Funds increase cleared at Cal State
San Bernardino Sun 3/29/07
The student body recently passed a referendum that will enable Simpson to address some needs in the athletic program. Additional funds will be used for a full-time soccer coach, a second full-time trainer, a business manager, a marketing and promotions specialist and an assistant sport information director.
Simpson said plans also include upgrading the head softball position to full-time with other money going toward operational budgets of all teams.
"We have been so strapped. This just really gets us up to where we would have like to have been all along," she said. "These are all things that really needed attention but were neglected because we just didn't have the resources."
Noah Kooiman has been coaching both the men's and women's soccer teams the last three years. Simpson said he likely will stay with the men's program, leaving the women's soccer position available.
Several schools in the CCAA had coaches for both but Cal Poly Pomona finally separated the jobs a year ago. Simpson said other schools have coaches doing both, but they also have a full-time assistant - a luxury that Kooiman does not.
"That is way too much for one person to handle," she said. "You're talking two sets of 20-25 players, games, practices, recruiting. There is tremendous potential for soccer in the area and we want to be able to take advantage of that."
Simpson hopes to advertise the position in the next two weeks and plans to move on it swiftly.
Another trainer also is a necessity with the Coyotes fielding 11 teams, five that compete in the spring. Laura Watkins is the head athletic trainer, but is spread thin, especially with the overlap of sports from one season to another.
Simpson added that several members of the athletic staff have been pitching in to help in the needed areas but more full-time personnel will enable her to help promote each sport.
"We want to be able to do things to promote all our sports and we haven't had the personnel to do that. This will help tremendously," she said.