Starting A New Club

Source: https://clubsports.mit.edu/for-athletes/starting-a-new-club/ Parent: https://asa.mit.edu/group-privileges/club-sport/

Due to financial and facility space strains, new club sport applications will be put on hiatus for the foreseeable future. Prior to the official recognition process, groups should read the below information and contact the Officers at csc-officers@mit.edu to ensure the new group is a good match for the Club Sports program before the application process.

Considerations

The Club Sports Council Officers will consider the following criteria when evaluation applications for new clubs:

1. Membership/Leadership – groups must be student-formed and led.  The roster must contain at least 10 members, 50% of which are MIT students. The club must be moderated by at least 2 full-time MIT students in designated “President” and “Treasurer” roles. Additionally, under current rules, all members must meet the club sport eligibility guidelines possess a valid MIT athletic card.
2. Instructional/Competitive Nature – all groups must be either primarily instructional or competitive to be a Club Sport. Instructional clubs must have a qualified instructor, a measurable progression of skill, and the majority of time during club meetings must be used for instruction. Competitive clubs meet to train for competition in an approved league. Groups that meet primarily to play informally (such as pick-ups) or for social purposes are considered recreational groups and will not be recognized as Club Sports. Seeking recognition as an ASA group is generally recommended for groups of this nature.
3. Uniqueness – New groups must be distinct from existing Club Sports in order to be recognized. Groups representing a sport that already has an existing club are unlikely to be recognized.
4. Survivability – for a new group to be recognized, it will need to be a group that is likely to continue in existence over a long period of time. Factors involved in this include availability of coaching/instructors, availability of local competition for competitive clubs, and overall student interest.

Application Proposal

Aspects to address in a club sport proposal include:

• Purpose and objectives of your club (instructional, recreational, competitive, etc.)
• What are your facility needs? (practice frequency, time, location, flexibility, hosting competitions, etc.)
• What are your equipment and storage needs?
• What are your financial needs?  Must include a “mock” budget for review listing start-up costs, year to year costs such as instructor/coaching fees, entry fees, league fees, officials’ fees, travel fees (van rental, gas, food, lodging), etc.  Include your planned income (dues, fundraising, etc.) How do you plan to pay for the club’s expenses?
• Are there other local teams to play?  Is there a recognized league/association for this sport?  If so, please provide name and website.
• What are the safety concerns relevant to this type of activity?
• How many interested students do you have? (must list at least 10-15 interested students, ID numbers, and graduation year)
• Explain your sport specific and leadership experience (also include this for other likely team leaders/officers)
• Do you have an instructor or coach already? What are their qualifications? If you do not have one, where will you get one?
• Any other information that may help us better understand the mission or needs of your group.

Submission

The proposal should be submitted to the Club Sport Council at csc-officers@mit.edu

Close

Input Search Term

Submit Search

MIT Club Sports is committed to providing an environment that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you cannot access content or use features on our website due to a disability, please let us know.