Fresno State Athletics
SideOut Club Gets Community Involved
12/20/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Dec. 20, 1999
FRESNO, Calif. - Every great motion picture has a strong main character who personifies the theme. The excellent actor or actress is one reason why the acclaimed feature film may receive so much praise. However, it is known that one person doesn?t make a blockbuster movie all by his or her self. It takes a solid supporting cast to especially construct a fantastic hit that opens itself up to an abundance of praise. Don?t forget those who work behind the scenes as well. The camera crews, director, producers and promoters are all essential pieces of the movie.
The framework of a college athletic program draws some similarities. The basis of a sports program are the players and coaches, without these people there is no competition. There is much more to a team than just its players and coaches, though. The fans, administrators, marketing, media relations and boosters are very much involved with college athletics.
Boosters are important in many ways to an athletic program. They are the people who give their time, talents, and money to assist in any way they can. In the case of the Fresno State volleyball team, a group of boosters have formed an association called the SideOut Club. Its function in the volleyball program is to use money earned from various fund raising activities, along with membership dues, to provide additional support to the team.
The SideOut Club assists the squad in any way it can, but specifically fulfills special projects that are not in the volleyball program?s budget. Every year the club donates to the volleyball improvement fund. It provides additional volleyball and technical equipment, which includes the sports court that the team plays on and the Whacker serving machine that is used in training. The gift packets for all participants in the Fresno State Volleyball Invitational are provided by this organization. "Meet the Team" socials that occur at the Alumni match and the annual awards banquet, are also sponsored by this club.
There are also some new projects that SideOut is working on. They are in the process of raising funds to upgrade the computer system for the coaches. They would like to help with tuition for the players and student coaches and pay for the spring season expenses. Also, they hope to provide the finances to put in some grass volleyball courts. All of this information, as well as team information is communicated through a monthly newsletter between the months of August and December.
There are many advantages to being a member of this club. By showing their support, SideOut club members such benefits as discounts for concessions at home matches and other SideOut events. Students and seniors receive $3 SideOut Bucks, singles get $5 SideOut Bucks and families and businesses acquire $7 SideOut Bucks that are used at the events. Just being a part of the club gives people a chance to get involved with Fresno State volleyball, meet the players and coaching staff and enjoy all the volleyball action.
Evidently the SideOut Club is more than just an organization for typical fans. It is a chance for the community to become involved with a major university volleyball program. Because it takes more than just moral support to keep a program running, the SideOut Club has provided the necessary help outside of the team?s capabilities. A supporting cast is sometimes overlooked, but it is always an essential part of the program.
