2022 marks the first year that the College of Staten Island will be competing in Division II sports. These divisions are based on the school size (number of students), the competition, and the funding that their athletic programs receive. Moving up from D3 to D2 is a big deal – something that not many colleges can accomplish, whether it be lack of funding or lack of talent.
No doubt, though, the new competition will be even tougher. I plan to focus on CSI’s baseball team who is currently practicing for their Spring season. They are competing in scrimmage games, which allow the players to get a feel for not only the competition, but the stakes of being a D2 team.
I plan to get soundbites from the players on the team and the coach, the AMBI coming from the sounds of the ball being hit, the crowd cheering (or booing), and the overall chatter that happens before or during the game. Hopefully, I will also be able to get some clips of spectators yelling at the umpire or the coaches to add a little humor.
If possible, rather than focusing solely on their baseball team, I might also look for students who compete in other sports to see how this change has affected them. More specifically students who have been there for 2+ years because then they would have had the experience of competing while the school was still D3. I would be able to gain a little insight as to whether or not the competition has changed. But, for now, I believe I will get the most sound rich quality from actually going to a baseball game.