By Rhiannon Potkey
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Benji Gomez was expecting to report to Moorpark College’s first wrestling practice of the season Monday.
The redshirt sophomore had arranged his work schedule at the Luggage Factory to fit around his training.
Gomez finished eighth in the state two years ago and his main goal this year was to capture the 133-pound title.
But instead of discussing strategies to win matches, Gomez is plotting ways to save his season.
The Moorpark wrestlers were informed last week their program — one of the most successful in the state — has been suspended indefinitely.
A victim of the state’s budget shortfall, wrestling is one of three sports, along with men’s and women’s golf, Moorpark has suspended indefinitely.
“I am really bummed out,” said Gomez, a Rio Mesa High School graduate. “I asked my coach, ‘Is there anything we can do?’ I will raise the money or something to keep the program going. I’ll do anything.”
Moorpark College President Dr. Pam Eddinger said the decision to suspend the programs wasn’t easy but the budget crisis left the college with no choice.
The suspensions reduce the number of athletic programs at Moorpark from 16 to 13 and are expected to save the college $85,000 to $90,000 annually.
“This was very, very hard because athletics is a thing that opens doors for a number of students who would not normally be here and I see it as an important part of our academic core,” Eddinger said. “But it really became about what 13 sports we could have that would touch the most amount of students and get them the most amount of exposure to move them through college.”
Not so golden state
College athletic programs across the country are grappling with the effects of the economic downturn.
California schools have been some of the hardest hit because of the state’s $26.3 billion budget shortfall.
In the budget deal reached last month, $6 billion was cut from K-12 schools and community colleges.
Community colleges will receive almost 6 percent less state funding this year than last year.
Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges have taken a combined hit of $6.6 million this year.
The Ventura County Community College District has already increased tuition, reduced staff and cut classes.
In February, the California Community College Athletic Association approved a plan to reduce the number of athletic contests for the 2009-10 academic year in a move that is expected to save about $1.5 million.
But that won’t be enough to save some athletic departments.
Last month, L.A. City College suspended all but one of its sports, citing the budget cuts.
The county’s two other community colleges have yet to resort to suspending or cutting athletic programs.
“At our site, we made the reductions across the entire campus without eliminating entire programs,” Ventura College athletic director Will Cowen said. “Everybody’s school budget works differently and it depends on how much flexibility you have in certain areas. In ours, we were able to cut other expenses.”
Oxnard College athletic director Jonas Crawford hasn’t been told to cut or suspend any programs, but he can’t rule it out.
“I am praying that I can do everything in my power to keep that from happening,” Crawford said. “I haven’t been notified by any upper administration that we need to do it, but I imagine the budget situation will get worse in the spring, so we will see.”
Losses sadden many
Once Moorpark suspended its programs, word spread fast throughout the area’s tight-knit wrestling community.
The 41-year-old program has captured five state wrestling championships and 27 conference titles.
Charles Sandlin was a two-time All-American at Moorpark and a member of the 1997 state championship team.
“I was actually heartbroken when I heard the news because of all the kids who will miss out on the opportunity to be able to wrestle,” said Sandlin, who received a wrestling scholarship to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. “Not only the kids that go to Moorpark, but the high school and elementary school kids who go there to train with the older college guys in the area.”
Moorpark was the only college in the county to offer wrestling, and the program’s suspension continues a nationwide trend of diminishing collegiate wrestling programs.
At one point, California had nearly 75 community college wrestling programs. The loss of Moorpark drops the number to 21.
“These kids have nowhere to go now,” Sandlin said. “The closest other programs are in San Luis Obispo, East L.A. or Bakersfield.”
Moorpark women’s golf coach Gary Abraham found out his program had been suspended the day before his family’s summer vacation.
“I am obviously really disappointed not only for myself but for the girls we recruited this year,” Abraham said. “They will not get an opportunity to play and most of them were really sad about it and a few of them were crying when I told them.”
Abraham’s biggest concern was the timing of the notification, which came two weeks before the season was scheduled to begin. His players had already gone through orientation and taken their physicals.
“If they would have done it a little earlier at least the girls would have had time to possibly go someplace else and play if they wanted,” Abraham said. “By this point, it’s too late for most of them to do that.”
Members of the men’s golf team have the option of playing for Ventura College or transferring to another school in time for their spring season.
Moorpark also announced that men’s golf coach Will Thurston, in his 31st season coaching at Moorpark, will take over the softball program for the second time in his career.
Alternative funding sources
Sandlin is spearheading an effort to keep Moorpark’s wrestling program going for at least one more season.
His group has been contacting alumni and coaches in an effort to raise $35,000.
Sandlin’s family owns and operates Roadrunner Shuttle in Camarillo. The company plans to cover any remaining money not generated through the fundraising effort.
“There are going to be more budget cuts to come, and instead of solving the problem by eliminating programs, we would like them to think outside the box and look for alternative methods of funding,” Sandlin said. “It doesn’t matter how successful a program is, if there is no budget to fund it, it’s going to be gone and our kids won’t have an opportunity to compete.”
Sandlin is scheduled to meet with Eddinger to discuss his proposal. But Eddinger is hesitant to agree to a short-term solution.
“We are reluctant to go down a road unless it is really clear that it will give us a sustained source of revenue,” she said. “We don’t want to have to pull the plug again in two or three years. We need to talk about what this means not just for next year, but the year after that and the year after that.”
Eddinger can’t say if or when the programs could be reinstated. She believes it will be at least five years before the state’s financial outlook begins to improve.
Eddinger appreciates the passionate outpouring of support from the wrestling community.
She has received at least 50 e-mails in the last week and responded to each one personally.
But Eddinger said she can’t let emotion get in the way of doing what is in the best fiscal interest of the entire college.
“Wrestling has always been a successful program here and we are very, very proud of that,” she said. “I don’t want them to ever feel like the suspension is besmirching their achievements. It’s important to keep that in mind, at least for me it is.”
