Club Sports at Dartmouth

PDF Version: http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Ebelinsky/club_sports.pdf

Club Sports at Dartmouth:
a Student Assembly Report

Club Sport Commission of the Student Assembly
Spring 2006
1
Executive Summary
This report documents the Student Assembly Club Sports Commission’s two terms of
research into the club sports program at Dartmouth. We began with the fundamental principle
that every Dartmouth student should have the opportunity to participate in an intercollegiate
athletic experience at a level commensurate with his or her dedication and ability. Because club
sports provide the only option to have this experience to virtually all non-recruited students, we
believe that the College should assure that the program meets its athletes’ needs in a satisfying
and safe manner.
The lack of reasonable access to facilities and sufficient financial and staff support hinders
the efforts of club sport athletes and denies Dartmouth students their right to an athletic
experience at a level commensurate to their dedication and ability. These deficiencies prevent
Dartmouth students from enjoying the complete educational experience promised by Dartmouth
and available at many comparable colleges and universities. The present situation hinders
recruitment of the best students. It creates resentment among Dartmouth students that can
discourage positive relations after graduation.
Additionally, both alumni and students have shown strong support for the program, and the
rising discontent of club sport athletes should be a concern to the College. For these reasons, we
urge the College to act to improve the state of its club sports. Specifically, we examined and
made suggestions on how to improve access to facilities, the financial situation of the program,
and its overall organization.
Lack of access to facilities places a large constraint on the operation of certain club sports,
specifically those that require large amounts of field space. In addition, the Dartmouth College
Athletic Department (DCAD) is unable to recognize 5 groups that are currently applying for
recognition because of the lack of available field space. In the long-term, we recommend that
the College construct more facilities, including a large indoor space and artificial turf fields. In
the short-term, we suggest sharing space, increasing the length of time facilities remain open,
finalizing schedules earlier, increased transparency, allowing access to all facilities, and assuring
that facilities remain in playable condition. These measures will allow the DCAD to recognize
more club teams and offer more students the chance to have a quality intercollegiate athletic
experience.
Club sport teams often have trouble financing their activities. The current budget of the
College pays for approximately 8% of the $428,440 annual budget of club sports, currently
supplemented by discretionary funding from President Wright that roughly doubles this amount.
Certain clubs must make tough decisions on which competitions to attend due to a lack of
sufficient funding, and some individual athletes cannot afford to attend competitions. We
recommend in the long-term that the College endow the club sport program. In the short-term,
we recommend that the College immediately raise the budget, allow more club teams to have
Friends Groups, set up a tier system to distribute funds, make some funds available through a
transparent application and award process, and help teams find fundraising opportunities.
Last, we urge the College to bolster the club sports administration while still allowing
teams the autonomy that makes them student clubs. Currently, one employee oversees the club
sports and intramural programs and provides only the most basic support. We recommend that
the College in the long-term provide an infrastructure that consists of a separate club sports
office with three to four employees. In the short-term, we recommend that the College hire at
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least one full-time employee to work with club sport teams. Additional administrative functions
that are currently lacking include public relations and marketing, website assistance, additional
advocacy within the DCAD, financial assistance and fundraising, coordination with other teams,
training assistance, and overall quality control.

Introduction
This report documents how clubs sports operate at Dartmouth and the problems the
program faces, and then proposes solutions to those problems. The Student Assembly’s
Membership and Internal Affairs Committee selected this Commission’s members using an
application process. Originally, the Commission included club sport athletes, varsity athletes,
and those without vested interests in DCAD. Even though we began with a mixed group, only
club sport athletes showed up consistently, leaving Student Assembly president Noah Riner as
the only non-club sport athlete on this Commission. The Commission met weekly during the
winter and spring terms to study the club sports program and brainstorm solutions. Aside from
the weekly meetings, Commission members put in many hours of investigative work. We
consciously tried to keep all of the interests of the College in mind when drafting this report, and
we hope that this report will serve as an important springboard to changes that will continue the
great work that the College already does for its club sports program and also inspire new changes
that will improve it.
Every Dartmouth president at least as far back as William Jewett Tucker ’61 has
emphasized that athletic participation is an essential part of a complete Dartmouth education.
