Athletics for Athletes?

STUDENTS:PLEASE
READ THE CURRENT
PROPOSAL FOR THE
ATHLETIC FEE

To whom it may concern;
Today, the
Undergraduate Students
of UNBC agreed that our
input is required for estab-

lishing a productive
Athletic Program for
Athletes.

The Athletic Fee sched-
ule has been drafted, but it
has not been passed by
NUGSS. It will not be
passed until we go before
a Committee, February 18,
1999.

Athletics should be driven
by Athletes.

Under the current direc-
tive, the program is divided
into two classes: Varsity
and Junior Varsity. These
classes should be joined
into one: Athletics. Then,
all competitive clubs have

equal access to represen-
tation by UNBC, namely its
Athletic Directors and
Administration, funding will
be accessible to all those
who qualify.

At this time, scholarship
money is only available to
Varsity athletes. This
would change according to
our proposal to join the two
classes. All Athletes
should be given access to
scholarship and bursary
money. Competitive
Collegiate Athletic Clubs
should have equal access
to development and
recruitment by way of
Athletic scholarships and
funding.

Administration of the
Athletic Program is pro-
posed to be overseen by a
committee made up of:

Athletic and Recreation
Coordinator, Athletic
Assistant, Graduate
Society Representative,
NUGSS Representative,

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he.

Table 1

Varsity
50%
80%
80%

1998/99

1999/00
2000/01

and a Student-at-Large.

Athletes and students
should represent them-
selves within a program
with guidance from
Administration and Athletic
Directors, not solely by the
Administration. The pro-
posal does not include rep-
resentation by any student
athletes. Athletes and stu-
dents should form a major
portion of the Athletic com-
mittee to ensure the best
interest for Athletics; it is
for Athletes.

Under the current struc-
ture and the division
between Varsity and Junior
Varsity the fee will be dis-
tributed as follows (See
table 1)

Through changes in the
division of Athletics there

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Junior Varsity
50%
20%
20%

will be no differentiation.
Funding should be distrib-
uted through proven need,
a teams approach to
fundraising, and current
team status within an inter-
collegiate league.

Currently, there is no
mention of recreational

sports. Recreational
sports should be repre-
sented by Athletics.

Recreational sport should
include non-competitive
sports and clubs that are
still in developmental
stages. Funding and
direction should be allotted
for development of the
given sport and team inter-
ests.

The Administration must
reconsider its current pro-
posal. All athletes deserve

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appropriate finances, visi-
bility of their sport, and
internal administrative sup-
port.

Copies of the Athletic Fee
Draft should be available
from NUGSS and the
Athletic Program Director.

If you have any questions
or comments, please feel
free to call 960-6388, or

send me an e-mail:
pentb @ unbc.ca.

Cal-

Sincerely,

Bill Carpenter
President

UNBC Rugby Football
Club

OPINION OF A SOCCER

PLAYER

From the Soccer Club's
perspective access to
Fitness Center facilities and
fair allotment of the Athletic
Fee are of prime concern.
There is also talk that
because of this meeting the
Basketball Teams may lose
out on their capacity to
compete by not receiving a
fair portion of this Athletic
Fee. Those clubs involved
in the meeting are not out to
‘hang’ the basketball teams,
but only wish to be treated
fairly in our development
and access to those funds.
True, a varsity team does
require a significant amount
of funds to operate and
succeed, as well, expecta-
tions are not high for a pro-
gram that is still attempting
to solidify its competitive-
ness. However, we, along
with the Rugby and Hockey
Clubs, feel that the allot-
ment of the Athletic Fee will
be disproportional and not
allow for the clubs seeking
junior varsity status to fur-
ther development.
Currently, Hockey members
pay around $500 a season
to compete in the PG
Recreational League, while
members of the Soccer
Team pay around $200-
$250 to play.

What | am asking is sim-
ple... Uniforms (Hockey,
Rugby, and Soccer) and
any necessary ‘team’
equipment (balls, pucks,
post-padings, etc.) should
be purchased by the
Athletic Program. This
would ensure that there is a
degree of continuity from
one season to the next. It
would also mean that the
process of purchasing uni-
forms and equipment need
not be worried about come
next season.

Fitness facilities should be
made available to those
teams that are deemed
‘competitive’ sports. It is
great that we have a
Fencing Club or Ballroom

Dancing Club, but consider-
ing that those are minimal
in membership and will not
likely lead to any varsity sta-
tus, why should they get
advantage over those clubs
which need gym times?
The Athletic Department
must begin to prioritize its
agenda providing those
clubs with the potential to
compete at the varsity level
with feasible access to the
gym. More importantly,
there must be greater com-
munication between those
clubs with the ability to
become varsity or junior
varsity and the Athletic
Department. | blame all of
us for this lack of communi-
cation.

University is a_ place”
where people come to be
educated, a place of self-
discovery and a place of
interaction, whether it be in
the political arena (as wit-
nessed at the NUGSS
AGM), or on the playing
field. Sportsmanship, team-
work, and physical exertion
are fundamental to the
development of the univer-
sity in many ways; it evokes
pride in oneself, and it
showcases the accomplish-
ments of ‘our’ university.

| know the issue is cloud-
ed and many people are
unaware of accomplish-
ments made by the sports
community at UNBC, but
one day | dream of opening
the paper to the sports sec-
tion and. seeing UNBC's
name ontop. This will hap-
pen one. day, there is no
doubt in my mind. | have no
clear idea as to how the
Athletic Fee should be allot-
ted or in what manner
development should be
pursued, only that it should
be fair and help promote
athleticism at UNBC.

Darren Hynes
Manager of the UNBC
Soccer Team