Lehigh University Athletics
Clearing every hurdle
9/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
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It was May 18, 2008. Scott Robinson had just broken a 20-year old Lehigh school record in the 400-hurdles at the IC4A Outdoor Championship in Princeton, New Jersey. His time of 51.68 seconds earned him a second place finish, as well as All-East honors. At that moment, life was good for Robinson. He had put together one of the best races of his Lehigh career and with it came the opportunity to compete at the NCAA East Regional Championship versus some of the nation’s top track and field athletes. Yes, life was good for Robinson, but it wasn’t always that way for the kid from California.
Robinson arrived on the Lehigh campus in the fall of 2005 and right away, Lehigh head track and field coach Matt Utesch knew he was dealing with an extraordinary athlete. “When I went out to California to recruit Scott I had very high expectations. He was a blue-chip recruit, no question about it. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with an athlete as naturally gifted as Scott.”
Growing up, Robinson often came East to visit his aunt and uncle, who live in Allentown. It was then that he was first exposed to Lehigh University and everything it had to offer. “It was so different than back home,” explains the native of Santa Clara. “(Lehigh) had that classic college look and feel to it. We would come to check out the (Philadelphia) Eagles training camp and I saw the athletic facilities, so when it came time to choose a college, Lehigh was a natural fit for me.”
Robinson’s talents earned him Rookie of the Meet honors as a freshman at the 2006 Patriot League Outdoor Championship. “I felt accomplished (after that meet),” Robinson explains. “I wasn’t really sure of what to expect during my freshman year but I knew I had to prove myself to our coaches and to everyone in the Patriot League and let them know that I was here to stay.” After being dubbed Rookie of the Meet, it appeared as though Robinson was here to stay. Except he wasn’t. Robinson quickly grew homesick and had trouble fully adjusting to life at Lehigh.
“It was tough going to class, it was tough going to practice,” Robinson says. “I became very depressed and homesick.” At the same time Scott was struggling with the notion of staying at Lehigh or returning home, his parents were in the midst of separating from one another. It was too much for Robinson to handle at once, and so he packed his things and headed home with the intention of taking one semester off and returning to Lehigh for the start of the 2007-08 academic year.
While at home, Robinson never let his passion for track and field get away. He got involved in coaching children and it was an experience that very well may have changed his life. “I think all student-athletes should become involved in coaching at some point during their career,” Robinson explained. “It got me on the other side of athletics and provided me with an entirely different perspective. I understand how to explain things much better now and really gained an appreciation for the teacher/student relationship.”
Utesch made sure he remained in constant contact with Robinson during his time away. “I had weekly conversations with Scott during that time. I was hoping he would return to Lehigh, but I wasn’t sure if he was going to.” He continued, “I’m very close with Scott’s mother, Katherine, and I spoke to her regularly as well. If nothing else, I wanted to be there for the both of them because it was a very difficult time in their lives.”
When Robinson returned to Lehigh in 2007, Utesch and the entire track and field program welcomed him with open arms. “Just having Scott back out on the track was fine for me,” Utesch explains. “His performance was a bonus.”
Susan Lantz, Lehigh’s Associate Dean of Students, works with students to become more comfortable at an academically challenging University such as Lehigh and to educate them of the opportunities and support systems afforded to them once on campus. She was alerted that Robinson needed support, and quickly laid out a game plan for him to get back on track.
“I sat down with Scott before and after he left campus and we figured out what he needed to do in order to be successful. We have a leave of absence policy in which our students can take a one semester break and so Scott took advantage of that opportunity. We organized his daily schedule and helped him learn to maximize his time.” She added, “These were all things Scott already knew; we just had to pull it out of him.”
Now in his senior year, Robinson’s life has come full circle. A Theater major, he has studied the technical side of things while at Lehigh, following in his father’s footsteps. “My dad is a rigger and so I was always around production sets when I was growing up, learning the ins and outs of set up and break-down.” He adds, “I really enjoy what I’m doing. It’s a nice break from athletics. One of my projects last semester was to design part of a set with telephone poles hanging from the ceiling. And so I had to think of a way to safely support the poles, while not taking away from the overall design of the set.”
Robinson, who lives with his mother, visited his father this past summer in San Francisco and said their relationship is as strong as ever. Robinson’s younger sister lives with their father, along with his half-brother and sister. “I want to be a part of my sibling’s lives and watch them grow up,” he says. “The communication with my dad had broken down but it’s a good situation now. It makes it easier to be here when I know things back home are going well.”
When asked the most important thing he’s learned while at Lehigh, Robinson replies without hesitation. “No matter what your situation is, no matter your circumstances, if things are going really well, or things are going really bad, you are never alone at this place. I never realized how many resources I had available to me. From my teammates to the coaching staff to Dean Lantz, I never have to go at it alone.” He continued, “Coach Matt and (Lehigh women’s cross country coach) Deb (Utesch) are like a second set of parents to me. I never would have gotten through any of this without them.”
“When I hear Scott say that, it makes me think the Lehigh Track and Field program runs deeper than even I know,” Utesch explains. “It was important that Scott take advantage of all of the wonderful opportunities Lehigh has to offer. This place lifted his life up when he was down.”
He continued, “Scott is nowhere near his potential, both on and off the track. He is nowhere near the leader that he wants to be, but he’s getting there. He’s one of the best athletes we’ve ever had and I’m excited about what the future holds for him, both at Lehigh University and beyond.”
“Scott’s doing great now,” Lantz explains. “He knows his resources on campus and he’s come to realize that reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness. It takes a strong person to recognize they need help, and that’s Scott. He’s a very strong person.”
