unprecedented financial support was what lured Robertson to Prairie View.
"It was very important," Robertson said of assurances of a commitment to baseball. "First of all, I believed in myself. But the biggest thing was believing that I would get support from the athletic administration, and it's been superb through these first four years.
"They looked a little bit at what we did with the program over at Forest Brook, and understanding that the resources were limited, they compared that to their situation. They were looking for some people that could come in here and make some things happen with limited resources, limited budget and limited facilities. That probably was a big factor."
McClelland handled getting Robertson the things he needed to run a successful program. He made an immediate investment of $20,000 to purchase new uniforms for the players and signed Robertson as a full-time coach, meaning he wouldn't have to teach classes.
Eventually the resources expanded. Scholarships increased from two in 2004 to six last year to eight this season with 11 allotted next season. Robertson was allowed to hire full-time assistants in Waskyla Cullivan and Michael Shotwell, and the recruiting budget was increased so Robertson could pursue the Division I talented needed to build a winner.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3921871.html
