Members of the Yavapai Community College Women’s Soccer team put on a free soccer clinic Tuesday, April 5 at Ken Lindley Park in Prescott. The event was limited to “Yavapai Soccer Club players born from 2008 to 2013.”
The Blog could find no similar program being currently offered in the Sedona/Verde Valley area by the Community College in partnership with a local private soccer organization.
Despite what many would argue are significant unmet community college needs outside the Prescott area, the Yavapai Community College has announced it is returning men’s and women’s basketball to the Prescott Campus with the first games to be held in November 2022.
The Community College will have baseball, softball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, women’s basketball and men’s basketball all based in Prescott. It will also have a softball field, baseball field, two leased soccer fields, a practice soccer field and gymnasium only in the Prescott area. Dormitory facilities to house all of the athletes are located only on the Prescott Campus.
The basketball program was cut back in 2010 when the Community College claimed that state aid was forcing large across-the-board belt tightening. This included major reductions in staff and administrators on the east side of the County – not on the Prescott based west side.
Astonishingly, just two years (December 2012) after claiming major cutbacks were necessary because of extreme financial considerations, the Community College announced a $103.5 (at one time $119) million rebuild/renovation development program with over 95% going to the Prescott Campus area. More astonishing is the fact it intended to spend that money without a tax increase or a general obligation bond drive.
Since its announcement back in 2012-13, the Community College has plowed ahead with the millions in development as originally planned back in 2012 with hardly a whimper about a lack of funding.
Now, with educational needs going unmet in various areas around a County the size of Rhode Island, the Community College is announcing that men’s and women’s basketball will return in 2022. These programs bring little if anything to vast areas of the County because of disinterest, no public transportation to them, and extremely long and dangerous drives to attend them. They are more accoutrements for the Prescott Campus and citizens on the west side of the County living in the immediate Prescott area.
The search for hiring coaches for both programs has already begun. It is expected that the new coaching hires will be formally announced on November 18, 2021 at Yavapai College’s Basketball Celebration at Walraven Gymnasium to kick off the start of the reinstated programs.
Dr. Lisa B. Rhine, President of Yavapai College is quoted as saying: “Basketball is a popular sport and a great way to bring the community together. After several conversations with both internal and external constituents and with the financial support of a generous donor, we decided to bring basketball back to YC.”
Vice President of Community Relations & Student Development Rodney Jenkins says, “we plan to create an atmosphere that is both fun and family-friendly, making [the Community College] a great destination for local family fun. Both men’s and women’s basketball are rooted in the history of this institution, and we are all excited to welcome back the game, our alumni, and community to help us grow our programs.”
The donor contribution alluded to by Dr. Rhine is what some consider a fairly typical approach used by Institutions to start programs and projects that would be extremely unpopular in some quarters. (Who and how much was donated remains a mystery to the public.) However, after a few months or years, the taxpayers who support the Institutions are left holding the financial bag, so to speak, as donor funds evaporate. (Take for example, the current approximate $1 million dollar renovation/replacement costs associated with the roof and air conditioning at the Performing Arts Center or the hundreds of thousands, probably millions of dollars since it was first built, in subsidized funds paid out by taxpayers to keep the Center going.)
Too bad for the rest of Yavapai County.
Coming to Mingus Union High School Sept 8 and Sept 22
Yavapai Community College has ignored the Verde Valley Community for decades when it comes to any effort to develop an athletic program. Meanwhile, it has poured hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars, into developing the program on the Prescott Campus.
There have been very strong complaints lodged by Valley citizens and its representatives at various times since 2012 about spending Verde Valley taxpayers money to support the Community College’s burgeoning multi-million dollar athletic program with no return for Valley citizens. Third District representative Paul Chevalier has raised his voice to make the concerns known at the Governing Board level.
In response to those voices, the present administration, headed by Dr. Lisa Rhine, is attempting to address some of those concerns. For example, a week or so ago the Community College announced that it had established a new Annual Fund with its Foundation to support the athletic department. If successful, this Fund will relieve County taxpayers of the burden of providing hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual scholarships to student athletes, most of whom do not live in the County, often do not live in Arizona, and occasionally do not live in the United States.
In a quiet news release dated September 1, 2021, the Community College took another step to address the Valley’s concerns by announcing it was going to hold two upcoming Volleyball matches at Mingus Union High School. The first match is scheduled for Wednesday, September 8, 2021, 7:00 p.m. at Mingus Union High School in Cottonwood. The opponent is Ottawa University of Arizona. The second will be held Wednesday, September 22, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. at Mingus Union High School in Cottonwood and the opponent is Arizona Christian University.
