Watson Says Increase in Club Support Unlikely

[This concludes a two-part series on club athletics.]

While expressing sympathy for the plight of Harvard sports clubs. Athletic Director Robert B. Watson '37 says "a very critical financial bind" prevents him from offering clubs help in meeting their expenses.

"I just don't have the money to pass around," Watson said in an interview last week. "I'm in a hopeless position."

"The Faculty orders budget cuts, students demand more money for athletics and the facilities are going to pot," he said. "You can't win."

Lack of Support

Several coaches, captains and players from among Harvard's 32 sports clubs said recently that they face serious financial difficulties largely due to a lack of Athletic Department support.

The department confronted what Watson called a tight money situation in September when the Faculty cut the athletic budget by $25,000 from a $2.7 million appropriation.

Watson said the Faculty expects him to make a $100,000 cut in next year's budget.

The costs of repairing the bubble over the indoor track, which suffered extensive damage in January, and improving the IAB and Watson Rink will "without a doubt" take money away from varsity sports, Radcliffe sports and other department activities. Watson said.

"At this point, I'm faced with the task of possibly demoting some teams," he said.

"As for promoting sports clubs to varsity status, we can't take on such a big financial responsibility."

Watson said that in his more than 28 years with the University, "the policy has always been to leave the clubs entirely on their own."

He likened sports clubs such as water polo and rugby to the Harvard Lampoon and The Crimson. "These are all student-run and self-sufficient organizations," he said.

Struggle to Pay

The sports clubs--such as gymnastics, basketball and riflery--must struggle to pay for their own equipment, tournament fees and travel expenses. This hampers recruitment and team performance in intercollegiate competition.

Opponents in sports competition usually have either varsity status or generous financial support from their schools. Unlike Harvard, several schools hire non-student coaches for sports like volleyball, gymnastics, table tennis, water polo and riflery.

"I really try to help if I possibly can," Watson said. "But the problem is in deciding who gets the money. How do you assign a criteria for financial aid? The answers are hard to find."

But Watson seems to have devised his own criteria for dispersement of funds, especially for Harvard sports clubs.

He said clubs may receive money from his $3000 "discretionary fund" which the Corporation granted the department "for use in all kinds of contingencies."

Clubs that have large memberships, long histories or winning potential tend to receive help from Watson.

The water polo club, for example, acquired $200 from the discretionary fund last fall in its bid to capture the Eastern championships. The club, which took the New England title, failed to win the crown, however.

Watson recently gave $100 to the volleyball club after it advanced to second place in a 16-team East Coast Volleyball League. Prior to the gift, the spikers spent $170 of their own funds on equipment and travel expenses.

Exceptions

"If something big comes up, I sometimes make an exception," Watson said. "But I require that all clubs asking for help submit a financial statement."

John Yovicsin, director of Recreation and Club Sport, said the volleyball club deserved the $100 award for "outstanding work in organization." He also said the club "presented a good case."

Yovicsin explained that the spikers submitted a "comprehensive" financial statement and took the initiative in recruiting members. "We were impressed by the efficiency and devotion of the club's leadership," he said.

"We're sorry we can't keep up with all the clubs," Yovicsin added. "Say we paid the water polo team to enter the NCAA championships in California. That would take a considerable chunk out of our available funds."

The best the department can do for clubs in general is to help distribute leaflets announcing club activities and to arrange for practice space, he said.

"There's been outstanding growth of clubs here and they've all achieved great status," Yovicsin said. "With their expanding needs we'll eventually have to make a definite commitment."

"But of course we're hesitant. There are budget strains throughout the College," he said.

Department figures show that sports clubs have increased in number from 11 in 1972 to 32 as of this month. Yovicsin said last week he is now preparing announcements of the formation of a croquet club.

He said 1533 students participated in club sports last school year and that the number should exceed 2000 this year.

Watson said he hopes students realize his "financial bind."

"I've got Dean Rosovsky and President Bok on my neck constantly to cut, cut, cut the budget. And demands for money are increasing. If anyone wants my job, they can see me," Watson said.