Some may think it odd that there is a recognized women's club lacrosse team at Dartmouth while the men's team still waits for club status. But there is no conspiracy to speak of here. Rather, this is a story of perseverance and timing.
Mary Beth Westerman '08, a co-captain and administrator of the women's squad, spearheaded a serious movement to recognize her organization as a club team with the Dartmouth College Athletic Department.
During the early part of 2005, several women on campus began expressing interest in forming a non-varsity lacrosse contingent. But while others came and went, Westerman and Cammy Houser '07 took the reigns and made club status their mission.
"Cammy really got on board with me," Westerman said, "so it's really been the two of us who have been working on it."
Things weren't easy early on. Westerman said the College would not grant facility space to the team before the end of Spring term 2006 when the team was recognized as a club sport. For the time being, practices were held where there was space, including on the Green and in parking lots.
With no home field, the women's club team still managed to play a full league schedule in spring 2006 under the name the Big Lime. The team had to pile into cars in order to get to away games.
After being denied club status at the conclusion of Spring term 2005, Westerman and Houser finally saw the fruits of their labor realized when the DCAD approved their club sports application in the spring of 2006. The DCAD receives petitions in the beginning of each spring and makes decisions at the end of the term.
Director of club sports Joann Brislin said that all prospective teams fill out an application and meet with the DCAD to discuss their purpose, needs, interest and leadership. After considering the team's needs, the application gets sent to Associate Director of Athletics Roger Demment and then to Athletic Director Josie Harper.
"It took some work. We were in the athletic department very consistently," Westerman added. "We wanted to show that we would stick with it."
"We weren't some fly-by-night operation or anything like that," Westerman continued. "Having a team at Dartmouth to bring you together is very important. Especially as a freshman, having upper-class girls to talk to is great. We watch out for each other. We love spending time together."
The team generates a budget of dues paid by players - $100 for this year - and from fundraising events. The DCAD allocates an initial payment of $200 to all club sports, then gives the team money for their specific needs, like jerseys and national and local competitions, up to a total of $20,000. The DCAD can also match a percentage of dues and fundraising totals.
This year, the team had around 30 women come out on a consistent basis. They can play at DCAD facilities like Leverone Field House and Scully-Fahey Field, although the times vary depending on other varsity teams' schedules. The team, with the No. 1 seed, will play in the New England Women's Lacrosse League tournament in Boston this weekend against Boston College, Coast Guard and UConn.
The men's club lacrosse team has not garnered club status, but co-captain Conor Frantzen '08 admits the team was slower to start the recognition process.
"We started the whole process legitimately this winter. The girls definitely got the ball rolling first last spring and they have been successful," he said. "It's a long process."
Brislin was pleased with the men's progress in the recognition process.
"They've done a very good job in terms of gathering information," she said. "Some of the information they're waiting for because its coming from outside sources. As soon as they [get it] we'll continue our conversation and take it up the line."
The club status of the women's team is not a touchy subject for the men's team, but rather the women's success is seen as something of a benefit for all parties involved.
"I don't feel like we're being slighted in any way," Frantzen said. "[Women's club lacrosse] has been really sympathetic to our cause. The fact that they are recognized helps us because it makes sense for the College to have two club teams."
Frantzen said he can only be optimistic about the men's squad's chances at recognition.
"I'm hesitant to say we'll get recognized. The interest is there, but it's out of our control," he said. "If we didn't get recognized it would be a big setback, but we would try again next fall."
Frantzen and Rich Tsen '08 developed the idea of a club team after the two were cut from walk-on tryouts to the varsity lacrosse squad. Although they toyed with the idea their freshman year, it was not until the fall of 2005 that they developed a BlitzMail list to gauge interest.
"We've handled everything so far, in terms of handling dues, scheduling and whatnot," Frantzen said. "We'll want other guys to take it over next year and have more officer positions."
After having a meeting in the winter, the two juniors scheduled three games against other club teams. However, with no field space, the team had to conduct what Frantzen called "bootleg practices."
The men's team has not been able to practice this year because of the weather, but Frantzen said that he does not want to conduct any illegal practices.
"I've wanted to do everything this year by the book so we get recognized," he said.
This year, the men's club helped found the New England Club Lacrosse League with six other teams, including Vermont, Brandeis and Tufts.
The league has bylaws allowing schools without club status to join the league as long as the team is comprised of students from only that school. This way, Dartmouth pays dues ($900 for the team), follows bylaws and plays a full schedule with playoffs.
Around 15 to 20 players show up consistently to play, according to Frantzen. In the game against UVM, the squad had 24 players. Participants include students who played in high school as well as ex-varsity lacrosse players.
The team carpools for transportation, and Frantzen secured uniforms through a friend in a lacrosse company. The team wears mismatched green and white jerseys on game day.
The team will play three games this upcoming weekend, with the league playoffs the following weekend.
