LaxTV Forums | A Forum About The MCLA

From my past experience this is one factor that contributes to holding back good clubs from being great clubs.

http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx? ... =1#comment

Availability of facilities??[/url]

bmorelax wrote:From my past experience this is one factor that contributes to holding back good clubs from being great clubs.

http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx? ... =1#comment

Availability of facilities??[/url]

One point in the piece is about how the clubs would use these facilities when they were not being used by varsity teams. Which is true, however, my bet is they would need to staff the facilities during the club sports times. If permanent employees staff the facility and not students, the school might face overtime pay as well.

Secondly, and this might be easy for me to say, but if a school is getting tremendous number of requests for use of varsity space, it would actually benefit the club to pay for the space (if they can afford it). That way they can guarantee they get their time. Otherwise, the space may become diluted over large numbers of clubs, and a team may only sees the space once a week. Schools are usually afraid if they "do something for 1 they have to do it for everyone" - but if they charge that deters a backlash for opening the space to the serious paying clubs.

Preparation is the key to handling this in the future - hopefully it won't cause too much trouble this year.

wow-didn't know that lax ranked up there with ultimate frisbee in Hoosier land, maybe someone should get a comment from Mr. Mellencamp on this issue-wonder what he would say?

gotta feel for IU lax-that would definitely sway some players that have interest in other programs in the Midwest into going to other schools. Cough, Cough, Purdue

It's really sad. Yes Ultimate frisbee ranks just as high as lacrosse. Clubs sports at IU all rank equally. Instead of trying to help those well established clubs IU trys to be everything to everyone. They boast a list of some 60-70 club sport teams I believe. Instead they should try to provide for those clubs that help bring something to the school.

Only problem with Purdue is that stench and gloom within West Lafayette!!!!

The article couldn't be found when I click on the click...i will search for the article later!

I really think there are two things that separate the good clubs from the great clubs.

1. First and foremost is getting players/recruits into the school...
2. Long-term head coach

Facility availability and school support are important, but rank behind those two

This is an unfortunate situation, but I think a lot of club teams know it all too well. We used to not even have the option of practicing on campus. If all we would have had to do was pay, we would have been happy. I will say that you can still be a good club and have to pay to practice. We often paid a few times a year to go play at an indoor facility to escape the shackles on practicing on 2 basketball courts once we were granted on campus facilities. I know most teams operarte on a "razor thin" budget but it doesn't have to be that way. When I was coaching and playing we used to come up with all kinds of fund-raisers. The budget grew over the years and all we had to do was make sure we put aside enough to facilitate some off campus practices.

I won't say that this is a feasible answer for every team, but what I think separates some of the best clubs is organization. Even organization could help conquer the issues of practice facilities. It may not be the answer - but it would help.