Club programs revitalized

Club sports is a sizeable enterprise, drawing about 1,000 undergraduate participants, but sustaining and managing such a large program hasn’t always been a cinch.

Several major problems have plagued club sports in the recent past, including funding issues and an apparent conflict between club sports participants and Cristine McCarthy, the previous coordinator of club and intramural sports, a Daily Princetonian article explained in 2006.

Both athletes and administrators alike agreed that the funding allocated by the University was simply not enough to support all 34 club sports teams. The funding predicament pervaded every aspect of the program, from poor playing field conditions to a heavy reliance on University Health Services for medical assistance and a lack of adequate equipment and uniforms for club sports athletes.

“People were hesitant to referee for our team because they knew they wouldn’t receive the money for at least a month, sometimes more,” Rebecca Garr ’06, a former treasurer for the women’s club soccer team told the ‘Prince’ in 2006.

But what a difference two years can make.

McCarthy has since left the University, replaced by Mitch Reum, the associate director of campus recreation for sports clubs. Since Reum took the helm of the program, a new era has begun.

When Reum was hired, the club and intramural sports offices were split, giving Reum more time and energy to focus on bettering club sports.

There is also an overall sentiment from club sports participants and administrators that their voices are finally being heard around the University. The ramification is that the club sports program receives both more clout and funding.

Funding allocation is managed by the Priorities Committee (PRICOM), which consists of administrators, students and faculty who recommend to the president and the Board of Trustees the University’s operating budget for the next fiscal year. Of nine total units that make presentations to PRICOM regarding their needs for the upcoming year, one is campus life, which includes athletics and the club sports program.

PRICOM then goes through a deliberation process, after which the committee decides the allocation of funds for the next fiscal year. Director of Campus Life Initiatives Amy Campbell emphasized that the “recommendations are made primarily on how [this] will enhance student life experience.”

This past year, PRICOM decided that the club sports program is an integral part of the student life experience. Athletics made a request for funds to support club sports in a variety of ways, and PRICOM fully funded the request.

In the official PRICOM proposal to provide funding for club sports, the committee recognized that club sports are increasingly a part of student life at Princeton.

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“As the undergraduate population has increased, interest in club sports has grown,” the report said. “The funding currently provided to the sport club program by Campus Recreation does not match the expectations of most participants.”

Several of the modifications outlined in the PRICOM proposal are in direct response to club sports participants’ requests. Outlined in the proposal are plans for a van and bus rental service to minimize the use of student personal vehicles and a plan to employ students certified as EMTs or Wilderness First Responders to provide on-field medical assistance.

The proposal also stipulated an increase in Reum’s position from 10 months to a full-year term, along with other measures, including the establishment of a postseason fund for teams that make playoff runs.

USG president Josh Weinstein ’09 noted that club sports athletes played a role in bringing about the changes PRICOM granted. “We successfully pushed for club sports funding from PRICOM last year after a lot of feedback from club sports teams, especially the men’s rugby squad,” Weinstein said.

Josh Knight ’09, president of men’s rugby, also noted that his team may have helped bring about some of the new initiatives. Last year, men’s rugby held a fundraiser called “Dash to Dublin,” a nine-day event in which members of the team rode a stationary bicycle in front of Frist Campus Center. The participants biked the distance from Princeton to Dublin, Ireland, amassing more than 3,000 miles.

“I don’t think anyone on our team signed a petition or demonstrated in front of Nassau Hall, but I believe men’s rugby played a very big role in the increased funding that club sports is receiving this year,” Knight said. “Our devotion to fundraising and our consistent winning record demonstrate that club sports members are real athletes, too, and that we can do a lot with just a little more support.”

Though the PRICOM proposal has added the needed funding to the program, one major problem remains: the delayed major renovations to Dillon Gym. There have been some improvements in Dillon over the past few years, including the addition of more cardio equipment and renovations to existing spaces, but club sports teams would greatly benefit from a major overhaul of Dillon.

Kate Holman ’10, president of women’s club soccer, noted that major changes to Dillon could benefit her team.

“Renovations to Dillon would likely affect the team indirectly by giving us more options for practice,” Holman said. “Our practices occur at the worst possible time to go to the gym, between 4 and 6 p.m. If Dillon were bigger, we might be able to incorporate the gym into our practice schedule.”

In addition to the concrete initiatives made by PRICOM, the recent internal change in administration leadership has also altered the program in a positive way.

Perhaps most importantly, there is a newfound sense of unification and solidarity between Reum and the sports club executive council, the body that allocates funds to the 34 club sports teams.

David Leach, the associate director of athletics for campus recreation, noted that Reum’s hiring has changed the relationship between the students and the club sports administration.

“It is imperative that the sport club coordinator work collaboratively with students and engage them in a process of self-actualization,” Leach said. “I have noticed a true spirit of cooperation between Mitch and the sport club executive council.”

One big decision made during Reum’s time as coordinator has been the increase in club sports executive council members. The body used to consist of only four members, but Reum increased the number to seven, giving students a better and fairer representation on the council.

Reum notes that it is still an unfortunate reality that the executive council has to make tough decisions regarding the allocation of funding for the 34 teams. The PRICOM initiatives, however, have provided a well-needed boost to a program plagued by so many problems just two years ago.

And perhaps most importantly, fun has been re-entered into the club sports equation. “I have a long standing belief that sports build character, and sports build teamwork,” Reum said.

“I want to have some fun, and I want to make sure the students are having fun.”

“After all,” he said, “If it’s not fun, and it’s not worthwhile, then why do it?”