When the university closed the increasingly hazardous Kehoe Field last February, this editorial board approved of the move. It was right to end the use of Kehoe’s unsafe playing surface, but over the past year it has become clear that the university does not have a plan to provide other spaces to compensate for its closure. As the Voice reports in “Spaced Out: Club Sports in Crisis,” efforts to find off-campus practice space have proved largely futile, as transportation costs or poor lighting have hindered club sports teams’ ability to have full practices.
The university was negligent in allowing Kehoe to fall into such disrepair. Going forward, administrators must prioritize how they will help club sports teams find affordable and accessible practice space. Club sports is a fast-growing community that is highly valued by its members, and the university should take immediate action to mitigate this issue. This means incorporating the leaders of club sports teams into the decision-making process and providing assistance to teams as they look for new fields to use. Whether this includes university transportation or reimbursement for travel expenses is up to individual team needs, but failure to support club sports will only continue to alienate a significant portion of the student body’s athletic population.
Unfortunately, no solution appears ideal or imminent, but this is no excuse to stand by and do nothing as teams look for alternate fields in Georgetown, Burleith, and beyond. Club sports teams may not generate large amounts of revenue like some varsity-level sports, but they are essential to campus life at Georgetown. The teams need immediate assistance and deserve assurance from the university that club sports will not be further neglected.
Full Disclosure: The Voice’s editorial board chair, Chris Dunn, is a member of the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team. He was not involved in the writing or editing of this editorial.
