It was recently reported that the NCAA had voted to eliminate the voluntary coach role for both baseball and softball and make them official full-time hirings. This change will allow both sports to have four full-time coaches instead of three, and there will be no more voluntary coaches anymore. This comes at a time when we have seen major differences in how schools manage their budget between sports.
Better Late Than Never
The initial reactions to this decision across social media have been positive, however, comparing sports based on the number of their roles shows some discrepancy. It has been known that college football is what is most popular in terms of media consumption, leaving other sports like baseball and softball with their hands tied. Just last year, this Florida football picture caught heat after it was pointed out how many paid staffers the Gators have. Other sports do not get the same investment in coaching.
In a response to the tweet, known softball legend Danielle O’ Toole Trejo had fired off a tweet with facts about the drastic differences between the sports before this new decision.
Hope for more improvement
Ultimately, the decision to take on another paid position for a coach should be seen as a positive thing for these under appreciated sports. Hopefully this small addition leads to further improvement down the road, as social media is more on top of these differences than ever. This decision could spark more increased awareness about the stark differences and lead to more positive change, or this could be seen as throwing the dog a bone every once in a while.
Either way, there is a long way to go as athletes should still show just how major the differences are and how things should be closer to being equal. This should not be seen as a major victory for these programs, but rather a stepping stone toward a greater goal in making sure everyone is equally represented with the right support.