Fresno State club sport student athletes have to fundraise, recruit and and even tape each other up before games. Those aren’t tasks they should be responsible for.

In the recent Collegian Cooldown episode, club rugby player Isaia Kruse shared that they don’t have a team physical trainer. Before practice and games, players will get taped by other players who are kinesiology majors, while also taking nutritional tips on how to maintain their bodies. 

The practicing conditions are even worse. The 2022 national champions have to practice in public parks around Fresno or the small field in between the softball stadium and aquatics center, which is not regulation size and has dim lighting. 

This has been an ongoing problem for the past few years, with enough time for the university to step in and help. 

Other universities in the conference with club sports have their own dedicated stadiums, such as Stanford’s Steuber Rugby Stadium and Doyle Family Clubhouse, a $3 million facility just for its rugby team. Fresno State demolished Stanford this season on the Cardinal’s home turf, 75-5. 

The Fresno State student involvement page lists 20 sports, with three stating that they are “currently not an active team.” Those that are active only have an email and a Facebook link at most in their description. 

There is no schedule on the website, making it harder for community members to figure when and where games will be played. Those schedules can be found on many of the club sports social media accounts, which is the main source of information. 

The wrestling team was a sanctioned sport at Fresno State before transitioning into a club sport after the 2021 season. The wrestling club also had a national run this past season with a few of its men and women wrestlers qualifying for the National Collegiate Wrestling Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

Nicholas Martino finished the competition as fourth in the nation. Martino has twice earned All-American honors during his time at Fresno State. 

Not only is the team helping wrestlers climb in the ranks, but it’s also helping the rest get their foot in the door at the national level. Michael Brent, Evelyn Guzman Hernandez and Jamilynne Gonzalez were all first-time qualifiers for the championships. 

With many more club sports, such as judo, bowling, men’s volleyball and rodeo, there are many opportunities to support. From olympic players to national qualifiers, club sports have been constantly proving themselves to be able to compete at a national level while representing the Bulldogs. 

Funding is the main limiting factor for club sports. According to the financial guidelines and trademark tab in the student involvement page, Associated Students, Inc. only provides club sports up to $3,000 in financial support. That is very little funding to cover the cost of travel, food and equipment. 

Teams can apply for IRA funding, which is a whole separate paperwork process that may cover travel and tournament fees. That is the reason club sports turn to fundraising and sponsors. 

Horrible practice conditions, scrambling for funds and little to no support should not be the way club sports at Fresno State are represented. It’s embarrassing that at the collegiate level there is such a lack of resources. Not only is that embarrassing but also dangerous for these athletes’ health. 

What if they get injured, who will be on the field or court to help? 

There are many underlying issues but change but it can start small with better organization within the student involvement website, including updating the active teams and setting up an active and comprehensive schedule.