City College student-athletes and coaches are showing their commitment to competition by going beyond what’s required to raise funds for their respective programs.
With the state facing a financial crisis, California college campuses are getting battered with budget cuts. City College’s Athletic Department saw $20,000 of its operating budget sliced from this year alone.
“The district fairly compensates us, and we are doing our part just like everyone else who is being cut,” Athletic Director Ryan Byrne said. “I think that there is a culture within athletics where we compete. I think one thing that’s unique for [the athletic department] is that our student-athletes are responding to this with a tremendous effort to generate funds in order to be great.”
Byrne estimates that more than 400 City College student-athletes fund raise an estimated average of 10 percent of the funds used for their specific teams. The raised funds help pay for transportation, meal money and hotels for away games and tournaments. The athletic department also raised $25,000 to supplement the Academic Achievement Zone, a program that pays for tutors, which had its budget cut in half.
“[Student-athletes] aren’t expected to fundraise, there is no expectation that they do that, it’s on them and it’s totally voluntary,” Byrne said. “We aren’t going to ask the district to pay for anything that isn’t viewed as essential but what we do fundraise for is going to have a distinctive impact on the students.”
Student-athletes are required to take more than 12-units, keep their GPA above 2.5 and maintain progress towards a degree. One-third of City College student-athletes are on honor roll, twice as likely to complete their degree and transfer to a four-year school.
“If you are going to be great as an institution you can’t strictly rely on public funding, Byrne said. “You have to find ways to bring in additional resources that isn’t just provided from the state, that’s a culture that’s pervasive throughout the entire college and athletics definitely embraces that.”
Women’s basketball players are doing their part by hosting the Fifth Annual Surf Fest and Swap Meet between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20. Members are selling raffle tickets for gift basket prizes donated by the public.
“We just have to make sure we take it more seriously because we represent the athletic department,” said women’s basketball player Sara Crane.
Women’s basketball coaches Sandrine Krul and Mellissa Gutierrez spent two days this summer cleaning up La Playa stadium after events to raise $1,200 but Gutierrez said it’s the girls that do most of the work.
“It just shows that they are more committed, for example Mhiah [Vickers] set up her own raffle ticket stand at the volleyball game this weekend so she will probably sell more than her share of them,” said Gutierrez.
City College Physical Education and Athletic department actually brings in money for the school through the States apportionment. Physical education and athletic program classes bring in more apportionment funds through full time equivalent students than what is spent on athletes.
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