The proposal will become a reality on July 1, 2010, when six sports between three of the four STLCC campuses will become a piece of each schools’ history.
Spencer Gleason
– Sports Writer –
Major moves in the athletic department of STLCC are about to take place. The idea of fewer sports and athletic programs within the STLCC family has stirred up feelings in the pit of the stomach for student athletes, coaches, STLCC employees and fans alike. The proposal will become a reality on July 1, 2010, when six sports between three of the four STLCC campuses will become a piece of each schools’ history.
STLCC-Meramec will be losing men’s wrestling, women’s volleyball and men’s soccer. The STLCC-Forest Park and STLCC-Florissant Valley campuses will both lose their baseball programs, as well as men’s and women’s track and field at Florissant Valley.
The athletic cuts were made because the college must lower its operating budget by more than $1 million for the next fiscal year, according to a press release. The drop in athletics will save the college almost $200,000.
“Overall, the situation is unfortunate,” said Mike Richter, Forest Park sports information director. “But the financial side of the athletic operation is understood. It is a tough situation for players and coaches, but in the end each school’s athletic programs will move forward and focus on being competitive in the sports they retained; and also on giving student athletes a chance to succeed in their education and athletics.”
Between the three sports Meramec will be losing, nearly 60 percent of the athletes are in their first year at Meramec. For those student athletes who had a scholarship, the school will still recognize them, even if their sport is no longer offered at any STLCC campus.
“For any students who wish to return to Meramec, a couple things are important,” said Stephen Petersen, Ph.D., vice president of Student Affairs at Meramec. “If their sport has been retained somewhere else within the STLCC system, but not at Meramec, those students will have the opportunity to participate in their sport at either Forest Park or Florissant Valley. Under any circumstance, whether they participate in athletics next year or not, their scholarship will be honored.”
However, the majority of those athletes will not be returning.
“I’m pretty sure they’re going to go somewhere else,” said Alicia Eubanks, sophomore volleyball player. “The girls on the volleyball team were all pretty much here to play volleyball. I know some of the wrestlers too. They’ll be going somewhere else. I don’t think they’ll come back.”
Each campus will continue to have five sports. In addition, each will retain their individual team names.
The Meramec Magic, Forest Park Highlanders and Florissant Valley Norsemen will continue to support their remaining athletic programs. Still, the outlook for the future looks bleak at best to bring these sports back.
“My guess is that it’s unlikely that any of the sports being eliminated now will ever be reconstituted,” said Petersen. “That’s not to say we wouldn’t like to, but I don’t think that’s likely to happen within the next five to seven years. Beyond that it’s anybody’s guess, because the environment of the college, the environment of the economy and everything changes dramatically.”
For the student athletes and coaches, news such as this just gives them more incentive to continue what every sport at Meramec has done for the past several years – have a winning record.
Just as the women’s volleyball team finished the year with an overall record of 22-16, the men’s soccer team finished at 16-4-1. The men’s soccer team continued their winning ways into the playoffs to capture their second Regions XVI Championship this decade. They defeated Maple Woods on Nov. 1 with a 2-1 victory and coach Brian Smugala was named the Regions XVI Coach of the Year for the 2009 season.
The men’s wrestling team will begin its season on the road with their first home tournament on Jan. 29, 2010.
Like every STLCC campus, “Meramec is a very supportive school,” said Amanda Aholt, Meramec alumni and soccer player for the 2003 and 2004 seasons. “It’s just very sad and disappointing that this is happening, but hopefully their fans now will help get them through it.”
