Funding Vital to Participating Teams at Collegiate National Championships

Competition is fierce here in St. Louis as The NCRHA National Tournament is underway and first place is not only what teams are hungry for but more funding from their school.

Teams are gathering here in St. Louis from all over the country to vouch for first prize but getting here was not cheap.

â??Our players are paying about $400 of their own money to be here,â? A.J. Frey, Hofstra University player said.

Although the Hofstra team is provided about $14,000 from their university, Frey said that he would like to see more so that it could benefit the future of their team.

â??We have a lot of younger players and I want them to get the experience of playing at the national level.â?  Frey said.

The amount of funding that teams receive from their school can definitely impact their performances.

â??Teams that get a sufficient amount of funding from their university tend to be stronger,â? Director of League Operations and Officiating, Rob Coggin said.  â??Teams also seem to be more stable based on the funding that is provided for them.â?

Joe Tamburino has is in his second year coaching the Stonybrook University Sea Wolves and as a coach, he says that funding is crucial.

â??This sport needs recognition, and the more it is recognized, the better the sport will be.â?  Tamburino said.

For Frey, he would like to see more teams participate in the NCRHA and he wishes that it was easier for teams to get around simply for what they can take away from the event.

â??You get experience representing your schooI,â? Frey said.  â??Itâ??s cool to say that you have played teams from all over the United States .â?