With that in mind, we embrace the fundamental principle that every Dartmouth student should
have the opportunity to participate in an intercollegiate athletic experience at a level
commensurate with his or her dedication and ability.1 Many reasons strongly support the club
sports program’s importance, including:
• The mission of the Dartmouth College Athletic Department (DCAD), which states:
“The purpose of all Athletic Department activities is to foster and complement the
overall academic and intellectual growth of Dartmouth students and provide
experiences that will enable them to interact in a special way with other students, test
their own personal limits, and gain from the demands and realities of athletic
competition and the success and adversity that go with it.” For almost all students not
recruited to play varsity sports, the club sports program remains as their only venue
to experience and learn from intercollegiate competition as a member of a team.
• The College has continuously shown its support for out-of-classroom activities that
enrich the social life of students and provide a sense of community to students.
However, while the College has poured thousands of dollars into strengthening
social programs in the residence halls and on campus—money that often goes
unused due to lack of student interest—club sport teams that provide similar social
functions still often find themselves without enough funding for their activities.

1
We use the term “intercollegiate” to refer to any team that competes against other colleges. We
will use the term “varsity” to distinguish the institutionalized teams that compete in the NCAA,
Ivy League, and the ECAC.
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• If a student who the varsity teams did not recruit wants to compete athletically for
Dartmouth, he or she has little choice but to play a club sport. This was not always
the case. In the early 70s, all varsity sports had freshman and JV teams, and students
could more easily walk onto teams. The DCAD began to cut freshmen teams in the
70s and it eliminated most JV teams by the late 80s. Next year, the DCAD will cut
the sole remaining JV team. Today, the club sports program stands as the last refuge
for the vast majority of students who would like to compete athletically for
Dartmouth. For this reason, club sports in the past decade have recruited more and
more talented and dedicated athletes who no longer wish to view their sport as a
merely casual “club.” While club sports was once a more recreational program, the
level of dedication of club sport athletes has risen and a large portion of club sports
are competitive at both the intercollegiate and national levels. The number of club
sports athletes and teams has increased dramatically. In 1999, 536 students
participated in club sports. By 2005 participation increased to approximately 950
(compared to 914 varsity athletes). Additionally, at least seven other sports and
approximately 70 more students would like recognition as a club sport but have thus
far not received it.
• Students and alumni strongly support club sports. Both the SA and the Alumni
Council have passed resolutions urging improvement of the program. Almost all of
the SA presidential and vice presidential candidates for 2007 included increased
support for club sports in their platforms. Students consider the opportunities to
participate in intercollegiate athletics an integral part of their college experience.
They see club sports as providing an important out-of-classroom experience and do
not see College spending on club sports in the same negative light similar to some
College spending on other social programs.
• Dartmouth club sports have experienced significant success on the national level and
continue to bring renown and recognition to the College.
• Due to the perceived lack of resources and respect allotted to club sport teams, many
club sport athletes are beginning to feel alienated from the College and from the
DCAD. These students may be less likely to donate money to the College and
instead donate directly to their teams’ Friends Groups. In other words, the perceived
lack of support for the club sports program leads to a decreased sense of community
in which club sport athletes identify less as a Dartmouth student and more a member
of their particular sport.
• Prospective students are likewise less attracted to a college at which competing
intercollegiately as non-varsity athletes poses difficulties.
Our rallying cry fairly situates club sports behind varsity sports in which the athletes often
commit more time to their sports and have more talent than club sport athletes. We recognize
that there is a significant difference between varsity and club sports in requirements for field
space and levels of competition. However, it is the belief of this Commission that the DCAD
should not prioritize varsity athletics to the extent to which club sport athletes no longer can
participate in their sports at a fair level. The difficulty lies in the problem of deciding what
defines a “fair level.” This report attempts to tackle this problem.
