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Show ^ V ™ SUMMER UTAH CHRONICLE SPORTS www.tlailyulahchronicle.com Friday, J u n e 17, 2005 No truer passion Club sport programs fight for financial stability Matthew Piper Chronicle Writer We've all heard it before. Some consider NCAA athletes to be more impressive than professional athletes because of their pure love for the sport, which is untainted by financial incentives and transcends the daily scholastic sacrifices that all student athletes are required to make. How many times has somebody remarked that March Madness is better than the NBA playoffs, simply because of the unbridled passion that is so tangible among the college ranks? Consider that one group of athletes has it even harder than those well-publicized amateur sporting heroes: club sport participants. Imagine if Alex Smith had to work 40 hours a week during football season just to cover the cost of his uniform and the daily facility costs at RiceEccles Stadium ($5,ooo-$8,ooo). What if Andrew Bogut and Co. couldn't afford to play in the Sweet 16, having only budgeted to play in the Mountain West Conference Tournament? And how would Ute gymnasts like it if they couldn't even find opponents willing to make the expensive trek to Salt Lake City? It goes without saying that all of the U's athletic programs would struggle to consistently compete if they faced such far-fetched and ridiculous problems, yet that's exactly what the U's club sport athletes are expected to do every season. This is the plight of hundreds of students at the U who compete in a variety of non-funded club sports, from cycling to shooting. While bucketloads of money are dumped into the U's "official" programs, the nevertheless-elite club squads endlessly engage in a bitter struggle for survival. Campus Recreation Services operates—but does not fund—the U's club sports. Not to be confused with intramural teams, well-organized club programs represent the university in competition with other squads from schools all over the country. Many of the outstanding Ute programs have contended for prestigious national club championships as recently as the past school year. Despite their successes, one primary obstacle remains for even the best of programs: funding. Among the many costs of a typical club are travel, equipment, coaching (much of which is done pro bono), tournament entry fees and facilities. Travel costs obviously depend on the frequency with which teams hit the road, but they often exceed $1,000 per participant each semester. "We have, essentially, no collegiate competition," shooting coach Matthew DeLong said. "We can't afford to travel to other schools." An even bigger travel-related quandary is finding opponents who will pay to come to such an See CLUBS PageS Ute rugby players clap down on a Sacramento State player during their game last April. Johnson runs elsewhere Ute running back struggled to find playing time Chris Bellamy Brian Shaw What does RSL need to do to score? Give the kid a chance, already Let's say that you're out on a hot date, Paris-Hilton-hot, and you want to score. This date is the best opportunity you've had to show her what you're made of. You just came up from Texas, the 18th pick in the MLS SuperDraft, fixin' to impress folks in Salt Lake City. You don't need to show off (though you will to the best of your ability when folks of a lesser stature come around) because your guardians will not allow you, or your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to see the light of day. In other words, you'll be grounded. You're all dressed up in your best attire: red, trimmed in blue and gold. When you first got into town, you resembled a Marine fresh out of boot camp; now you're part of the team. You've been working on your shot, your look, your game. You're overwhelming the inferior competition with your skills. You may as well have your own column. Oops, wait, you already do. Thing is, you're an 18-year-old named Jamie Watson who is trying to make a good first impression on your coach, yet he's unsure if you're ready. That's one such dilemma facing Real Salt Lake's players as they try to conquer that age-old problem: scoring. If one asks the question bluntly and succinctly—why isn't Watson playing more often?