Longtime Cal men's coach Barry Weiner announced his retirement today after 19 seasons leading the Golden Bears, according to the University of California.
"I'm very proud of the work we have done over the last 20 years here at Cal - not just the great teams and champions, but I'm proud of all the great people who have left their mark," Weiner said in a press release. "Mostly, I am proud of the contributions that our student-athletes have made and continue to make in all walks of life. I have been very fortunate to have spent 19 great years coaching at Cal. I am going to miss working with all of the great kids and people who make up the Cal community."
This may bode poorly for Cal men's gymnastics, which may be on the chopping block as the University of California system makes drastic cuts to save money. Administrators are likely to make a decision about continuing to fund the program later this summer.
Although Cal athletic director Sandy Barbour said a search for Weiner's replacement is already underway, the team is mobilizing to find outside donors that will help pay for expenses to guide the Bears through the next few years.
Want to help? Write a letter to the Chancellor at the University of California. At the bottom of the donation, put a pledge -- that is, an (intended) donation. Then send the letter either via e-mail to calmensgymnastics@gmail.com or to the P.O. Box address at the bottom of this post.
Gymnastike and American Gymnast have posted outlines what a letter writer should do. Those instructions are posted below here as well.
Step One: Write letter
Please write a letter to the Chancellor with the main points found below in mind. These points are not necessities to your letter, but act as a guideline. Send your letter to the P.O. Box address seen below, which is strongly suggested, or send it via email at calmensgymnastics@gmail.com. To further help you with your letter, download this template.
Here are the main points that can be used for guidance:
-- Strong tradition of Cal Men’s Gymnastics: History of superior graduation rates and academic achievements, four NCAA Championships, countless All-Americans, multiple individual NCAA champions, etc.
-- Please note that 2012 would be the 100th anniversary of Cal Men’s Gymnastics & an Olympic year.
-- Please use the phrase, “Athletics done right,” to describe our strong tradition at Cal.
-- If applicable, please briefly highlight your own experience at Cal and the impact it has had on your current path in life.
-- If applicable, please briefly highlight your child’s or family member’s experience at Cal and the impact it has had on their life.
-- Please include your thoughts regarding the negative impact the loss of the program will have on men’s gymnastics nation-wide.
-- Prioritize your pride in the program and your desire to secure future opportunities for others.
Step Two: Donations
After much thought and consideration, the Cal Gymnastics Forever Committee has come to a decision on how to best utilize your generous donations. In order to plan for the future, as well as address our immediate problems, we feel that a pledge drive for the 2012 season and beyond will have the greatest impact. Our goal is to present UC Berkeley’s Chancellor and Athletic Director with a stack of pledges that will cut into the annual cost of running the program, which is about $350,000 a year. If you are able to donate, we are asking you to put a pledge (intended donation) at the bottom of your letter of support that says the following:
* Option 1 I ________________ will pledge $________________ for the 2012 season for Cal Men’s Gymnastics.
* Option2 I ________________ will pledge ________________ per year for a period of ___________ years to help ensure the future of Cal Men’s Gymnastics.
If you are choosing not to write a letter and would still like to contribute to the pledge drive, please follow this link to submit your pledge.
Just some quick numbers:
-- 100 donors giving $1000.00 = $100,000 or almost 1/3 of the whole budget for a season.
-- We will contact you in the future for the actual donation, once our 2012 status is secured.
-- Our long-term goal is still to set up an endowment but we need this interim solution to try and save our NCAA status
Step Three: Send Letter
After completing your letter, e-mail it to calmensgymnastics@gmail.com, or send it to the following address:
Cal Gymnastics Forever
P.O. Box 1762
Oakland, CA 94604
Follow Gymnastics Examiner Blythe Lawrence on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GymExaminer or click the "Subscribe" button above to receive the latest gymnastics news and results via e-mail.
Comments