The fee to play on many of Kent State’s club sports teams is on the rise.

“Last year I was given a warning that we would get less money,” girls soccer coach Emily Korosec said. “With this in mind, I had to make some sacrifices so the girls wouldn’t be paying too crazy of a fee to play.”

How much money each club will get has yet to be determined. Greg Bailey, assistant director of the Department of Recreational Services, said the Student Recreation and Wellness Center receives a set amount money each year from Kent State’s Board of Trustees. The money goes toward the debt accumulated from the remodeling of the Rec. It covers the majority of operating costs of the facility, such as program services, and buying and maintaining equipment. A portion of the Rec’s annual budget also helps to fund intramural sports, club sports and community league programs.

Bailey said the board will meet Wednesday to determine how much money Recreational Services receives this year.

Korosec said, “Club team managers had to guess how much money they would receive when deciding what member fees should be, because the budget was unknown.”

Korosec decided to raise the fees for the girl’s soccer club by $50 to $150 per player. This did not, however, affect this year’s enrollment of players. There are 17 players this year, which is a total similar to previous years, Korosec said.

However, the attitude of some of the players has changed. Savanna Kirtley, freshman marketing major, said she doesn’t understand where all the money goes. “Shouldn’t the university be supplying us with buses?” Kirtley asked. “I just got a new car last year. Why should I have to put a bunch of miles on it, especially with away games as far away as Illinois? That shouldn’t be my responsibility.”

Amnea Abu-Saleh, sophomore electronic media productions major, said being a member of the team should be free.

“We travel a lot. The name of Kent State on our jerseys is free advertising,” Abu-Saleh said. “When we go to other towns, we automatically get the word out about our school. It doesn’t make sense that my tuition isn’t covering my team membership.”

Korosec said she made some sacrifices to avoid substantial fee hikes to her players like reducing the number of referees at games and not spending money on new balls. But she said that basic team needs had to be met.

“The fees go toward traveling, referees, field maintenance, staying over in a hotel for the farthest away game and league fees, which are $400-$600,” Korosec said.

Fundraising helps cover a large part of the fees. This year, the girls will work the score bell for hockey games, serve as ball girls for the field hockey team and will volunteer at the Warrior Dash, Korosec said.

“The Warrior Dash is really helping us out this year,” Korosec said. “We get $1000 from it. The girls work the check-in booth, hand out water to the runners, direct runners where to go and are on call in case of emergencies.”

Abby Bradford, freshman public relations major, said she hopes that fees for club sports don’t increase in the future.

“Club soccer isn’t as competitive as varsity, but it’s still a challenge, and a great way for athletes to keep playing after high school,” Bradford said, “It’s easy to balance with schoolwork. It’s the best feeling to be part of a team.”

Contact Hannah Hamner at [email protected].