"It's hard to keep trying when they keep telling you 'no'," junior Courtenay Kelly said of Hockey Club's funds being denied by the Student Government Association (SGA). Without funding from SGA, Hockey Club is unable to obtain the means necessary to be a chartered Longwood organization.
The club has gone to SGA twice and plans to do so again. But before they can be an official club, they need the funds necessary for a facility to practice in. Kelly said, "We used to practice in Iler [Gym] but when they converted that to the athlete's gym, we lost it."
There are no floors in any of the gym facilities on campus that they're able to skate on because they need good traction for the wheels on their in-line skates. The hurdle is that putting new floor down in the gym would cost nearly $30,000 - an amount the SGA Student Finance Committee (SFC) is unwilling to provide.
"If we don't have a place to practice then there's no point in having a club," Kelly said. Instead, several students play in an adult league a couple times a week at Shooters in Chesterfield, Va.
When asked if they had any plans to formally reform as a club, Kelly said she didn't know. A lot of students that were on the team have graduated; Kelly was still a freshman when the heavy-hitters were still participating in the club regularly. "Everyone just got super busy, and it ended up falling apart," she said.
Jake Smith, vice president of the Hockey Club, said the biggest problem was not getting e-mailed back by SGA. "All of the paperwork is done, and we've tried to contact them a lot," he said.
"It sucks because we want to be a legitimate club and to represent Longwood, but SGA won't acknowledge us."
Smith said the club is an "all interest group." There are several beginners and experienced hockey players in the club. "We're a great group of people who would love for more people to come out to show their interest in hockey."
SFC could not be contacted concerning their denial of Hockey Club's request before deadline. As the club makes strides toward becoming a chartered Longwood organization, contact Jake Smith or Ben Morton with any questions or interest in joining their club.