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We must first define “club sport.” The College recognizes many different types of student
groups as club sports ranging from the men’s rugby team that travels all over the world to
compete and plans to spend $128,000 this year to the coed badminton club that does not compete
against other schools and spends less than $2,000 a year. Most of the clubs compete in athletic
events, but the club sports program also supports groups like the Emergency Medical Services
Club and the Cheerleading Club that provide services at athletic events. We define a club sport
as any student group that participates in an athletic activity or event and requires the use of
DCAD facilities. Currently, the DCAD classifies club sport teams into three tiers. (See attached
Venn Diagram.)
1. The first tier includes the biggest and most competitive sports. Club sport teams in
this tier do the most traveling and fundraising. These teams are also eligible for a
national tournament that requires successful qualifying competition. The teams that
routinely qualify for national championships must then travel farther and
consequentially usually have budgets exceeding $15,000. The remaining teams in
this tier spend approximately $10,000 a year. In total, 318 students participated in
sports in this tier, making it the largest of the three.
2. Second tier sports mainly practice and typically travel less frequently and closer
distances. These sports spend less than $5,000 yearly. This year, 184 students
participated in sports in this tier.
3. Third tier sports rarely travel outside Hanover. These sports, including the
cheerleaders, poms, and martial arts groups do not compete at an intercollegiate
level. With the exception of the EMS club, these clubs spend less than $3,000 a year.
This year, 288 students participated in sports in this tier.
This report contains three sections. The first section tackles the problems related to
facilities usage, and the second deals with budgetary issues. The last section covers the
organization, staff support, and setup of clubs sports at the College. Each section suggests both
short-term and long-term improvements for the program.

Facilities
According to the DCAD, lack of access to facilities places the biggest constraint on the
operation of the club sports program. Teams which need field space including rugby and ultimate
cannot get enough practice time to meet their competitive needs, and the inconsistent nature of
the current reservation system significantly decreases the efficiency of the times allotted to club
sport teams. Additionally, the DCAD cites lack of field space as the main reason for declining
the recognition of the 5 club teams that would require the use of these fields.
Currently, in order to reserve facilities, club sport teams fill out a facilities request form
seven weeks before the term begins. The DCAD then schedules facilities for both club sports and
the P.E./FLIP classes three to four weeks before each term begins after setting the varsity
schedules. However, teams are often not informed of their allotted times until after the term
begins at which point many athletes have already scheduled other activities. Club sport teams
share field space not only with varsity teams but also with IM sports and local high school and
community leagues. In the past year, the DCAD has also at times prohibited club sport teams
from using Leede Arena and Scully-Fahey Field for fear of harming the surfaces.
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The greatest competition for facilities occurs in the winter term when weather prohibits use
of all of the outdoor fields. In Leverone, the largest and thus most desired indoor facility, activity
is scheduled from 8:00 AM until 11:30 PM. As with all facilities, varsity teams normally reserve
all time during the most desirable practice hours (after class and before 10:00 PM), leaving club
teams to practice from 11:30 PM until 12:30 AM if they wish. When varsity teams practice
outside or cancel their indoor practices, the DCAD opens up their earlier times to club teams.
After 12:00 PM, the club sports director will offer the time slot to either ultimate or rugby team,
depending on which team has gone longer without practicing. For weekend times, varsity teams
must notify the DCAD by 2:00 PM the day before if they choose not to use their allotted time.
No penalty exists for failure to notify the DCAD on time or at all. Only if neither the ultimate nor
the rugby team wants these times are other club teams offered the opportunity to use the space.
Grass field space has also become a pressing issue this year. Club sport teams use the grass
fields at Sachem and Garripay. Both the varsity soccer team and the ultimate team rendered
unplayable certain sections of Chase and Sachem this past fall. As a result, no teams can use
these fields. The varsity soccer team has moved now to other Sachem fields that the DCAD
previously designated for recreation. The ensuing field shortage has caused the DCAD to reduce
of the number of fields available for use by ultimate and rugby this term.
The DCAD no longer approves the formation of new club sport teams that require field
space. Currently, seven teams have applied for recognition but not received approval. We believe
that the College must resolve the facilities issue in a fair way to assure that all students get the
best athletic experience commensurate with their level of dedication and ability during their
tenure here.