This is the first time in decades the Prescott based administration has sought to seriously address some of the vast athletic department inequities that exist between Community College development on the east and west sides of Yavapai County—a county larger than many states.
In the Community College’s news release, Vice President of Community Relations Rodney Jenkins is quoted as saying that “Yavapai College is committed to providing educational, cultural enrichment, and athletic opportunities to all of Yavapai County. I am excited to bring volleyball competitions to the residents in the Verde Valley. These are just the first of many [Community College] athletic competitions in the Verde Valley. We are also planning baseball and softball games this spring, and we plan to continue to increase the number of competitions in the future.”
The athletic programs, all of which emanate from the Prescott Campus, annually spend an estimated $1.7 million in coaching salaries and related expenses. In addition, they provide athletes with about $650,000 in scholarship assistance from the College’s General Fund.
At the April 2020 Governing Board meeting, the issue of scholarships and out-county recruitment was raised by Third District Representative Paul Chevalier. In response to his questions, it was learned that the College is taking major steps to change how it handles athletic scholarships and recruiting. This included seeking to raise funds to support the scholarship program.
At the October 2020 Governing Board meeting, the Community College announced a five-year plan was in the works to use the Foundation to support all athletic scholarships and a plan to lower out-state tuition for athletes that will allow a wider national recruiting by coaches.
Mr. Chevalier has constantly raised issues regarding equitable distribution of resources and the cost of the athletic department, which does not benefit the entire County. The most recent decisions by the Community College president appear to be another victory for his persistent efforts in this area.
Note: Both of the volleyball matches are free for all ages to attend. They will also be live-streamed at www.goroughriders.com. The first 25 people in attendance will receive a free duffle bag from Yavapai College.
Yavapai Community College has announced a series of fund raising events beginning with the Roughrider Athletics Classic Golf Classic on September 24. It will be followed by the “Fun Run” on September 26 and the “Dancing for the Stars” fundraiser on October 2. It also announced it has established a new Annual Fund to support its athletic department.
The athletic programs, all of which emanate from the Prescott Campus, annually spend an estimated $1.7 million in coaching salaries and related expenses. In addition, they provide athletes with about $650,000 in scholarship assistance from the College’s General Fund. Most of the athletes are recruited from outside Yavapai County and a several come from outside Arizona.
At the April 2020 Governing Board meeting, the issue of scholarships and out-county recruitment was raised by Third District Representative Paul Chevalier. In response to his questions, it was learned that the College is taking major steps to change how it handles athletic scholarships and recruiting. This included seeking to raise funds to support the scholarship program.
At the October 2020 Governing Board meeting, the Community College announced a five-year plan in the works to use the Foundation to support all athletic scholarships and a plan to lower out-state tuition for athletes that will allow a wider national recruiting by coaches.
Dr. Rodney Jenkins
At the April Governing Board meeting, The Yavapai Community College Administration revealed that the Community College was put into a position of high risk of civil rights violations because it had failed to comply with federal law, specifically Title 9. It is one of the first issues addressed by president Dr. Lisa Rhine following her hiring.
Yavapai Community College Vice President of Community Relations and Student Development, Dr. Rodney Jenkins, told the Governing Board that “to be out of compliance with Title 9 and know it, is a dangerous line to walk. We are now very close to being in compliance once we field this [women’s soccer] team and add a couple other components. [Then] “we will be within the 54th percentile range, where we should be” with federal civil rights law.
He also said that the athletic teams, athletic spending have to recognize and be equal to the number of enrolled female students. You may listen to his complete short report to the Governing Board at the April meeting on the video clip below or alternatively when the video of the meeting is posted on the Governing Board web site.
The Blog notes that the District Governing Board has not considered as a part of its oversight role looking into whether the Community College was following Title 9 in the last decade, if ever.
The Yavapai Community College volleyball team will return to the NJCAA DI National Championships for the second time in coach Zachary Shaver’s tenure. The National Championship Tournament will be comprised of the top 16 teams from throughout the United States will be held in West Plains, Missouri April 15-17.
The team is made up of 14 athletes. One athlete is from Yavapai County, Mailani Manual, a Prescott Valley Bradshaw high school graduate. About half of the remaining athletes come from Arizona and the other half from out-state.
This year’s team accomplished something no other Yavapai volleyball team has ever done. They completed the Championship Trifecta (Conference, Region, & District) by winning the NJCAA Southwest B District Championship over #18 ranks Hill College (TX). The victory not only secured a third championship in the 2021 season, it also earned the Yavapai team 1 of only 14 automatic bids to the NJCAA DI National Championship Tournament.
