The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate on April 16 signed an agreement to allocate Senate money to Tier II club sports teams for the first time.
According to TCU Treasurer Matthew Roy, Tier II sports had not received funding in the past because there were not enough funds available to support both Tier I and Tier II. Two years ago there was only $53,000 reserved for club sports, but this year that number increased to $78,000, and next year there will be $115,000 to be distributed among teams.
We are really excited about how much more we were able to allocate to club sports, Roy, a sophomore, said.
Tier I club sports include cycling, equestrian, skiing, water polo, taekwondo, rugby, fencing, volleyball, table tennis and ultimate frisbee. Tier II sports, including baseball, tennis, ice hockey and soccer, are defined as more recreational groups organized for the primary purpose of athletic extramural activity while using the Tufts name.
Roy said that the original agreement gave priority to Tier I sports because the funds available for club sports were limited and because the Senate did not realize how much funding Tier II sports needed.
The Tier I sports teams have been around longer, but that doesnt mean they should be the only ones receiving funding, he said.
Prior to the new agreement, Tier II sports had access to a buffer fund consisting of 10 percent of the total club sports but had to raise most of their money through fundraising, Roy said. According to Vice President of the Club Tennis Mens Team Kenny Westerman, the old buffer system had major flaws and was difficult to manage.
It was always a hassle going through the buffer, Westerman said. Weve been too late with submitting the forms, and weve even been too early. This will make things a lot easier for us. We were eating a lot of the costs and paying out of our own pocket.
In the past, Westerman said he was frustrated with Senate decisions that left club teams without funding.
It was disappointing to hear about big increases in funding for club sports in the past because of a disconnect between the senators and club sports members, Westerman said. Effectively all of it was going to Tier I teams.
During the fall semester, steps were taken to facilitate communication between the Senate and the club sports teams that ultimately lead to the new agreement, Roy said. The two groups formed a committee with several senators and four club sports athletes, one male and one female from each of the two tiers.
According to Roy, the committee was important in helping Senate understand Tier II sports teams needs.
We talked about how club sports achieve funding and about ways that Senate could make that [process] more efficient and to make sure that clubs could get that actual funding that they needed, Senator Joe Donenfeld, a member of the committee, said.
During the committee meetings, senators learned about the organization needs of club sports, Donenfeld, a junior said. They were educated on the logistics of multiple-season sports, field space, transportation and getting access to funds.
We discovered that funding is only the tip of the iceberg, he said. Helping club sports teams is definitely a priority and something that we want to move forward on.
Roy said that the actions, such as forming the committee, allowed him to consider more equal distribution between Tier I and Tier II teams during the budget system.
Funding for club sports, both Tier I and Tier II, is certainly a problem, as we dont have much, Westerman said. But this [agreement] sounds like it will be an awesome help and will raise participation in our club.