Long-Term Facilities Recommendations:
• In the long-term, construct more facilities. Leverone does not provide the amount
of indoor field space needed for all of the College’s sport teams. Additionally, more
artificial surfaces and lighted fields would increase the amount of time that teams
could practice outside. In addition, the Student Life Initiative report concluded that
Dartmouth’s swimming pools are outmoded and inadequate to serve the College’s
varsity, club sport, and recreational needs.
Short-Term Facilities Recommendations:
• Free up concrete time between 3:00-10:00 PM in Leverone during the winter months
to offer to club sports on a weekly basis. The current situation in Leverone leaves
club sport teams at a huge and unfair disadvantage. With the inconsistency of the
current schedule, club sport teams often cannot get their entire team out. Even one
time slot a week allotted as “club sports time” would greatly improve the quality of
the program. The DCAD should also explore the possibility of scheduling varsity
teams practices at a time different than their usual slot on a biweekly or monthly
basis. Such an accommodation could allow for a club sports practice night once a
week that would be a consistent occurrence.
• In addition to a weekly prime time, extend the Leverone hours offered to club sport
teams in advance. For instance, some club teams would prefer to have concrete times
in the early morning than have to take later times that the DCAD offers them the day
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they become available. The facility does not open to the public until 8:00 AM, so
club teams could reasonably practice in the 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM slot.
• Give club sport teams official priority over groups outside of Dartmouth. Dartmouth
has an obligation to provide for her own students before making her facilities
available to outside groups. We do not suggest in any way discontinuing any
contracts with an outside group; we only urge the College to prioritize the basic
needs of her club sport athletes in general before those of outside groups.
• Open up the new turf on Memorial Field to club sport teams. This new artificial
surface will greatly increase the available field space in the winter. The money that
the College will have to pay for FO&M to plow it is a justified and worthwhile
investment in student activities.
• Finalize club sports schedules before the term begins. Many club sport athletes
consider their sport their main extracurricular activity and thus try to plan their other
activities, labs, and jobs around it. This task becomes much more difficult when
schedules remain unknown well after the term has begun.
• Publish the schedules of all the facilities online. This transparency would allow
students to see to the extent to which the DCAD uses its facilities. Also, teams in the
rotation to receive cancelled practiced could better predict when they can practice
and could thus plan ahead.
• Once club sports have a time reserved, treat that time as unchangeable without the
permission of the club sport team that has reserved it. Many times, the DCAD
notifies club sport teams of a change in their schedule hours after the reservation has
been confirmed. We do not consider this practice fair to the club teams. The DCAD
should hold varsity teams, like club teams, responsible for planning their schedules
ahead of times and not give them the privilege to reschedule at the last minute.
• Encourage flexibility in the usage of fields currently denoted as ‘varsity only’.
• Recognize additional teams of athletes. Assuming that the DCAD can create more
time to use its facilities following the above recognition, it can then allow the
approximately 70 athletes on seven different teams the opportunity to play their
intercollegiate sport for the College. Even if the DCAD cannot guarantee facility
space, we still recommend that it recognize additional teams so that they can use the
Dartmouth name and receive basic support from the club sports office. These new
teams would support themselves financially for the first three years of their existence
before becoming eligible for DCAD funding. During this three-year period, the
teams cannot take field space from other club sports or varsity teams, and they must
recruit significant numbers of underclassmen to assure the club’s continuity in future
years. After three years of good standing and full compliance with all DCAD rules,
these teams can begin to receive more privileges such as increased funding and
facilities access.

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Finances
In the past 10 years club sports participation has grown dramatically. While the number of
club sport teams has increased from 14 to 28 and participation has more than doubled, during
that time period the budget has not grown to meet the growing needs of the teams. Currently the
College contributes $35,000 (~8%) annually to the $428,440 budget of the club sports program,
supplemented by a one-time infusion of $30,000 from President Wright for the fiscal year 2006.
Many club sport athletes must pay hundreds of dollars per year out of pocket, which in some
cases has prevented poorer students from participating. Without more funding, the increasing
numbers of students who wish to play at Dartmouth will be unable to do so. The situation has
only worsened in recent years with the increased cost in gasoline and travel-related expenses.
