Spring Break
Budget cuts hurt club sports
Women's rugby searching for new ways to fund team
Russell Blair
Issue date: 11/19/08 Section: Sports
"Our biggest concern right now is the NashBash tournament in the spring in Nashville (Tenn.)," Holland said. "We've gone every year, and if we don't get a chance to go it's going to be really disappointing. That's what we're trying to raise money for."
For now, the team has turned unconventional methods to attend two fall tournaments in Boston and New York.
"Later this month we're going to the New York Sevens tournament over Thanksgiving Break," Holland said. "We got enough money to register but not enough to cover a hotel. Luckily, I live in New York so some of the girls are staying at my house, but it shouldn't have to be like that."
When searching for new jerseys, the team once again turned to means other than the university. They were able to secure a donation from the National Guard who donated the team jerseys, albeit with the National Guard logo on them.
"We still need to get the money to embroider them," Clark said. "Currently we don't have a full matching set of uniforms."
For now, the team continues to work on fundraising efforts, including reaching out to both students and alumni. In a fundraiser held last week at the Friendly's in Storrs, the team raised over $400 selling t-shirts but still needs to make an additional $900 if they hope to attend NashBash.
"I think we may have relied a bit too much on university funding in the past," Clark said. "It was a harsh reminder that maybe all along we should have been doing our own fundraising."
"It's not really fair," said Katherine Tudan. "We practice four days a week, we have games every weekend and we play in the fall and the spring. And yet, the university, and even sometimes the Club Sports Council, doesn't treat us like a real sport. That's all we want."
"The women's basketball team has embroidered sports bras and we can't even get a safe place to practice and play," said Holland. "It's ridiculous."
For now, the team has turned unconventional methods to attend two fall tournaments in Boston and New York.
"Later this month we're going to the New York Sevens tournament over Thanksgiving Break," Holland said. "We got enough money to register but not enough to cover a hotel. Luckily, I live in New York so some of the girls are staying at my house, but it shouldn't have to be like that."
When searching for new jerseys, the team once again turned to means other than the university. They were able to secure a donation from the National Guard who donated the team jerseys, albeit with the National Guard logo on them.
"We still need to get the money to embroider them," Clark said. "Currently we don't have a full matching set of uniforms."
For now, the team continues to work on fundraising efforts, including reaching out to both students and alumni. In a fundraiser held last week at the Friendly's in Storrs, the team raised over $400 selling t-shirts but still needs to make an additional $900 if they hope to attend NashBash.
"I think we may have relied a bit too much on university funding in the past," Clark said. "It was a harsh reminder that maybe all along we should have been doing our own fundraising."
"It's not really fair," said Katherine Tudan. "We practice four days a week, we have games every weekend and we play in the fall and the spring. And yet, the university, and even sometimes the Club Sports Council, doesn't treat us like a real sport. That's all we want."
"The women's basketball team has embroidered sports bras and we can't even get a safe place to practice and play," said Holland. "It's ridiculous."
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KR
posted 11/19/08 @ 11:51 PM EST
I too have been heavily affected by the cut in club sports budget. However, I do not appreciate an article in the paper bitching about how you should be able to stay in hotels and not have to stay at team members homes, jerseys etc. (Continued…)
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