Although American University's varsity sports get most of the funding and attention from the administration, the school's club sports are still going strong. Gymnastics, one such club team, is currently revamping their approach to their team's status.
The differences between varsity and club teams are fairly basic. Varsity teams are given extensive funding, which provides for uniforms, coaches, facilities, promotions and travel. Club teams, however, receive only small amounts of money, but must not answer to the administration on nearly as many subjects.
American University devotes a total of $11,000 to club sports, $750 of which goes to gymnastics. Since this is the first year the gymnastics team has received university funding, the team has come to rely a great deal on fundraising.
The girls on this entirely student-run team have become quite creative in their fundraising ventures. Last year, they managed to sell concessions at basketball games, sell team T-shirts, and speed-date on Valentine's Day. One of the most successful ventures, however, is "Tuck-a-Buck" on the quad. This creative endeavor consists of the girls doing flips for money. After fundraisers, the team relies on dues and the prospect of sponsorships to cover its expenses.
These expenses are extremely high compared to those of other sports. The costs of equipment alone are much more than the team can handle. Therefore, the team travels to facilities as far away as 45 minutes just to hold regular practices. Along with this inconvenience, the only coaches that can be afforded are the ones employed by the various practice facilities.
Team member Becca Wisely points out, "Having an on-campus facility would be far more convenient than our current situation." Her teammate Brittany Hopwood adds that "it would cost the team less over time" when considering the cost of travel.
Since the costs are so high, one wonders if the team will attempt to go varsity, which both Hopwood and Wisely think will "maybe, eventually" happen. Although there are many advantages to being a varsity team, the team isn't ready to make that commitment. On the club level, gymnasts can choose which of the five weekly practices to attend and which to miss.
The flexibility offered by this format also allows gymnasts of all levels to participate. Some team members have been competing for over 10 years, while others have only recently begun the sport. This variance brings a sense of diversity to the team that is difficult to achieve on the varsity level.
The Eagle gymnastics team is a growing group. Its participation in the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs (NAIGC) allows this thriving team to compete all over the country. With competitions planned for California and upstate New York, as well as various local meets, this strong squad is eager to strut its stuff once the competitive season gets started this spring.
Tuck-a-Buck will take place this Saturday on the quad from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact the team at AUGymnastics@gmail.com or visit www.eaglegymnastics.org.