Since the DCAD cannot afford to pay for a significant amount of club teams’ budgets, it
distributes $16,150 in an ad-hoc fashion based on its determination of need and sets aside the rest
for post-season competitons. Thus, the system penalizes teams that raise funds through
fundraising even though the athletes on these teams typically pay as much or more out of pocket
than athletes of other sports. (See attached graphs.)
Nine club sports (ultimate, rugby, wrestling, figure skating, volleyball, boxing, water polo,
fencing, and cheerleading) currently have Friends Groups. These sports have an advantage over
the other sports in terms of fundraising, although some struggle to use their groups effectively.
Like varsity teams, club teams can only solicit donations from their groups once a year. The
DCAD does not allow sports with varsity equivalents to have Friends Groups. Club sport teams
can participate in other fundraisers such as selling food on frat row or organizing benefit events,
and better publicize the ability of the DCAD to assist in this fundraising.
Pending a budget increase, there are various methods of distributing more funding. The
club sport administration would continue to set aside money for post-season play and allocate
funding to teams based on need. However, it could also set up a system in which clubs could
appeal for additional money if they have extraordinary circumstances that require it. A club
sports advisory panel made up of club sports athletes could help to distribute this funding. Other
schools like Missouri State and Yale each have similar systems in which students take part in
allocating the money. Missouri State runs a system in which the amount of funding that a team
can request depends on the team’s tier. The top tier teams can request up to $10,000 from the
school while the bottom tier can request up to $3,000. An advisory board made up of student
representatives and a professional from the Athletic Department makes decisions on how to
allocate the club sport program’s $40,000 budget. Missouri State also allocates an extra $50,000
for office supplies, post-season play, and appeals. In the appeals system, teams with special
needs can appeal to the advisory board for additional funding at the beginning of each semester.
Yale also uses a student advisory board to make the allocation of funding a more transparent
process.
Long-Term Finances Recommendations:
• In the long term, seek to endow the club sports program with a sum large enough to
alleviate many of the financial woes faced by club sport teams. The College should
circulate this report to those who speak with potential donors about endowment
options so that they can better make the case for the club sports program.
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• After the current capital campaign, allow more team to have Friends Groups.
Additionally, lift the ban on Friends Groups to sports with varsity counterparts. Club
teams primarily recruit donations from their family members and alumni of the club
teams. Neither of these groups would likely donate to a club team in lieu of the
varsity counterpart. Instead, these groups would more likely not donate at all if not
given the option of donating to the team to which they have ties.
Short-Term Finances Recommendations:
• Increase the budget of the program to begin to meet teams’ needs. We recommend
starting with at least $100,000 immediately and meet any significant program growth
with a proportional budget increase. We would consider this increase only a
beginning; with the increase in participation and competition level of the club sport
teams, we would expect that the program would need even more money in the future
to keep up with student needs.
• Set up a more transparent system for allocating increased funding and explore the
possibilities of appealing for extra funding and using a student advisory board.
• Explore alternate avenues for funding. For example, the Student Life Office finances
part of the club sports budget at Penn and Yale.
• Assist teams in finding viable fundraising options like selling concessions, cleaning
or setting up facilities during events, etc.

Organization
Currently, the Office of Physical Education and Recreation runs the club sports program.
One person, the Director of Club Sports, not only serves the needs of club sports but also runs
the DCAD’s intramural program. Because of the growing size of the club sports program and her
obligations to the intramural programs, she only manages the most basic club sports’
administrative needs. Generally speaking, she helps teams reserve facilities, distributes funds to
the teams, approves travel plans, ensures that athletes have signed waivers on file, approves and
reimburses purchases, and recognizes new club sports. For only one employee, providing these
services for approximately 950 students on over 25 teams is an immense task. Understaffing the
department limits the ability to keep efficient keep track of all of the practices, travel, and meet
other administrative needs of the numerous club sport teams.
As both the club sports director and the Sports Information office are currently working at
maximum capacity, club sports publicity is essentially non-existent. The DCAD currently does
not publicize club sports achievements such the Dartmouth’s figure skating team’s
unprecedented third consecutive national championship.
The DCAD requires all club teams to have an adult advisor. While a few tier 1 teams have
coaches or alumni serving as advisors, in many cases the Director of Club Sports fills this role.
