College of the Desert athletics expecting growth
College of the Desert is growing by the year with over 14,000 students enrolled in classes. Renovations are being done around campus and it’s become the top choice for local students. Cody Krupp checks in with the Roadrunner athletic department to see what kind of impact it has had.
“Now College of the Desert owns this site,” said College of the Desert Dr. Joel Kinnamon.
New locations, new buildings, and new opportunities. With construction everywhere you look on the College of the Desert campus it’s not hard to believe that it’s the 2nd fastest growing community college in the state. The “pledge” program was announced last year to increase the local enrollment even more.
“”If you look at the college going rate throughout the state, it’s low in this area and we need to increase that,” said Dr. Kinnamon.
It gives an opportunity for local high school students to attend COD for free but how has it affected the athletic department?
“We were able to land recruits that we would not have had, had it not been for the Pledge Program,” College of the Desert Athletic Direction Gary Plunkett said.
It starts with football.
“More than we have had in a long time. I think that we can continue to build on that. I like to think we are building our all star team here in the Coachella Valley. That’s what we are doing. Take the best of the best out of these local schools. The local recruiting is to the 10th power now,” Head football coach Jack Steptoe said.
To baseball, and all across the 15-sport athletic department. The overall impact may not quite be noticeable yet.
“Growth in our sports teams has been minimal growth. This year we noticed a number slightly higher on each team roster,” Plunkett said.
Coachella Valley Unified School District quoted 92 percent of their students are disadvantaged. So for those that want to continue their athletic careers the message is starting to be heard.
“The word we got back from our coaches is that this past year they took advantage of it recruiting wise and getting the word out there to the CV athletes that they could come out here for free,” Plunkett said.
