SPRING ARBOR, MI -- The Spring Arbor University (SAU) Men's Basketball team has made a pact to avoid all social media for the entire 2012-2013 season. This means for seven months, the SAU cagers must abstain from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, and even MySpace for those daring enough to reminisce.The initial idea belonged to head coach Ryan Cottingham, who passed the challenge to his team just ten days before the grind of preseason workouts began.
Having played for Coach Cotts myself, I know that nothing he does is unintentional. Once again, there is method to his madness. The purpose behind the team's agreement is to not only accomplish something together as a unit, but also to avoid any potential distractions from the world of media (a world notorious for distraction).
Team captain and lone senior Rob Hogans likes where his coach's head is at. "Coach is having us do this so we can avoid distraction. It gives us no excuses to have our focus wooed away from the court and the classroom. It also encourages us to spend more time investing in one another rather than sitting on Facebook each night. I'm all for it," said Hogans.
There is no denying that with the increase in popularity of various social media mediums these days, athletes have fallen victim to the realm of controversy and distraction with their usage of such mediums.
We've seen Chad Ochocinco get fined by his own team while with the Cincinnati Bengals for tweeting at half-time. Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant has often been criticized for calling out the toughness of his teammates via social media (which surely had little to no positive repercussions for team Lakeshow's chemistry last season). And big man Amar'e Stoudemire was hit with a $50,000 bill last season for using a gay slur on Twitter.
The list of players getting in trouble for their use of the media is unfortunately growing at a rapid pace. While the guys on Coach Cottingham's roster wouldn't be dealing with the heavy fines professional athletes are hit with, they can at least sleep comfortably knowing they have dislodged themselves of the looming negativity that Facebook and Twitter often create.
We will see no public complaints about playing time, vented frustration, arrogant trash talk, or even the latest drama in the love lives of various teammates (which is all over social media these days) from the SAU players. This young team has it's priorities right. They are focused solely on the betterment of themselves and their squad, which is precisely why they're conceding social media until late March.
While seeing a tweet from Coach Cottingham is about as rare as a Tim Tebow sighting in the NFL, for some of the players, it won't be that easy.
Freshman big man Jimmy Kodet admits temporary withdrawals are to be expected: "There are times I will probably miss it, because social media has been my way of keeping friends and family updated. Sometimes I go to where the Facebook app on my phone once was, and then remember I no longer have it. It's what I would do with my down time, so it will take getting used to. But I'm definitely excited and ready for the challenge," said Kodet.
Kodet is not the only Cougar who will be forced to make adjustments. Every player and coach on the roster has a Facebook, and all but four of them have a Twitter account. I follow each one of them on both social media platforms and admit it is an unusual, unique feeling not being able to contact my former teammates very easily (I am in Australia so my ability to text or call them is also limited).
For the first year in four years, Rob Hogans will not be able to post his patented "Gameday" tweets on days the Cougs take to the hardwood. Luckily for fans of SAU basketball, the team can still be followed on saucougars.com, or on the team's twitter account @SAU_menshoops.
As for the individual players, that becomes more personal. All the ladies out there now have an excuse to ask for the players' phone numbers, because texting and emailing exist as the most convenient way to contact each individual. But remember girls, no distracting them! That would defeat the purpose of the team's pact.
This commitment to avoid social media should only reap positive benefits for SAU. It remains to be seen if this off-the-court decision will translate directly and effectively to what happens on the court. Perhaps we'll find out on the 1st of November, when SAU tips off the season by playing host to the Tigers of Grace Bible college