Although some coaches help provide continuity to the team, often the role tends to be that of a
figurehead. Typically students run their teams with the help of the Director of Club Sports.
Nonetheless, it is important to remember that one reason why undergraduates gain such a
valuable experience from club sports is that they have the opportunity to create and run their own
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sport teams. While we do feel that the College could do more to help them run their teams more
efficiently, we do value the autonomy allowed to club sports and do not recommend that the
College take over the responsibilities involved in running a team. Instead, we foresee a system in
which the College offers more support, training, and supervision. Also, in areas such as
publicity, DCAD employees with more connections with local media outlets could provide
services that students could not easily provide for themselves.
In order to increase organization and streamline the paperwork process the club sports
manual distributed to club presidents has been rewritten for 2006-2007. Currently these manuals
are underutilized and not handed down in consecutive years. This results in a steep learning
curve at the beginning of each year resulting in the Club Sports Director needing to spend a large
portion of time correcting misfiled paperwork and working to resolve problems arising from
budget requests and travel plans submitted after stated deadlines. These new manuals may help
promote increased responsibility among team leaders and a proactive system where answers to
simple questions can be found in the manual.
We believe that the DOC provides a good example of what the club sports administration
should look like. Elected student representatives make important decisions regarding the makeup
and activities of the individual clubs within the DOC. Additionally, a council of these student
representatives decides on how to divide the DOC’s budget among the clubs. Nonetheless, two
employees of the Outdoor Programs Office dedicate their time to overseeing the DOC’s finances
and risk management. These employees handle the budgets, offer advice, and train student club
leaders. This administration does not necessarily intervene in the day-to-day activity of the DOC
clubs but rather provides the behind-the-scene infrastructure and works with the leaders of the
clubs to assure a smooth operation.
Other universities have begun to provide a similar infrastructure in their club sports
programs. Yale, for example, has two full-time employees and a part-time intern dedicated to
club sports. We envision the ideal club sports organization as providing many more services than
the current organization provides, and would thus need more manpower. We recommend the
College do the following:
Long term Organization Recommendations:
• In the next 5-10 years alter status and organization of the club sports office in the
DCAD. The magnitude of the program in terms of increasing student participation,
dedication, success, and needs lead us to believe that the DCAD should set up an
office with the P.E. and Recreation office dedicated solely to the purpose of
overseeing the club sport teams. Ideally, three to four employees would work in the
office.
Short Term Organization Recommendations:
• Hire at least one additional employee to work full-time on club sports.
Additional administrative support in the short-term would take away from money that could go
directly to the budget of the club sports teams. We believe, however, that more administrative
support would also take the first step required to attract greater outside financial support for club
sports. In addition to the functions that the current administrative structure provides, we envision
future structures providing the following additional functions:
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• Public Relations and Marketing. For varsity teams, Sports Information performs this
function. The ideal club sports administration would publicize the club sports
program and its teams, alert local and hometown media outlets and alumni about
club sports’ successes, advertise home games and tournaments to the Dartmouth
community, and help prospective students understand that Dartmouth will support
their athletic endeavors even if they are not varsity recruits.
• Website Assistance. Club sport teams have trouble maintaining their websites. Many
do not know HTML well or do not have training in designed successful websites for
athletic teams. Websites have become an indispensable and highly cost-effective
means for spreading information about teams, but they lose their value when not kept
current.
• Additional Advocacy within the DCAD. We believe that the program deserves a
stronger voice within the DCAD when it makes decisions about budgets, facilities,
and other issues, and should be represented by a larger group of administrators. The
current directors of club sports and physical education should not be the only
individuals involved for representing every club sports team, when each varsity
program will typically have one coach to act as an advocate within the DCAD. A
stronger club sports administration would better connect the teams with the rest of
the DCAD and assure that club sport teams receive fair access to resources and
facilities.
• Financial Assistance and Fundraising. Club sports could manage their budgets more
efficiently. The ideal administration would help teams find the cheapest flights,
uniforms, equipment, and hotels, alert teams to money-saving techniques used by
past teams, and otherwise cut expenses when possible. Additionally, the ideal club
sports administration would work with interested teams to find the best fundraising
opportunities. For teams with Friends Groups, it would work with them to maximize
the efficiency of their communications with their groups (developing current
databases of alumni, printing effective newsletters, keeping alumni involved and
invested in the program, etc.).
