Athletes tell Provost Jones their concerns

NATE SHARIF

Senior Staff Writer

Students who attended a “meet and greet” with top university administrators Jan. 30 complained about poor conditions related to Penn State Beaver athletics.

During the meeting, members of the women’s soccer team complained to Provost Nick Jones and Vice President Madlyn Hanes that they don’t have a field on campus to play on, as well as the poor condition of the locker rooms.

Other Beaver teams – baseball, softball, basketball and volleyball – have their own fields to play on, they said. The men’s and women’s soccer teams play at an off-campus field nearly 20 minutes away, but practice on the baseball field adjacent to the Wellness Center, which is comprised of half dirt, half grass.

“I came from New York to play soccer at Penn State Beaver,” sophomore Stephanie Sosa said. “They made it sound like we had our own field, but no.”

During the meeting, the soccer players said that the current state of the baseball field is unsatisfactory for training and performing and has resulted in multiple physical injuries due to the inadequacy of the field.

Director of Student Affairs Chris Rizzo said that he is aware of the quality concerns related to the baseball field, but the price quoted to renovate the field was very high.

“We conducted a feasibility study and found that it would cost between $3 million to $5 million to build,” Rizzo said.

Unmoved by these financial numbers, the soccer team said they want to host fundraisers in order to pay for a new field.

Sosa said the men’s teams receive two pairs of practice jerseys along with duffle bags.

The soccer team further stated that the women’s locker rooms need much improvement, the quality of the soccer equipment was subpar and the buses that transport them to their games often break down.

Athletic Director Andy Kirschner said that the gym is undergoing a feasibility study to find out the cost of renovation, including the locker rooms.

Sosa said the men’s teams get to ride in luxurious coach buses while the women’s soccer team is transported in rental vans that consistently breakdown.

Kirchner said that the vans utilized for team transportation on game day are a “hodgepodge” of both vans and buses rented through Enterprise.

“The need for a soccer field is on the radar but the need has gone down,” Kirschner said, calling the off-campus field currently being used “top notch.”

The women’s soccer team has 22 players from multiple states such as Pennsylvania, Florida and New York. “We could have gone anywhere else, but we chose Penn State Beaver,” Sosa said. “Our uniforms are soiled with oil stains and have holes in them.”

Provost Jones said the team’s willingness to want to pay for new items such as a field shows a lot of heart.

Jones said that the passion of Penn State students is remarkably serious. “When I feel that sort of passion, that tells me that this is something that is really important to the students… and when a number of students chime in … that tells me this is worthy of us having a good look at.”

Adam Rathbun, director of finance and business, said that the athletics budget for Beaver is much smaller than other campuses, however, there is nothing preventing the women’s soccer team from fundraising for better uniforms, balls and other accessories. “Any funds raised are allocated towards the cost center of that specific team,” Rathbun said.

Rathbun said he was not aware of the division between the sports teams.

Chancellor Jenifer Cushman said she was clueless about the lack in quality uniforms. Cushman said Beaver needs to re-examine its strategic plan and look forward for solutions to these problems.

Jones said athletics is important at all Penn State campuses. “We want to invest in athletics; we want to invest in the student experience.”