09 October, 2019

Athletics dept. rethinks JV teams as participation dwindles

When Athletic Director Lisa Melendy came to the College in the mid-1980s, junior varsity (JV) teams were a fixture of athletic departments across the country. When Melendy coached the JV women’s lacrosse team 25 years ago, she could often field three teams on a game day, splitting the group up into shifts to give all the women playing time. However, after decades of decline in JV sports due to dwindling student participation, the College now only has a fraction of the teams it once had. “That was the mid-90s,” she said. “And now we can’t even get enough people on a bus to go to a game. It’s changed so dramatically.”
Currently, only three JV teams remain: men’s JV soccer, men’s JV basketball and women’s JV basketball. This fall, the longstanding women’s JV soccer program was converted into a physical education class, after years of difficulties with participation and finding other teams to compete against. The women’s JV lacrosse team underwent the same transition last spring, but was ultimately cancelled after receiving no sign-ups. There are no plans to bring back the program this spring, Melendy said. 
These changes are indicative of a broader trend in collegiate athletics, Melendy said. Many of the College’s peer institutions have ended their JV programs in the past decade, as participation levels and athletic department budgeting for JV teams decreased.