Southern's Roger Cador to Participate in MLB/HBCU Baseball Symposium
July 17, 2003
BATON ROUGE, LA Southern University head coach Roger Cador has been selected
by Major League Baseball, to participate in the first symposium for
the
survival of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) baseball
programs. The symposium will be held, August 15th at 7:00 PM at “The Grill”
in Henderson Hall on the campus of Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA.
Southern U Photo
Roger Cador
The symposium was conceived due to the apparent struggle
some HBCUs are having in trying to offer baseball as a collegiate sports
at their respective
universities. This symposium is designed to identify the obstacles HBCUs face
in trying to field competitive baseball programs.
Roger Cador is one of seven panelists selected by MLB to particiapte
in this event. Joining Cador will be Hall of Famer Bobby Bonds, father
of current
San Fransisco Giants All-Star Barry Bonds; Hall of Famer Dave Parker of the
Pittsburgh Pirates; Senior VP of Baseball Operations for Major League
Baseball, Jimmy Lee Solomon; Atlanta Braves scout Robert Lucas; MLB Scouting
Bureau representative J.D. Elliby; and former Howard University
baseball
coach Jimmy Williams.
Topics of discussion will include:
How to improve baseball programs at HBCUs
Recruiting athletes to HBCUs
Having MLB buy-in to the plight of HBCU baseball programs to ensure that
baseball continues to be a viable program at HBCUs (Preparing a full-blown
proposal to MLB requesting thier assistance)
HBCUs giving back to inner-city youth baseball programs (Internships, work
study, or academic credits for coaching youth baseball programs in thier
cities during the summer)
Taking HBCU baseball to the next level (How to make your players appealing
to MLB scouts)
Off-season practice and conditioning
Marketing your baseball program (Gaining sponsorship from your community)
Cador feels this is a unique opportunity that will give him
a chance to give his expertise to the panel, as well as being able
to bring back
important information for Southern University and the city of Baton Rouge.
“Obviously with the dialogue that is going to take place, I am hoping
that the information that will be gathered and shared, we can bring
back and share
this information with the city of Baton Rouge, its communities and all of the
different levels of coaching here. I am hoping that we can make Baton
Rouge a
model for every other city to look at in terms of how we are promoting,
helping and teaching our kids about the game of baseball,” Cador said.
“We have two fine institutions here in the city with great baseball
traditions and good high school programs. Now what we have to do
is find a way
to encourage and motivate more African-American kids to go out for baseball
teams. We get a lot kids participating up until the age of about 15, then a
lot of that number drop off. What we have to do is try to find a way
to keep
them
going in baseball beyond the age of 15,” says Cador who just completed his 18th
season at the helm of the Southern Jaguars.
Cador has compiled a 589-302-1 record at Southern University.
No stranger to professional baseball, Cador himself was a member of the
Atlanta Braves’ Organization from 1973-1977.
Cador also holds the distinction
of being the first coach of an HBCU to win a game in the NCAA Tournament. His
1987 Jaguars upset
then No. 2 ranked
Cal-State Fullerton, 1-0. In addition, his Jags became the first HBCU to win
a NCAA Play-in game, when they defeated Austin Peay in 1996.
The Southern Jaguars won their opening round game in the 2003 NCAA
Tournament, with a 5-3 upset win over Southern Miss, in Hattieburg, MS.
