Editorial: The future of sports

Pro-Expansion by Ryan Land
Assistant Sports Editor
Con by Becky Embry-Ross
Sports Editor

Sports-ICONHas anyone in Roughrider Nation ever wondered why our school has a men’s soccer team, but not a women’s team, or how about a women’s basketball team, but not a men’s team? Being a fan of local sports, I would love to see more of a variety of sports at Crowder, and if everything goes as planned, the school could receive additional benefits to what it already has.

For Crowder to add more sports means a deterioration of what a college is initially built for and the purpose for which it stands – an education. I’ll admit as the Sports Editor, it would be nice to see a bigger variety, but the educational needs of us students are being ignored.

Cost

The cost to add another sport is ludicrous.

Just to take in another team such as men’s basketball, that would involve the cost of a head coach, uniforms, cost of transportation and list goes on. In addition to the cost to just have the team, there are additional costs associated with the student-athletes such as scholarships for those out-of-state and international athletes that without this money, cannot otherwise afford to attend college away from home.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website (http://data.bls.gov/oes/datatype.do), “The annual 10th percentile wage for junior colleges is listed as $17,310.” For a coaches pay.

This money could be better spent in other areas for the academics of this college. Isn’t that why we are all here in the first place? To earn an education so that one day we can have a professional career?

Instead of the college throwing money out the window on adding another sport, why doesn’t the board of trustees/directors put the money to better use instead? This would give back to the academics of what a college’s foundation is built upon. If the educational needs of the student body are met, then the college has done their job. Period.

I will agree that adding more sports will be a long and difficult task to complete.

Adding football to the list, the school would have to start from square one of creating the team. Square one means finding space and constructing the field, which will cost several million right off the bat. Even though football can be a possibility of adding, it would most likely be at the bottom of the school’s list of sports to add.

Adding women’s soccer and men’s basketball would be the best outcome. We already have the facilities that already house the women’s basketball team and men’s soccer team, and with possible plans floating aboard about building a new gymnasium, why not take the chance and add a men’s basketball team, to create more interest within the school and community about the new gymnasium.

Attendance/Activities

The lack of attendance at the sports events are severely lacking.

It’s not as if the student body has taken notice and attended the games, even though students are admitted for free. How many of us can say that we have attended even four games in any given semester?

“I attended one game, two semesters ago for my photography class,” said Evalyn Barnes, sophomore graphic arts student.

“None, I barely have enough time to breathe,” said Bridgette Farley, sophomore addiction counseling major.

Not to mention this is unfair to the remaining Lady ‘Riders and Roughriders that are already striving for a higher attendance rate.

I agree that attendance is lacking at our sporting events, severely, and I can understand that most students live off campus and it is financially and inconveniently difficult to drive to Neosho on a Saturday or Sunday.

Though, since students are already on campus at some time during the days of the week, I think that with adding more pre-game activities, such as tailgate parties, it would draw more attention to at least our weekday games while students are on campus for classes.

Plans are in place for an expansion of new housing on the Neosho campus, according to Dr. Jim Cummins, Vice President of Finances. More housing equals more students living on campus and with more students on campus means that there will be a need of cheap activities to participate in, being that all of the younger generation attractions are at least forty-five minutes away in Joplin and Northwest Arkansas.

Federal Law

Another argument is that under the federal title nine law, another sport cannot be introduced and implemented unless there is an equality. So, for those of you that would like to see the men’s basketball team reinstated, a women’s team of some kind would also have to be added.

As stated under the federal title nine law, another sport cannot be introduced and implemented unless there is an equality. At Crowder, there are two teams for two different genders. The federal title nine law can easily be respected by adding a women’s soccer team and a men’s basketball team, which keeps the equality of sports here. There is also the possibility of adding co-ed wrestling in the gym and a co-ed swim team at the swimming pool at the YMCA, which still keeps the equality.

Personally, I have heard the argument – from both sides – to add a women’s soccer team. I have yet to see anyone stand up and physically show that they are serious about actually doing it.

There are four sports already here. If men’s basketball is your preferred sport to watch, then why not give the women’s basketball team a try? Complaining without taking the slightest effort is not exactly going to help get your point across.

I do realize that education is the main reason why a college… is a college, and putting money towards furthering a student’s future education is important.

If you, the Crowder student, thinks that more sports should be added, make your voice heard to our board of trustees, our athletic department, and to other students.