Club Sports

Contact: Bob Smith—x5264

Club Sport Release Form and Waiver Form 

Middlebury College offers a wide variety of club sports. Most of them are part of the Athletics Department; others are affiliated with our Center for Campus Activities and Leadership. Club teams at Middlebury are an essential part of the overall Middlebury experience, as they represent some of the most diverse sports in American collegiate athletes life.

Club sports offer opportunities for competition where no varsity options exist. Any student seeking club sport status in areas where a varsity sport exists will not be recognized. Competition in these areas may be pursued through the intramural program.

• Approval for new club sport recognition is contingent upon the availability of appropriate facilities, storage, and staff oversight.
• Approval given to a new club sport does not automatically guarantee funding.

In order to use the name of Middlebury College and access College services, club sports must comply with the following regulations:

• They must receive approval of a constitution from the SGA Constitution Committee of the SGA through the Center for Campus Activities and Leadership. A constitution does not guarantee funding. The SGA Finance Committee will not contribute funds for compensating staff positions (i.e., stipends to coaches of club sports), operating facilities, capital projects to support club sports, or overnight accommodations.
• Participants must be regularly enrolled undergraduates.
• Club sport teams involved in intercollegiate competition must adhere to College, NESCAC and, where applicable, NCAA policies.
• Participants must conduct themselves in a manner that will reflect positively on the College.
• A coach is required for contact, equestrian, and water sports. Contracts and wages must be negotiated and authorized by the director of club sports in consultation with the director of athletics and the director of human resources.
• Club sport teams must make arrangements with the director of club sports for the use of athletic facilities and properties of the College at times when they are not otherwise needed by the Department of Physical Education and Athletics.
• Before competition begins, or within 10 days of the beginning of a season, budgets, waivers, informed consent forms, schedules, updated rosters, etc., must be submitted to the director of club sports.
• Club sport schedules must have the approval of the director of club sports.
• Club sport teams must notify the director of club sports prior to canceling, postponing, or rescheduling a scheduled contest.
• Level 1 club sport teams must provide adequate protective equipment and pre-season medical screenings, arranged through the Department of Sports Medicine, for all strenuous and/or contact sports.
• Club sport teams must provide safe and adequate means of travel and housing and be approved by the director of club sports.
• College travel forms and releases must be completed with the appropriate coach or director of club sports before private vehicles are used to transport participants to away matches.
• On a limited basis, Club sports teams may request to return to campus before the beginning of the fall term for preseason practice.  These requests will be reviewed by the Early Return Committee.  First-year students may not particpate in preseason practice.   
• See "Vehicle Rentals" policy in this Manual for policies and procedures regarding use of College or rental vehicles.
• Where appropriate, must have SFAPS/CPR-trained personnel in attendance at all games and practices scheduled when the training room is not staffed.
• Club membership does not entitle a student to class excuses.

Fund-raising by club sports is limited to on-campus efforts and is subject to Finance Committee Guidelines. (See Fund-Raising on College Premises in this Manual.) No group may solicit alumni and friends of the College for money to support club teams without permission of the director of club sports in consultation with the director of athletics, the director of campus activities and leadership and the College Advancement office. If permission has been received, those solicitations will be limited to sales and services with group mailings organized through the Center for Campus Activities and Leadership at specific intervals. Direct solicitation of funds is prohibited.

Violations of any of the above procedures will subject the group to loss of club status and the individuals to disciplinary action by the College.

II. Levels of Club Sports at Middlebury College

a. Level I (Rugby, Water Polo)

i. SGA and club dues provide funding for equipment and uniforms. The Athletics Department will provide funding for transportation and coach’s salary.

ii. The club will have a coach for supervisory and/or safety purposes. The coach will be salaried through the Athletics Department and other College approved sources. The coach will be hired and evaluated by the director of club sports. The coach may not be a student.

iii. The club must be affiliated with a national/regional governing sports body.

iv. The director of club sports in conjunction with the facilities coordinator must approve all club match/game schedules.

v. Games/matches should be confined to a 300-mile radius--further only at the club sport director's discretion.

vi. Athletics department will provide practice and game space after scheduling Varsity programs needs.

vii. Recruiting activities limited to responding to prospective student inquiries only.

b. Level II (Ultimate Frisbee, Crew, Cricket, Cycling, Equestrian, Sailing, Cheerleading, Men’s Volleyball)

i. SGA funding, club dues or other approved college sources will be the means of financial support at this level. There is no athletic funding for clubs at this level.

ii. There are no paid coaches/advisors and coaches/advisors are not required except where safety is an issue -as determined by the director of club sports and/or director of CCAL.

iii. The director of club sports must be consulted regarding the use of athletic facilities and all events will be scheduled through the facilities coordinator. This will happen only after the level I groups needs are met.

iv. SGA and CCAL oversee scheduling and travel.

c. Level III

i. There is no expectation for funding from regular College sources.

ii. There are no paid coaches and coaches/advisors are not required except where safety is an issue-as determined by the club sport director.

iii. Athletic facilities will be provided only after all demands for level I, level II, and departmental needs are satisfied.

d. The following is a list of guidelines indicating the requirements that must be met for a club to move from one level to the next. Only special circumstances will permit a club to advance skipping a level.

i. Level I to varsity sport status

- The introduction of “new” varsity sports at Middlebury should not be anticipated by any group.

- Full funding to cover all coaching, travel, officials, equipment and other related costs must be available within the Athletics Department budget or approved by appropriate College officials.

- The program must show proof of at least a three-year period of sufficient student interest to insure a continuing program, but such proof should in no way be assumed to make varsity status inevitable. The activity must be defined as an emerging conference (NESCAC) or national (NCAA) sport for at least 3 years.

- Proof of feasibility of scheduling “natural rivals” must be provided. 75% of the other schools in the conference the club will compete in must have varsity status (to assure varsity competition availability)

- Adequate facilities for practice and contests must be available without handicapping any existing programs sponsored by the Department of Athletics.

ii. Level II to I

- Demonstrate the ability to meet all requirements expected at level I

- There must be continued student support for 3 successive years.

- All schedule obligations must have been met during this time period (no forfeits).

- There can be no disciplinary incidents during that 3-year time period.

- There must be availability of facilities and funding to accommodate the program without handicapping any existing programs sponsored by the Department of Athletics.

iii. Level III to II

- Demonstrate the ability to meet all requirements expected at level II

- There must be continued student support for 3 successive years.

- All schedule obligations must have been met during this time period (no forfeits).

- There can be no disciplinary incidents during that 3-year time period.

- There must be availability of facilities to accommodate the program without handicapping any existing programs sponsored by the Department of Athletics.