Softball struggles for time in the gym, once practicing at 4 a.m.; lack of fans and funding result in frustrating play

By: Betsy Woodruff

Posted: 4/23/09

Before graduation, most Hillsdale students attend at least one football game. Plenty also watch volleyball and basketball. Softball, however, garners much less attention -- and, according to senior Devon Trimmer, less funding from the college. The combination of limited funds and quick coaching turnover has presented a significant challenge for the women on the team. The team had to hurry to fill the head coaching void heading into Fall 2007.

"Having more funding would make us a lot more competitive," head coach Jamie Meyers said.

"There's times when you get angry as a player," Trimmer said, "But we don't bring in any revenue. They're investing in us, and we don't give a lot back to them. With basketball and volleyball, the games are packed and people pay to get in."

Trimmer pointed out that softball games are long and cold in Michigan, which hasn't helped the team win fans on campus.

"We are at the bottom of the totem pole," Trimmer said. "Nobody likes us!"

Meyers said this is normal.

"If you look at patterns in NCAA sports," she said, "revenue sports tend to have bigger budgets."

"When it's 40 degrees and raining, nobody wants to come out and watch you play," she added.

Dana Gould, a senior and a team captain, thinks this limits the team's scholarship funds.

"I have a suspicion that we don't get as much scholarship money," she said. "If you compare us to the basketball team, the basketball team is a revenue sport because they draw in a larger crowd and people have to pay to get into their event, so I feel like probably the basketball players get more money."

She believes this may limit the team's ability to recruit new players.

"Scholarship money does play a big role," Gould said. "For me, academics is really important too, so coming to Hillsdale was a fairly easy choice because I knew I was going to get a good education. But I know there are people out there who are trying to get the most amount of money from a school."

Meyers said the team offers five full scholarships a year.

According to Trimmer, most of the players get about $5,000 per year and the most a player can get per year is $10,000.

Trimmer pointed out that playing for the team is a full-time job, for which most players get less than minimum wage.

She also thinks that more funding would allow the team to play more teams and get more experience.

"I think if we had more funding, we could maybe do some more competitive trips," she said. "We go to Floridabfor spring Break, but if we had more funding, I'm sure we could go to more schools down south to get some more games in, just for the experience and good competition."

Less funding means more limits on facilities, which can result in strange practice times.

Trimmer said a few years ago, the team had practices at 4 a.m. because other teams were using the sports complex. This year, they have had one practice from 10 p.m. to midnight.

Meyers said the team had thirteen practices at 6 a.m. for a period of a month and a half this season.

"Getting everyone to fit in is really hard," Trimmer said.

The team would be more competitive if it had better facilities and equipment, Trimmer said.

The softball season overlaps with volleyball, basketball and track, which puts a strain on gymspace.

Funding limits don't affect the team members' attitudes, though.

"We go out there to play hard every time we play," she said. "It doesn't really depend on the money we get."

The team works hard to raise funds. Over fall break, the players spent two days at the Cedar Point amusement park conducting the rides. Gould said they raised a few thousand dollars this way.

"It was the most miserable experience of everyone's life," Meyers said. "We made decent money. You gotta do what you gotta do."

The girls worked from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., strapping kids into rides.

They also help direct parking at the County Fair, sell programs at a few home football games and run concession stands at some basketball games.

"It doesn't bring in a ton of money, but it definitely helps, because we don't have a huge budget," Gould said.

Meyers wishes the members of her team didn't have to work as hard to support their program.

"In some ways, it's not fair to ask the kids to do as much fundraising as we do, but it's not a choice," she said.

Their most lucrative fundraiser is a raffle. This year, each team member had to sell 20 tickets for $50 each. People who buy the tickets go to a dinner, and the winner of the raffle leaves with $2,000. The softball team usually still makes $6,000.

The recession may limit the team's fundraising though, according to Meyers. She said selling the tickets was extremely difficult this year.

Trimmer sold five tickets to car companies last year; this year, they didn't buy any.