Friday, May 1, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 9
Members of the women's rowing team practice for a regatta. The team was practicing a power piece and a full pressure for the upcoming meet at Madison. Wis. Photo by Eileen Bakri/KANSAN
ABOVE: KU women's lacrosse team members compete for the ball during practice. Women's lacrosse is one of many sports not offered by the Athletics Department, but students have the opportunity to compete on a club team. Photo by Corrie Waters/KANSAN
BELOW: Chris Leizler, Derby freshman, and Andy Fray, Overland Park freshman, wrestle in the 142 / 150lb weight category organized by the KU recreation club. Competitors have the option to wrestle in the open or the greek meet. Photo by Eileen Bakk/KANSAN
BELOW RIGHT: Nick Moreau, Baldwin freshman, a member of the sailing club at a practice for a competition. The gusty winds made practice difficult as the boats kept tipping over. The practice was held at Clinton Lake State Park. Photo by Eileen Brokri/KANSAN
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"I think being in a University sport has a lot more benefits than a club sport," Hazim said. "At least when you travel, the University takes care of the hotels and transportation. That takes a lot of stress out, so you can just worry about competing."
But athletes on teams not associated with the Athletics Department worry about more than competing.
Plane tickets on maxed-out credit cards, cramped cars on long drives, roadside motels, Ramen noodles and looking for sponsorships from local businesses: Things are a bit different for KU's club sports. Club athletes push their bodies to the limits in search of the same goals as their varsity counterparts, but after the game, one rookie washes the jerseys and another tracks the equipment.
While the Athletics Department supports 18 NCAA Division I teams, other KU athletes can compete intercollegiate on club sports teams.
Club teams compete with teams from other universities but don't receive support from the department.
Club sports run the gamut of competition not offered by the department from women's lacrosse to men's crew.
The University is home to clubs for more than 15 sports, but it isn't always a happy home. Some club presidents said they would like to see their club elevated to varsity level. At the same time, many say they are reluctant to give up thefreedoms club sports offer.
Association with the University gives them the opportunity to compete, but club teams receive little recognition. Without scholarships, club athletes worry about team dues and travel expenses in addition to tuition, books and school fees.
Philip Oberzan, Lawrence sophomore, is a manager for the varsity women's volleyball team and the president of the men's volleyball club team.
"I would love to see us be a varsity sport," Oberzan said. "We're a bunch of dedicated athletes, just like the women's team."
He said the men's team functioned in much the same way as the women's, including playing other Big 12 Conference clubs and at tournaments.
"We've been to tournaments at Air Force, Michigan State, Arizona and Kentucky," he said.
However, club teams do receive some financial support.
"Every year, Student Senate's Sport Club Council sets its budget, where it determines how much money it can give to each sport." Oberzan said. "It's typically not nearly enough for what's needed."
Mike Walden, student body vice president, said Senate budgeted $96,244 for club sports during the 1997-98 school year.
MAKING THE VARSITY
Despite student financing, club athletes said that they rather would be varsity athletes. Instead of receiving money from student fees, they would prefer to have the Athletics Department take them into the fold.
Even the ultimate Frisbee club, which does not have a varsity counterpart, would like varsity recognition, said Steve Chaitin, Winnetka, Ill., senior and team captain.
"The young guys we have now are real serious athletes, and they would like to see some recognition for their hard work." Chaitin said. "Sometimes I feel really underappreciated as a club athlete."
Oberzan said the possibility of seeing men's volleyball players join the women as varsity athletes was enticing.
"Yeah, I would like it," he said. "Men's volleyball is a varsity sport at about 50 other schools, so it's not easy to compete with them."
Title IX is part of federal law which requires athletics departments to field teams of male and female athletes in proportion to men and women enrolled at their school. At the University, recent promotions of women's soccer and women's crew, both former club teams, to the varsity level are part of efforts to insure gender equity.
"You have all those Title IX regulations, where if the athletic department wants to add a sport, they have to do all balancing," he said. "Some other men's sport might even have to be cut."
But Oberzan acknowledged that becoming a varsity sport was much more complex than it might first appear.
Amy Perko, associate athletics director, said that the Athletics Department would not consider adding new sports any time soon.
"We don't look at a sport and say 'We're going to cut it because it's not successful,'." Perko said.
"That's something that Kansas can be proud of. We're trying to give people opportunities, not take them away."
Perko said because the department added women's rowing and women's soccer three seasons ago, the University would not be able to add any new sports in the foreseeable future.
"It takes a long time to bring a sport up to varsity level," she said. "We're still in the phase-in segment in rowing and soccer."
Susan Wachter, Athletics Department chief financial officer, said cost was considered before adding a varsity team.
"It takes a lot of money to finance a varsity sport," Wachter said.
She said much of the money budgeted for a varsity
sport was spent on scholarships for plavers.
The women's soccer budget for the 1997-98 school year was $297,000, and the women's rowing budget for the 1997-98 school year was $347,000. Wachter said.
"And we're not fully funding them yet." Wachter said.
FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME
KU's ultimate Frisbee club has a monetary advantage. Most Ultimate Frisbee competition occurs at tournaments for which teams pay an entrance fee.