• Coordination. The ideal administration would help club sport teams coordinate with
both varsity teams and other club teams to encourage greater efficiency in facility
usage and purchases of equipment, uniforms, travel, etc.
• Training Assistance. Many club sport athletes have never been taught the proper
methods and techniques of weight lifting, plyometrics, and other types of training.
Without access to this information and training, these athletes run the risk of injury.
The ideal administration would help teams plan training sessions, provide them
information on the most effective means of training, and coordinate training sessions
with professionals to assure that teams train in the most efficient and safe way
possible.
• Overall Quality Control: The publication of the new manual should decrease the
amount of time the Director of Club Sports must spend on correcting paperwork and
solving emergencies arising from failure to file paperwork properly. The hope is that
this will allow the Director to take on some of the aforementioned tasks. However,
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more administrative support would go a long way to better assure the program
operates efficiently and safely and that the club sport athletes represent the college
well.

Conclusion
As a Commission, we urge the College to take action to improve the club sports program.
In the past 7 years, there has been a 77% increase in the number of students participating in club
sports resulting in a doubling of recognized club teams. However budgetary allocation and
available field spaces have not grown in a corresponding manner. As a result, many clubs sports
athletes are growing concerned that their needs are not being met and that the College is not
fulfilling their right to an athletic experience at a level commensurate with their dedication and
ability. Without significant action to improve the situation, we expect a continued rise in student
discontent, especially if the trends towards increased participation in and dedication to club
sports continue. Students will continue to voice their unhappiness as undergraduates, and as
alumni may feel obligated to donate their time and money to their individual sports rather than to
the College as a whole. Without action, the problem will likely only worsen.
The College has a golden opportunity to take action before the problems become more
serious. A proactive stance from the administration could serve as an example for the proper
treatment of programs with large interest, participation, dedication, and success. Such a stance
would go a long way towards providing quality out-of classroom experiences and increasing
student satisfaction with the quality of life at Dartmouth.

Summary of Recommendations
We recommend that the College publish an annual report on the status of club sports to
track the implementation of these recommendations. For the reasoning and specifics of these
recommendations, please refer back to the main body of the report.
Long-term recommendations:
• Seek to endow the club sports program.
• Convert more fields into artificial turf.
• Increase the size of the club sports office dedicated solely to club sports with three or
more employees.
• Build another indoor facility like Leverone.
• Add lighting to recreational fields.
• Establish sport facilities dedicated primarily to recreation.
• After the capital campaign, allow more club sport teams to have Friends Groups.
Short-term recommendations:
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• Increase the annual budget to $100,000 and plan for more increases in future years
and plan for commensurate budget increases.
• Hire an additional full time employee to work for the club sports program.
• Offer one time a week in Leverone to club sport teams.
• With increased facility space and time, recognize more club sport teams.
• Extend Leverone hours in the AM and the PM to allow more club sport teams time.
• Allow club sports teams access to all college facilities.
• Provide additional administrative functions such as public relations and marketing,
website assistance, advocacy within the DCAD, financial assistance, coordination
with other teams, training assistance, and overall quality control.
• Finalize facilities schedules before the term begins.
• Discontinue the practice of bumping club sport teams from times they have
previously reserved.
• Publish the schedules of all the facilities online.

Commission Members (in alphabetical order)

Clare Fortune-Agan, member of the women’s club lacrosse team (unrecognized) and Tae Kwon
Do
Daniel Dittrick, secretary of the figure skating team
Robert Friedman, member of the rugby team
Thomas Healy, president of the men’s water polo team
Chelsea Jia, member of the women’s club volleyball team (unrecognized)
Noah Riner, Student Assembly President and Chair of the Commission
Adam Sigelman, captain of the men’s ultimate team
Mary Westerman, captain of the women’s club lacrosse team (unrecognized)
Chart 1aAcademic Level
675
68
50
Undergraduates Graduates Other