Pierce College should not introduce a men’s soccer team because it can take a toll on the sports department when it comes to introducing a new sport.
It is important to note that a sport can not just start because someone wants it to, one must consider the long term effects of the sport that is being introduced, the expense one puts into it and the basis for equality at an institution.
Soccer may be a popular sport outside of an institution, but there is no certainty that it is within Pierce. Sure, there could be students who may enter the first or second year, but one needs to see the bigger picture.
How many students actually want a men’s soccer team? There needs to be a guarantee that students will sign up for the team as new students start to attend.
Pierce would have to make sure there are neighboring colleges that have the same sport they can play against in order to create a schedule.
If there is no sports nearby that means that the team would have look for non-local teams to go against. This could cause students to miss classes due to traveling time. This would also mean that uniforms and equipment is needed and must be and renewed every few years.
This can cause students to fall behind in their school work and lower their grades. It can also result in them getting kicked off the team. This may cause higher expenses in travel and transportation.
A 1972 law called Title IX passed, which according to the NCAA, says that, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
This means that any private or public institution that offers athletics must give both men and women an equal opportunity to have a sport. Although this does not necessarily mean they must introduce the same sport, it does mean they must have the equal amount of sports.
This act is beneficial because it “requires educational institutions to maintain policies, practices and programs that do not discriminate against anyone on the basis of gender.” This act takes everyone into consideration.
Yet, this can also hurt Pierce because that would mean they would have to look in to adding a new women’s sport on top of the men’s soccer team.
According to NCAA’s frequently asked questions on Title IX, “In 1994, the U.S. Congress passed the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act, which requires all colleges and universities to report each year on athletics participation numbers, scholarships, program budgets and expenditures, and coaching salaries by gender.”
This again would bring the issue of how many people would sign up for the women’s sport, will there be enough funding for it and will there be any colleges that play the same sport that they can play against. They also have to spend money on uniforms and equipment- depending on what sport is chosen as well.
I believe this could hurt Pierce’s athletics department in the long run because they have had to cancel sports in the past due to a low number of enrollment.