—then the answer may not be as much of a surprise as, say, wads of toilet tissue stuffed in your date's bra. This is precisely what is happening to Real Salt Lake at the moment. They 're on a See S H A W Page 8 Chronicle Asst. Sports Editor The Ute backfield just got a little less crowded. With a full slate of backs ahead of him on the depth chart, thirdyear sophomore running back Joe Johnson has left the U football team and will be transferring to another school. "After spring ball, he realized that he probably wasn't going to be in our plans, at least not in the immediate future, as far as being a regular player or a non-scout team guy," U head coach Kyle Whittingham said. One possible destination, Whittingham said, is the University of Redlands in Redlands, Calif, not far from Johnson's hometown of Palm Springs. Johnson, a 5-foot~7, 185-pound back, originally came to Utah as a wide receiver in 2003; he was converted to running back and red- shirted during his first year at the U Last season, with Marty Johnson and Quinton Ganther taking the bulk of the carries, Johnson saw little playing time. While Johnson and Ganther combined for 259 carries and 1,454 yards, Johnson had just 11 carries for 41 yards in five games. He also had two receptions for 44 yards. This season, with Ganther expected to assume the starting role and a gaggle of tailbacks competing for action—including Mike Liti, who started three games in 2003—the inexperienced Johnson would have had his hands full trying to find playing time. "He was struggling for playing time," U Offensive Coordinator Andy Ludwig said. "I don't want to speak for Joe, but he wants to play. He's looking for an opportunity to play, and he decided his opportunities would be elsewhere." Johnson practiced with the Utes and familiarized himself with the new coaching staff during the spring but never found a niche in the offense. During the Red/White game in late April, he had two carries for two yards and also caught a 32-yard pass. Once spring practices concluded, Johnson notified the team of his intentions to transfer elsewhere, and the U coaching staff accommodated Johnson in his efforts. "(He let us know) after spring, and we helped him put together highlight tapes to send out," Ludwig said. "Joe's a good person and a hard-working football player, and he'll have success wherever he ends up." Before coming to the U, the speedy Johnson was an all-conference wide receiver for Palm Desert High School. In addition to competing in football, basketball and baseball, Johnson was a track See J O H N S O N PageS Joe Johnson looks on during spring practice earlier this year at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Johnson has left the team and will be transferring to another school. Real Salt Lake looks to bounce back in San Jose Brian Shaw Chronicle Writer Real Salt Lake now stands at a crossroads in which its inaugural MLS season could go either way. RSL (3-7-2) looks to snap a four-game losing streak at San Jose (3-3-6) Saturday. The team also hopes to do some scoring—after failing to tally a goal in more than 400 minutes of play. RSL will lack the services of defenders Rusty Pierce and Nelson Akwari this Saturday. Pierce is still nursing an injury, and Akwari is sitting out the San Jose game out on a yellow-card suspension. One possible replacement for Akwari is Seth Trembly. The remaining line-up of Matt Behncke, Brian Dunseth and Eddie Pope should remain the same as last week, and Marlon Rojas is still with the Trinidad and Tobago national team (as is midfielder Leslie Fitzpatrick). The midfield will look to create more scoring chances than it had last week: RSL attempted five total shots and only one on goal. One possible change would be to move recent acquisi- tion Dante Washington to forward and push Clint Mathis back to a creative midfielder role. Mathis has 21 shots for the season, the second highest count among RSL player. Real Salt Lake is looking for offensive production anywhere it can get it. Although Jason Kreis has a bruised knee and is listed as probable for the San Jose match, Jamie Watson may be a last-minute addition, or a late-minute sub, depending on Kreis' fitness. Jordan Cila is also a possibility. San Jose comes into the match with an astounding six ties on the season, including a dramatic come-from-behind draw at Rice-Eccles Stadium in their last meeting and three ties in three matches versus expansion teams. The Earthquakes have allowed two goals in four games, including a 1-1 tie at Chivas USA last weekend. The Quakes are still without the services of forward Brian Ching, but Alejandro Moreno has picked up the slack, scoring four goals in Ching's absence. Along with longtime Quake Ronald Cerritos, the San Jose attackers have a chance to snap their own goal drought at Spartan Stadium this weekend. Add the alwaysdangerous Mark Chung to the position, and the Quakes look solid up front. In the midfield, San Jose has Brad Davis, who came over from FC Dallas after several All-Star seasons. Davis is the league-leader with six assists. Dwayne DeRosario is also a force to be reckoned with at mid. The depleted San Jose defense will continue to be a patchwork unit with two of its top players out with torn ACLs. Danny Califf and Eddie Robinson anchor the Quakes back line. Pan Onstad mans the nets for San Jose. For Real Salt Lake, the defense played better last week, but still let in a crucial goal at a crucial point in the match when the momentum could have shifted either way. D.J. Countess also played in top form, making several great saves in the L.A. game. RSL has no time to wait for results; the rubber match with the Galaxy and Donovan happens the following Wednesday at home. bshaw@ ch ronicle.utah.edu |