Yavapai Community College has announced the hiring of Andre Luciano as the new head coach of the men’s soccer program.
Coach Luciano (Photo NAUathletics.com)
Mr. Luciano is an alumnus of the 1991 class at Yavapai Community College. He was an athlete on the Men’s Soccer team from 1989 – 91 and was a member of N-J-C-A-A National Championship team of 1990 being named I-S-A-A / Adidas Goalkeeper of the Year and the N-J-C-A-A Tournament Most Valuable Goalkeeper. After Yavapai Community College, Mr. Luciano attended Indiana University where he earned the distinction as one of the top goalkeepers in the country. He is credited with leading his team to two Big Ten titles and two trips to the N-J-C-A-A National Tournament.
After graduating from Indiana University, Mr. Luciano spent two seasons as an assistant for the University of Arizona soccer program. He has also worked with Washington, Arizona and Nevada Olympic Development Programs (ODP), and was an assistant coach for the Utah State women’s program in 1998.
In 2018 Mr. Luciano resigned from Northern Arizona University where he had been the soccer coach for eighteen seasons. Mr. Lucian speaks seven languages. He calls his U.S. hometown Las Vegas, Nevada although he will quickly tell you that his actual hometown is São Paulo, Brazil.
In an interview regarding the appointment to Yavapai Community College, Mr. Luciano said that “[i]t has been a dream of mine for 30 years to return to a place that I have called home and spoken so fondly of throughout my career as a player and coach. I owe [former Yavapai College Men’s Soccer Head Coach] Mike Pantalione an incredible amount of gratitude for believing in me as a 19-year-old from Las Vegas and changing my life by creating a program that has been synonymous with success in the classroom and on the field. I also would like to thank Athletic Director Brad Clifford for entrusting me with the responsibility of not only being the coach but a mentor for the young men that wear the uniform for Yavapai College Soccer.”
The first game for the Community College soccer team in the Covid-19 delayed season will be Thursday, April 1 against the College of Southern Nevada.
Yavapai Community College spent a significant amount of time during Tuesday’s Governing Board meeting justifying the existence of its expanding athletic department and the low number of students from the County who participate in its program. Using College figures, only 14% of its current athletes are from the County. The program, which now has four teams, will expand to seven teams over the next few years with the addition of a women’s soccer team this fall and a men and women’s basketball team (date not yet announced).
Athletic Director Brad Clifford reported to the Board that in 2020-202, only five of the student athletes are from Yavapai County. Thirty recruits are from Arizona, 33 from outside Arizona but in the United States, and four came from countries outside the United States.
One explanation given by Mr. Clifford for the low number of County students in the program is that “the best student-athletes in Yavapai County want to leave the county to pursue their athletic endeavors.” He did not discuss whether lowering recruiting standards would generate more athletes from the County.
Mr. Clifford also said that “the department’s policy is to recruit within the County first.” However, “due to sheer numbers,” he said, “most recruiting is done outside of Yavapai County.” (See his slide.) He did not explain what he meant by the phrase “due to sheer numbers.”
In April 2020, Vice President Clint Ewell told the Governing Board that it was his understanding that the College would seek to increase County student athletic involvement by at least twenty-five percent. Chair McCasland affirmed Mr. Ewell’s statement. (The video clip is below.) The BLOG recalls no discussion at Tuesday ‘s presentation to the Governing Board regarding how that goal would be achieved.
Yavapai Community College has hired Rozanne (Rozie) DeWeese as the Head Coach for its new Women’s Soccer Program. Coach DeWeese is leaving Sacramento State University, where she was an assistant soccer coach since 2017. Coach DeWeese spent 10 years as the Associate Head Coach at the University of California, Davis and before that was an assistant coach at Indiana State University.
Coach DeWeese expressed her honor and excitement at becoming the first coach to head the women’s soccer program. She said that “These are challenging times we are all facing through the continuing pandemic. However, I am grateful and optimistic about the opportunity to make a positive impact for aspiring student-athletes to achieve continued success, Together as part of the YC Soccer Family.”
The program will begin with matches in the fall of 2021.
The new soccer practice field on the Prescott Campus is complete. Work sodding the field and installing rip rap for erosion control were the last phases of the project. The soccer practice field should be ready for use by January 1.
Below are some photos from the Community College’s December 2020 Facilities Management newsletter showing completion of the work on the practice facility and installation of the batter’s eye screening at the baseball park.
Batter’s Eye