 |
|||
|
HOLLAND
COLLEGE • January 14, 2003
|
|||
|
|
INSIDE |
SPORTS
|
|
|
|
|||
| Funding
shortfall for varsity teams leaves little room for expansion by Adam Jacobs A quarter-million dollars is a lot, but it’s not enough, says the University of Prince Edward Island director of athletics and recreation. Barb Mullaly, commenting on the university’s athletic funding, says $250,000 funds seven varsity teams. Requests for more teams come in on a regular basis and Mullaly hears out all the proposals before turning most of them away. The money covers varsity sports only, not intramurals or school clubs. It includes travel costs as well as coaches salaries and the use of facilities. “At the present time the university is covering about 67 per cent of the operating costs,” said Mullaly. The fundraising committee Team UPEI helps cover the remaining costs through season ticket sales and 50/50 draws. New clubs do form as evidenced by the UPEI women’s hockey team. The women’s hockey team plays in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Conference against other universities, at their own cost. They foot the bill when it comes to equipment, coaches and sometimes even facility costs. That is not to say UPEI looks the other way. “We give them a little help,” Mullaly said. UPEI helps when with transportation. The women’s hockey team, for instance, is responsible for its own schedule and travels with another UPEI team. “The women’s volleyball schedule is married with the women’s hockey schedule,” said Mullaly. Teams also have to fight for facility time. University gyms are in constant use and in heavy demand, by both students and teams. New teams that aren’t funded have to practise at odd hours if they wish to have facility time. Acadia University athletic director Dan McNally agreed with Mulally regarding facility time and adds that it is not the only problem with facilities. “We don’t have a track facility,” he said. This makes it very hard to have a track team. McNally said the first thing he considers when contemplating a new team is the AUS or CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) Conferences. If they don’t offer a league for the proposed sport, he discourages it. Funding is the second issue. Acadia’s budget is shrinking and for a new sport to be considered it must have a strong following and show they can be self-sufficient in the beginning, McNally said. “We want to grow, but we want sustainable growth.” The last team to be added to UPEI funding was the women’s soccer team 15 years ago. It started as a club just like the hockey team. Through its success and popularity it eventually joined the roster of funded teams. A university presidential committee from UPEI decides if and when a team is added to the fund, and how much the fund should be. There is a committee currently reviewing the funded and non-funded teams. If a new team is denied funding it does not necessarily mean the end of it. “It is o.k. to accept a sport.” But what happens to that sport largely rests on the students’ shoulders, Mullaly said. Dan McNally declined to comment on specific costs of Acadia’s budget. |
|||