Without varsity status, York’s water polo club will need to float their finances
Aileen Ormoc
Sports Editor
With decreasing financial support from the university, York’s water polo club will have to dig deep into their pockets to afford keeping the sport afloat, in spite of strong competition results and increasing female interest in the sport.
Hannah Thomas, team vice president, explains that because the team’s varsity status was stripped away, leaving its fate in the hands of Sport York, they underwent the process of becoming a competitive club.
“If the sport club is successful the next time they review the status, they will think about giving back the varsity status,” adds Thomas.
As a club, the team can compete in the Ontario University Athletics championship finals, but training, practice, and transportation fees come out of their own pockets.
In the sport of water polo, having access to a pool and other facilities in order to practice are essential to the development of the entire team.
Straun Wefers, current coach and former swimmer on the team, says last year’s season was tough. He says losing varsity status meant losing certain privileges like not having to fret over flight fees and scheduling practices with other teams.
“The main difficulty was that we were not able to get in practices for ourselves and practices against other teams,” says Wefers.
In November 2011, the men’s water polo team scored an impressive fourth-place finish at OUA championships. They won against Western 14-10 and against Ottawa 15-10, moving on to the quarterfinal match with the Queen’s Gaels, where they claimed victory again with a score of 10-3.
Because of the team’s stellar performance at last year’s OUA championships, this anomaly continues to confuse coach Wefers.
“The amount of funding going into other teams is quite high and continues to increase, whereas their performances aren’t necessarily getting better,” say Wefers.
“The season before funding was pulled we did not do that well,” he says. “But the aquatic team placed fourth [in OUA championships] which I am very proud of.”
However, the amount of interest in the water polo team is flourishing due to increased interest from female students, resulting in plans to start a women’s water polo team.
Unlike last season, where all of invested resources were put into the men’s team, this year the women’s team will receive an equal amount of pool time as the men’s.
“The feedback we have received from women interested in the sport has been really good so we are excited with the opportunity to have a girls team,” says Thomas.
Despite York’s decision to pull funding from the team, coach Wefers remains optimistic about the relationship between the water polo club and York.
“If we can make water polo a name again at York and make York a name again among the OUA circle, then that would be a success for me,” says Wefers.
Practices begin September 11 and all students interested are encouraged to sign up.
