Victoria Alarcon
Sports & Health Editor
Every athlete comes to York with the goal of representing their school and playing their sport well. For many of the 22 sports clubs at York, however, such a goal is difficult to realize as they wait to be recognized as varsity sports.
“It’s one of the biggest questions I get asked on a daily basis: ‘Are you guys varsity status?’ Or, ‘Are you guys a university team?’” said Evan Strong, captain of Wrestling at York.
Like Strong, many club captains seek approval for varsity sport status. The funding, the full support and, most of all, the Ontario University Athletic (OUA) title are all benefits a club can get from playing at the university level.
York’s director of sports and recreation, Jennifer Myers, acknowledges that some clubs wish to change status, but finds that some obstacles prove to be bigger.
“It’s a combination of 30 different criteria,” said Myers. “Everything ranging from ability to recruit, available facilities, number of people playing the sport, money it costs to run the sport, established group, media attention it gets and does it fit the diversity profile of our institution.”
The two biggest factors are funding and creating a facility to play the sport.
In terms of wrestling, Strong says that the sport does not require much when it comes to playing in a facility. The team already covers the cost of a mat and equipment cost is minimal. Like Strong, men’s rugby club captain Phillip Sianticos thinks his club wouldn’t need much equipment, and that the field the women’s rugby team now use could be easily shared by both of the teams.
Sianticos said that a men’s rugby team would make York proud, as their experience in facing many universities in invitational tournaments can lead them to an OUA championship title.
As for funding, Strong already has plans of what can be done to cover the team. “Right now, we are funded by external organizations such as the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association, as well as the York Federation of Students,” said Strong. “There is a big market out there for the mixed martial arts, and wrestling is one of those sports that draw a lot of sponsorship.”
Strong and Sianticos are both willing to find the funds to see their club grow. With members of the club to support them as well, they don’t think funding will be a problem. At the moment, rugby is a club made up of 25 regular members and 15 non-regular ones. The wrestling club is in a transitional period this year, but was still able to recruit 20 applicants for the club last year. Strong is sure it would only grow, as the Greater Toronto Area is populated by dozens of high schools who already have wrestling at their institution.
The whole approach to playing would change for these clubs as they go from playing for their club to playing for their university. Given the talent on the wrestling club, Strong is eager to show off what wrestling can do.
“We’re highly competitive with podium finishes in many tournaments,” said Strong. “We’ve had wins against high-performance athletes across Ontario, Montreal, Quebec and the United States.”
Both clubs recruited coaches that are committed to making the team improve. Iranian national wrestling coach Bahman Sarbazi has had over 25 years of experience in teaching wrestling, and has produced wrestling champions who have gone on to win medals at the Olympics and the World Championships.
Both clubs will have a chance to become a part of the other university sports, as an internal review will be done by the York athletic department this year.
“It’s that review process that gives us the information that we take and then make decisions about which sports to include and which not to,” said Myers.
As the time draws near, Sianticos and Strong, who represent just some of the many clubs wishing to achieve varsity status, wait and hope that the university will at least meet them half-way after both have put so much into letting their club grow.
“Many high school students look to their universities to make the sports they love available to them,” said Strong. “I don`t think a sport will solely determine which university you go to, but it is still one of those factors that students look at when making their choice.”