The ultimate team has its own tournament, Fools Festival, which was April 4 and 5 this year.
"We pretty much fund ourselves from the tournament," said Chaitin, team captain. "We charge an entry fee, and that's pretty much how ultimate works."
Chaitin estimated that after expenses, the ultimate
sound spend about $8,000 from this year's tournament.
I don't care about $2,000 from this year's tournament.
For more info, raise raising isn't the only problem.
Publicity also is a big concern.
Karl Bhatnagar, four-year rugby player, said he wasn't satisfied with the attention KU gave his team.
"We're always looking for more recognition, mainly because of our image" he said. "The image of the sport in the community is not accurate. They don't see the responsibilities taken on by players at this level."
Promotion is only the beginning of the list of responsibilities club sports handle themselves, Bhatnagar said.
"It is a lot of do-it-yourself stuff," he said. "The rule book that the University gives all club sports says that the leadership has to come from within the team."
But club athletes agreed that operating in the underground had its benefits.
"It's a little more relaxed vs. the women's team that I interact with every day," Oberzan said.
For the women on the volleyball team, the sport is their life, he said.
Club sport athletes also compete in individual sports. The University is home to clubs for judo, wrestling and even sailing.
Despite the hours put in, the money taken out, and the blood, sweat and tears shed, club players agreed that it was worth it.
"I'm proud of us because we do it almost all by ourselves," Oberzan said.
Chaitin said he felt the same way.
"When I walk off the field after my last game, it's going to be really hard," he said. "I love this team."
Oklahoma hires away MU Athletic Director
NORMAN, Okla. — The University of Oklahoma hired the University of Missouri's Joe Castiglione as its new athletic director yesterday.
Castiglione has been athletic director at Missouri since 1994, when he
Castiglione, 40, replaces Steve Owens, who resigned in March.
when he replaced Dan Devine. Before that he served in a program of roles for the Missouri program, including assistant director of athletics and associate director of athletics.
Owens stepped down after 19 months on the job, citing personal reasons for the move.
He created a plan for an $85 million sports park at Missouri, much of which is complete or under construction. He is known as an outstanding fund-raiser. His marketing background is credited with helping increase attendance at most Missouri sports.
"He is respected both for his abilities and his values," OU President David Boren said. "His strength as a long-term strategic planner will be of great benefit to the University of Oklahoma.
"He is extremely well suited to guide a complex, modern-day athletic program, which not only has an important educational mission, but also is a major business and marketing operation."
Castiglione was recommended unanimously by the search committee, which was headed by Regents chairman Melvin Hall. Chuck Neinas, former Big Eight commissioner and director of the College Football Association, advised the committee.
Atlanta's Jones keeps vigor
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — For some reason, Chipper Jones acts as if he has something to prove this season.
There is nothing wrong with a guy trying to
summon up a little extra motivation, but it seems unwarranted. After all, how could Jones be down on himself
after compiling these numbers a year ago:
.295 average, 21 homers, 111 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.
Still, a month before spring training began, the Atlanta Braves third baseman went to work. While others were honed their golf swings, Jones grabbed a bat and traveled to Florida to work with his father, a college baseball coach.
Jones always has been diligent with his winter workout program, but this was different — a superstar working out with the vigor of someone who had a job to earn.
"I went out really on a mission to try to prove myself as one of the best players in the
league," said Jones, apparently believing that 51 homers and 221 RBIs during the last two seasons did not show that. "That's what I want to be known as. I'm not there yet, but hopefully I'll get there."
He already is being mentioned as an early MVP candidate, deflecting some of the inevitable Cy Young talk that occurs when your pitching staff includes Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Denny Neagle.
Judging from the first month of the season, Jones is shortchanging himself. On a team where the focus seems to be on pitching, he finished the month of April ranked among the NL leaders in batting average, hits, homers, RBs and runs.
That is not just talk. Jones is a throwback to the era when players wore grease under their eyes, pulled their socks up high and left a batting glove dangling from their back pocket. After his rookie season, he quickly agreed to a four-year contract and has not made a peeen
"My goal every year is to win a World Series and hopefully my contributions will help get this team back to where we want to be," Jones said. "That's the only goal. Anything individual, that comes later on down the road. It's icing on the cake."
about his salary, even though he clearly is underpaid — by today's standards — at $2.5 million a year.
"Chipper is the kind of hitter I like because he hits when it counts," said Colorado's Dante Bichette, one of the National League's premier hitters. "He drives in the tough runs. From what I see, he's always out there, always in the lineup."
Though he is only 26, Jones has been a leader on the Braves since the day he took his place in the starting lineup in 1995.
He already has been part of more success — three division titles, two National League pennants and one World Series championship — than many players experience in a lifetime.
Jones also has learned to deal with his share of gnawing disappointment, such as losing to the Yankees in the 1966 World Series after winning the first two games and suffering an upset loss to the Florida Marlins in the NL championship series a year ago.
"He's still relatively young for the experience he has," Glavine said. "I'm sure he still has a lot to learn. He can still get better as long as he maintains the attitude that he feels he can get better. I think that's the case with most great players."