Aquatics newest addition to City College athletics

By Roxanne Bequio

Staff Writer

At City College of San Francisco, plans are underway to offer a women’s swimming team in spring 2010.  The appearance of other aquatic sports, however, seem unlikely due to low demand, and a lacking budget. 

“We have felt that because of our new indoor pool facility, we have the opportunity to field a very competitive women’s swim team,” said Peg Grady, the women’s athletic director here at City College.

According to Grady, progress for the creation of the women’s swim team involves a lengthy process, which all new sports teams undergo to officially join the ranks of other athletic teams in the community college system. 

“It needs to be approved by the California Community College Commission on Athletics, and we need to let the other colleges within our conference know that we’ll have a team a year in advance,” said Grady of the swim team proposal which will be presented to the athletics commission in a meeting scheduled for October 2008.

Grady said additional factors are concerned when forming a team, such as compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 – a policy supporting “equal opportunities for athletes, men and women, to participate.”

“Right now we have a few more male athletes than we have female athletes,” Grady said. “Until we get more female athletes by larger numbers on rosters, we cannot form a men’s swim team.  We would be out of balance in terms of the ratio of male athlete’s to female athlete’s,” she said.

Since the development relies on overall interest, adequate facilities and an increased budget, it may also be a while before other water sports teams are introduced at City College.

She said the swimming pool at the Wellness Center, is not deep enough to offer diving as a sport. It also lacks diving boards .

As for water polo, Grady mentioned that equipment has been purchased, but the chances of forming a team were slim without additional funding or dropping another water sport.