What’s the Haps with Club Sports?
Genevieve Feeney
Contributing Writer
Ever since the loss of UMF Club Sports Director Leah Brackett at the end of the Spring 2022 semester, the club sports elect boards have been left in the dark to run an entire sports team by themselves. Clubs’ elect boards are struggling to maintain their members and recruit new ones. There are currently seven club sports at UMF; however, only four of the seven clubs have more than five members.
UMF club sports currently has a stand-in director, Ben White, who is filling in until Leah’s position can be replaced. Many presidents of the clubs have spoken out regarding the importance of finding a new full-time director. Hadley Whitlock, a Junior at UMF and the president of the UMF dance team, voiced the importance of finding a passionate advocate for club sports.
“We need someone who is a dedicated advocate, and we need Leah’s position filled. Ben White is doing his best right now, but we need someone to focus on club sports and give us the resources we need,” she said.
Whitlock felt passionate about increasing the communication between the various club e-boards and the UMF staff. Whitlock expressed an imbalance of equality between the different club sports.
“There is a lot of favoritism within the clubs. Some clubs are favored a lot more above others, like Rugby. They had [past students], who worked closely with Leah and were the club sports intern(s),” Whitlock said.
Senior at UMF and the president of UMF Women’s Rugby, Allison Davis, had a similar answer:
“I would say that Rugby is favored a little bit. I think it is the relationships that we have. We have had really strong relationships with staff,” she said.
Whitlock expanded on the inequality between the club sports, communicating that “[there is not equal representation] at all. Some [clubs] are newer, and some don't have as many people that want to join, and it's harder to access that support and transportation. Rugby gets better facilities than everyone. Our dance studio in Dakin is run-down and gross. We don't get the facilities we need to practice. Our budget this year said Leah was going to help us access an actual safe space to dance with mirrors, but we have not been helped to find that space since Leah Brackett left the university.”
Photo submitted by Genevieve Feeney.
When White was asked about practice spaces and staff support, he answered, “I am hoping to provide more visibility. Apart from that, I would say this club sports program is better resourced than many. We have more field spaces dedicated to clubs and funding than other schools.”
White’s comment about field spaces is relevant to the club sports that use fields. However, many clubs do not use outdoor spaces, and those clubs are not supported in finding facilities. When tasked with finding practice spaces for the UMF Dance Team, the Vice President shared that she was given North Dining Hall, the Dance Teams’ usual practice space. A couple of weeks after the confirmation was given by Ernestine Hutchinson, the VP was told that “there are bigger and more important events that need the North Dining Halls” every night of the week, except on Tuesdays. Ernestine Hutchinson gave the Dance Team the basement of Roberts 001 to accommodate 12+ dancers practicing and learning new choreography.
Ben White, stand-in club sports director, feels optimistic about the club sports presidents' concerns. White was asked what he would do to support the club sports during his time as a stand-in director.
“I am hoping to create a solid foundation for both growths of the program, with both participation in existing clubs and maybe adding more club sports. And streamlining the processes in which club sports are engaged,” he said.
White clarified that this growth is not entirely up to the staff despite the president’s concerns. The eboards expressed needing equal and unbiased university staff support.
“The person who oversees the program in club sports is not supposed to do everything for the clubs like in varsity sports. I would like to put my time and effort into club sports, but I am very busy,” White said.
A sophomore at UMF and president of the Swim Team also felt that there needs to be support from staff.
“[We need] a lot of support from the university and the staff, we're all just college students and need to be helped. We can't run it by ourselves,” Mikeska said.
However, White assured that “we are trying to hire someone to fill most of the role that Leah held. It may not fill all her roles, but it will fill overseeing Club sports and intramural sports.”
