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Club teams raise bar at varsity level, encounter problems |
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Thursday, 18 October 2007 |
by ASHLEY DAVIS
Sports Reporter
The arena is packed with fans clad in black and gold, but they aren’t there to watch basketball or volleyball.
They are there to support the Appalachian State University club ice hockey team.
This scene is a dream to the ice hockey team and right now, will remain only a reverie until the team can transform from a club to a varsity sport at Appalachian.
“It’s our goal to make this club as competitive as possible, with the
ultimate class goal being a varsity program,” Ice Hockey Team President
Eric R. Chast said.
Unfortunately, Appalachian Athletic Department’s Senior Associate
Athletic Director Debbie Richardson said this picture is going to
remain a dream for quite some time.
“We would potentially have to add probably two or three women’s teams
first before we could even consider a men’s team,” Richardson said.
“And then it would depend on the number of guys that would be on the
NCAA team.”
Varsity athletics is constricted by the Title IX Athletics Compliance, which addresses gender equity in NCAA sports.
The NCAA Gender Equity handbook states that the purpose of the
regulations is to prohibit sex-based discrimination in education,
including athletics.
“Title IX measures gender equity in athletics in three distinct areas:
participation, scholarships, and other benefits, including the
provision of equipment and supplies, scheduling, travel, tutoring,
coaching, locker-rooms, facilities, medical and training facilities and
services, publicity, recruiting, and support services,” the manual
says.
 Appalachian’s club ice hockey team scores one of 13 goals against Radford University last spring in Greensboro. Photo by Derek DeSha
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“We are trying to take care of the sports that we have at this point in
time,” Richardson said. “We have 20 sports and only four sports are
fully funded, scholarship-wise, at this point, and we would like to get
the rest of our sports to the point where their scholarships are much
better. We’re also trying to improve everyone’s facilities.”
“I know the athletic department has facility improvements as their
priority right now,” Club Sports and Leadership Coordinator Dave
Hutchinson said. “If a club team is interested in becoming varsity,
there has to be interest from the athletic department.”
The first step for a club team would be to inform Hutchinson of its
desires and then approach Athletic Department Director Charlie Cobb.
“More kids are growing up playing in junior and minor league hockey
from our state and because of the lack of a varsity program, they are
forced to leave, causing us to lose out on the top competition of one
of the South’s fastest growing sports,” Chast said.
The ice hockey team is not the only club sport with varsity ambitions.
Women’s rugby and the men’s cycling team are among other club sports
that have shown varsity interest, although they have not addressed the
athletic department, yet.
Not all club teams are as eager to gain NCAA recognition, however; the
ASU swim team is content with its club status, President Kimberly F.
Lomonaco said.
“If the university decided to initiate a varsity swimming program, we
would definitely support it,” Lomonaco said. “I just don’t know if our
members would be the people comprising that team, nor would we be the
people working for it to happen. Only a few of our members are close to
the competitive level that varsity swimming requires.”
After transitioning to a varsity sport, many aspects of the team
change, including the emphasis on a healthy lifestyle and the amount of
time devoted to the activity.
“I think the vast majority of our members are happy with being a club
team,” Lomonaco said. “A varsity team would require much more time and
commitment and ultimately, would turn the sport into more of a job than
the fun, social setting we currently have.”
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