Club sports is one of the largest student organizations we have on campus, and it also one of the most ignored. American University currently has 25 different club sports teams composed of over 500 collective members— more than double the amount of varsity student athletes. We are the second largest school in the Patriot League with one of the lowest club athletics budgets. Because of this, teams place enormous financial struggles directly into the hands of its members, and teams with student athletes who cannot afford to almost singlehandedly fund their sports out of pocket face the likelihood of being cut altogether.
The university budget allots $55,000 (0.4%) of its athletics budget to club sports which is then divided up between the 25 different teams on campus. Although these teams contain 71% of all student athletes at American University, this figure is a staggeringly small percentage of the $13.5 million dollars given to the Athletics/Recreation Sports & Fitness program each year. Teams therefore rely on the community help to keep their sports alive.
Fundraising has always been the primary component of club sports finances as teams are required to raise 75% of the money they need and are required to host at least five fundraisers a semester. The club crew team, for example, had expenses exceeding $23,000 this semester alone, but received only $6,500. For crew and other club teams, five fundraisers per semester is not enough to raise the money they need to keep practicing. This raises club dues (the money athletes pay to be members of the team) to sometimes hundreds of dollars just to make up for the money not being provided by the school. Crew, for example, charges $300 each semester, and gymnastics, who’s dues are relatively low at $80, are being forced to bump theirs up to $150 next semester.
While the athletics budget has increased over the past few years, the money awarded to club sports has stayed consistently at $55,000. As the economy changes and inflation continues, this money has begun to buy less and less for the these teams that are raking in more expenses every day. For instance, ice hockey has to pay $300 an hour for ice time, and often they are forced to begin as late as midnight to get their practice hours in.
Facilities on American’s campus are also being taken away from these teams. The weight room and wrestling room have been shut down, causing clubs like taekwondo and gymnastics to have to move their practices out of their former facilities without being given a replacement. The Letts Hall gym is being repurposed, forcing the crew team to relocate 10 rowing machines without an alternative place on campus to put them and without sufficient funds to pay for a storage unit. Although almost every sport competes at the varsity level, clubs are still not permitted to use varsity sports fields, driving the clubs off campus to rent facilities in surrounding neighborhoods.
As well as being underfunded, these teams are under supported in ways that threaten the safety of our students. Teams do not have access to the school trainers, who, through liability issues, are only allowed to treat varsity athletes. Because there is not enough money in the budget to hire a trainer exclusively for club sports, they are instead equipped with individual team safety officers who are responsible for the health and safety of each of the teams’ members— despite only being trained in CPR. The rugby team has been denied a concussion treatment program because, according to club sports guidelines, the school would have to equip every team with a concussion treatment program, which is not something the school has the means to support. Support is so lacking at times that an athlete once sprained his ankle and, not having access to the trainer’s office, had to get himself on a shuttle to Tenleytown so he could go to CVS to buy an icepack.
Many teams are in jeopardy of being cut altogether due to low funding, and no one wants to see that happen. If the university is not going to provide the support these teams need to compete, then it is up to the student body to provide whatever help we can. But how can we get involved?
1. Go to fundraisers
There is almost always a club sports fund raiser going on around campus. Whether it involves mentioning a team name at the register at Cava for the men’s rugby club or buying Domino’s pizza in the Anderson lobby from the gymnastics team, any little bit helps.
2. Attend Games
Be supportive! Follow teams on Facebook to find out their game schedules and go cheer them on! These athletes work so hard— some even getting up at 4:30 in the morning every weekday to practice in Anacostia for a few hours. Let’s show them that their hard work is appreciated on our campus.
3. Be aware of the issues
Talk to some of our student athletes; see what’s going on with their teams. It’s surprising how little we know about this major chunk of our student population.
4. Donate
The Support Club Sports page on the American University website contains a page where we can donate directly to the program. I challenge each reader to donate $2— the cost of a cup of coffee. By giving up one coffee break this week, just one, we can join together to make a major difference in our athletics programs on campus.