EPCC
has competed in baseball and softball in the 10-team Western Junior
College Athletic Conference for the past 10 years – but we don’t
have a basketball team.
In order for EPCC to have a Basketball team, it must be approved by
the Board. According to Dana Eisenga, athletics coordinator, the college
would need a men and women’s team.
“The Board was in the process of making a basketball team in
2002, but the board realized that they didn’t have enough funding
to support the team,” he said. It would not be possible to create
a team before 2010.
“If we were to raise the fees a little bit that would help a
lot, but I think the students of EPCC wouldn’t like that,”
said Eisenga. The college would need 15 scholarships for each team,
he added. Twelve of each would have to be local, which would mean
El Paso, Juarez, Las Cruses, Alamogordo and Albuquerque.
“Just the men’s basketball team in tuition would approximately
cost $21,300 for two semesters,” Eisenga said. Salaries for
a coach and assistant coach would come to $50,000 to $60,000.
The players would need a dorm to stay in as well. “Building
a dorm was approved but it was stopped because of state budget,”
said Eisenga, but other colleges have risen the funding for basketball
teams.
“It’s simple,” he said. “They raise fees.
In other words, they have higher fees then we do.”
Nor does EPCC have a suitable gym. Ours is not big enough. “We
could practice in it but that would be it, but in order for us to
build a new gym we need the funding.” said Eisenga. That would
have to be approved by the board.
It’s all up to you students out there. So, if you really want
it, then go for it.
