Title IX is a piece of legislation included in the Education Amendments of 1972 that require any school receiving federal funding to provide men and women with the equal opportunity to compete in sports.
This piece of legislation is why Sam Houston State University does not have an NCAA affiliated men’s soccer team. However, there is a men’s club soccer team.
“I think it’s a good thing to get females involved in sports as much as possible,” said Jack Woosley, junior right back and president of thcLUBe club. “Not being associated with the NCAA gives us a lot freedom. We get to choose who we play, pick our own coach and represent SHSU with our own style and play.”
Club soccer’s season and conference takes place during the fall semester, along with a regional and national tournament.
The club has been around for years, but only recently have they started making a name for themselves.
During the fall 2012 season, the club finished second in their conference and advanced to the regional tournament. A few close games later, the club advanced to the national tournament where they were bounced in the quarterfinals after a tough match against the University of California, Berkley.
“That was the point that changed the club,” Woosley said. “When people on campus started hearing about our success against some of the top teams in the nation, people started to get interested.”
Last year, the club was put in a prickly situation. After losing a majority of their team due to graduation, the club was forced to rebuild the squad almost from scratch.
The club is currently 0-2, with losses to the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. However, both games have been tough and close losses, according to Woosley.
“These losses are not wanted of course, but at the beginning of the season with almost a brand new squad, it’s almost expected,” Woosley said. “The team – like all sports teams – needs time to gel. We are gaining confidence every day.”
The club will play host to Texas Christian University Saturday at 3 p.m. at Pritchett Field.
“Playing at Pritchett Field at 3 p.m. with the heat bearing down is tough and extremely hot, almost in the 120s,” Woosley said. “We are looking forward to hopefully getting a good result versus TCU.”
For more information about the SHSU men’s club soccer team, follow @SHSU_MEN_SOCCER on twitter for game updates, schedules, and other SHSU soccer related material.