Community members gathered Wednesday night for a second meeting discussing the possibility of starting a collegiate sports program at MCCC.
A total of 14 members from the community attended the meeting. Coaches, athletic directors, and officials were also represented at the meeting.
The first meeting that took place on December 6 showed great promise for the idea.
“There is definitely community interest for sports here at the college,” said Kojo Quartey, President of MCCC. “Students are interested, community members are interested, and faculty and staff are interested.”
The meeting focused on how to fund the program and which sports would be chosen if the program was started.
Different funding ideas included pay-to-play, scholarships, grants, corporate sponsorships, and a booster club.
The hope for the college is to pick two sports, one for men and one for women, to start the program.
Among the choices thrown into discussion included basketball, volleyball, tennis, soccer, cross country, golf, bowling, trap and skeet shooting, and outdoor volleyball for both men and women. Other men’s sports were baseball and wrestling, and softball for women.
Lynn Beattie, a community member, believes that the meetings are going in a positive direction.
“I think the beautiful part of a second meeting was that there was a second meeting,” Beattie said. “That you had people that were knowledgeable in the field. You don’t have people that are bored and need a place to go for the evening.“
The commitment of those who have attended the meeting has allowed an advisory committee to be formed which will look further into the discussion of school sports.
That committee and community members are encouraged to attend the next meeting scheduled for February 21 at 5:30 p.m. in room 173AB of the A Building.