FORT GORDON, Ga. (Sept. 19, 2014) - Georgia Regents University hosted a pre-conference cross-country meet for the first time on Fort Gordon as part of a new pilot partnership between the military and the NCAA.
Runners from several schools in different NCAA collegiate conferences competed in a men's 8-kilometer and women's 6-kilometer cross-country race on Barton Field. Fort Gordon assisted with coordination of the racecourse and support services.
The sharing of resources for athletic events is nothing new, according to Col. Samuel G. Anderson, Fort Gordon garrison commander. The GRU basketball team has had scrimmages on post, and has conducted clinics for youngsters.
"Partnering with local colleges and universities is first a function of our relationships with the surrounding community. Our very close relationship with the communities and institutions of the Central Savannah River Area are vitally important to us, and the desire to keep those bonds strong is obviously what brought us to the table," Anderson said.
GRU Cross-Country Head Coach Adam Ward has worked with Neil Smith, director for Sports, Fitness and Aquatics with Fort Gordon Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, to locate a place to host competitions on post.
"Years ago we thought of the old golf course, but the only problem was that we had to have a wide-open starting line. We could have done it, but we would have had to cut down trees," Ward said. "This course was great! It's wide open. It's spectator friendly. It has great cross-country elements to it, and the one thing that is really exciting about this, it is more of a flat competitive course."
Team coaches were able to provide feedback from the event. One wrote, it is rare to have this type of course, which the only other course that is spectator friendly is at national competitions.
Improvements for the NCAA Peach Belt Conference Championships scheduled Nov. 8 include bleachers to be set up along the course close to the finish line.
"Sports and fitness are deeply ingrained into the soldiering experience, so a partnership based on athletics is a natural for us," according to Anderson. "Fostering a winning mindset is a cornerstone of Soldiers, and partnerships that better enable us to do that are beneficial to our service and our Soldiers."
There's nothing new about the idea of partnering with our local colleges. GRU has a nationally recognized ROTC program that trains at Fort Gordon. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center partners with GRU for training and development of medical personnel. GRU has a well-developed program in support of former service members and operates a military resource center on the campus. The GRU basketball team plays a military appreciation game each year with free tickets for military personnel and military ceremonies as part of the program.
"Although we may have facilities that could be useful for training and competitions in a closer partnership, my impression was that sharing experiences was as important as sharing facilities," according to Anderson.
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