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January 24, 2007

Mavericks Football

New restrictions placed on club team

Mavericks for Football Now team must meet safety regulations before playing.

Story by: Joan Khalaf

The Shorthorn staff

Frank Lamas, Student Affairs vice president, now requires the Mavericks for Football Now’s club sport team to have an on-site certified athletic trainer at every game. The list of regulations he presented to the team Jan. 5 also includes the presence of emergency medical technician units during the games and medical insurance and physicals for all players.

“I understand that they want to make sure everyone is safe,” said Sam deBerry, team coach and organization president. “I just wish we would have gotten the regulations earlier, because we were telling them back in October that we were going to be playing football.”

The club football team revealed its plans to meet the requirements during a meeting Friday. The team must raise more money to cover the expenses.

DeBerry, a history senior, said the team might have fraternities compete in raising money to win a position as the spirit group on the sidelines.

“Fraternities love publicity, and what better way to draw alumni when they see their fraternity on the sidelines?” he said.

Other fundraising techniques included getting haircuts at a potential donor’s barbershop and building fences for $15 an hour.

“I have no doubt the school is trying to watch out for us,” said team member Franklin Worsham, an interdisciplinary studies junior. “At the same time, the school isn’t helping us out at all. We’re having to do everything on our own, and it would be nice if they would help us some.”

Team member Ikenna Iteogu, a broadcast management junior, said he felt the regulations are a way for the university to discourage the team’s efforts.

“Almost every student on the team has insurance for the most part. I don’t think it should be a problem,” he said.

Lamas said he doesn’t intend to stand in the team’s way and that the administration wants to ensure that the club accomplishes its goals in the right way.

“The perception they have is inaccurate,” he said. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing that I sent them out there unprotected and that I didn’t do things the right way. We have other club sports here, and we certainly support having club football.”