Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Club Sport Funding Considered

Club Sport Funding Considered

By Dave Heaton Hoya Staff Writer

Members of the Georgetown community met with Dean of Students James A. Donahue last week to investigate the possibility of university recognition of club sports.

The group, led by Director of Student Programs Mary Kay Schneider, included members of the Office of Student Programs, the athletic department and GUSA.

This move comes in response to a report compiled by the GUSA sports club recognition committee in November. That document – named the State of Sports Clubs at Georgetown – was presented to Donahue later that month outlining a proposed method of recognizing club sports.

The report was written by Sophomore Class Representative Brian Walsh (COL ’02), Senior Class Representative Dominique Burzacchi (MSB ’00) and President Ron Palmese (MSB ’00) and compares the state of club sports at Georgetown to those at the Duke University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Notre Dame. Each of those schools recognizes club sports to some degree.

If club sports are ultimately recognized, the teams would be able to take advantage of their affiliation with the university, Walsh said. Currently, club teams are not allowed to use the university seal, the logo, the bulldog mascot, the term “Hoyas” or even the phrase “Georgetown University.” With recognition, teams would be allowed to use all of those and could identify themselves as the official club sport from Georgetown University, he added.

According to Burzacchi, Donahue was pleased with the overall plan, though he was concerned about the lack of resources and space on campus.

At their first meeting, members of an exploratory committee discussed issues surrounding the possible recognition of club sports. One of those issues, Title IX funding, is still being investigated. According to Senior Sports Communication Director Bill Shapland, recognition of club sports could affect the standing of NCAA sports. However, the GUSA report says that club sports at other schools fall under a separate jurisdiction than the athletic department, and therefore do not affect scholarship sports.

The lack of athletic facilities was also discussed at the meeting. Walsh, the leader of the GUSA initiative, said that club sports would likely not be able to use most athletic facilities because they are already overbooked with varsity and intramural sports.

Rick Hall, director of intramural sports and the assistant director for Yates Field House, would not comment on the issue of space on campus.

Liability concerns have also been identified by the university as major obstacles to recognition. According to the GUSA report, other schools, such as the George Washington University, require club sports team members to sign a medical waiver in order to participate. However, Schneider indicated that the issue may not be that simple. Bill Wood, university director of asset and risk management, is working with the committee to explore potential insurance risks.

In attendance at the meeting were Schneider, Walsh, Hall, Wood, Staff Counsel Lisa Krim and Men’s Club Volleyball President Eddie Ferrer (MSB ’02).

Ideally, Walsh said that the goal is to form a sports club advisory board that would operate in the same manner as do the other existing budgeting boards, such as the Student Activities Commission and the Performing Arts Advisory Council. According to the report, the board would be comprised of student and faculty members, similar to the composition of the Volunteer and Public Service Advisory Board.

The current proposal calls for funds for club sports teams to come from the Georgetown Funding Commission, the GUSA-sponsored initiative that will allow corporations to make tax-exempt donations to student groups recognized by the university. According to GFC Co-Founder Benny Adler (MSB ’00), the group is currently looking into several prospects and is looking to close its first deal within the coming weeks.

However, Walsh said the creation of SCAB may be out of reach in the immediate future. A possible solution, he said, could be for SAC to allow sports clubs to officially register with the Office of Student Programs as student organizations under SAC. Presently, sports clubs are not allowed to register with SAC because of the complex insurance issues.

Thad Inge (COL ’02), a current SAC commissioner, said that though he is personally in favor of recognizing club sports, “the school doesn’t want to be liable for anybody that might be injured.” SAC Chair Sacasha Brown (MSB ’00) added that SAC might not be the best board to recognize club sports since they are primarily athletic organizations.

Either way, Jim Goodfellow (COL ’00), the head of the rugby team, said that it is difficult for club teams to operate without university recognition. League rules for most club sports stipulate that teams have the recognition of their schools to compete. However, officials have traditionally turned a blind eye for club teams from Georgetown since the university does not recognize any club sports.

In a budget submitted to Donahue in September following the GUSA town hall meeting to discuss the allocation of money to student groups, the rugby team outlined expenses that included $7,500 for the entire academic year. According to Goodfellow, the overwhelming majority of that is used to cover the cost of transportation. If club sports were to be recognized, they would have access to VPS vans for transportation and could thereby reduce their operating expenses, according to Walsh.

The club sports exploratory committee is planning to reconvene in the coming weeks, and is due to give an updated proposal to Donahue by March 1.

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