Title 9 threat immediately recognized by President Rhine who has quickly moved to remedy the threat posed to the Community College  by adding women’s soccer team; Governing Board has never addressed Title 9 compliance issue as part of its oversight duty despite potential serious impact of a knowing violation on the District

Dr. Rodney Jenkins

At the  April Governing Board meeting, The Yavapai Community College Administration revealed that the Community College was put into a position of high risk of civil rights violations because it had failed to comply with federal law, specifically Title 9.  It is one of the first issues addressed by president Dr. Lisa Rhine following her hiring.

Yavapai Community College Vice President of Community Relations and Student Development, Dr. Rodney Jenkins,  told the Governing Board that “to be out of compliance with Title 9 and know it, is a dangerous line to walk.  We are now very close to being in compliance once we field this [women’s soccer] team and add a couple other components. [Then] “we will be within the 54^th percentile range, where we should be” with federal civil rights law.

He also said that the athletic teams, athletic spending have to recognize and be equal to the number of enrolled  female students.  You may listen to his complete short report to the Governing Board at the April meeting on the video clip below or alternatively when the video of the meeting is posted on the Governing Board web site.

The Blog notes that the District Governing Board has not  considered as a part of its oversight role looking into whether the Community College was following Title 9 in the last decade, if ever.

Second visit to National Championship under Coach Shaver; championship scheduled for April 15-17 in West  Plains, Missouri

The Yavapai Community College volleyball team  will return to the NJCAA DI National Championships for the second  time in coach  Zachary Shaver’s  tenure.  The National Championship Tournament will be comprised of the top 16 teams from throughout the United States  will be held in West Plains, Missouri  April 15-17.

The team is made up of 14 athletes.  One athlete is from Yavapai County, Mailani  Manual, a Prescott Valley Bradshaw high school graduate.  About half of the remaining athletes come from Arizona and the other half from out-state.

 This year’s team accomplished something no other Yavapai volleyball team has ever done. They completed the Championship Trifecta (Conference, Region, & District) by winning the NJCAA Southwest B District Championship over #18 ranks Hill College (TX). The victory not only secured a third championship in the 2021 season, it also earned the Yavapai team  1 of only 14 automatic bids to the NJCAA DI National Championship Tournament.

Only five student athletes from Yavapai County are in its 2020-2021 program; far from  minimal goal of 25% discussed  in April 2020; plans to achieve minimum  goal unclear

Yavapai Community College spent a significant amount of time during Tuesday’s Governing Board meeting justifying the existence of its expanding athletic department and the low number of students from the County who participate in its program.   Using College figures, only 14% of its current athletes are from the County. The program, which now has four teams, will expand to seven teams over the next few years with the addition of a women’s soccer team this fall and a men and women’s basketball team (date not yet announced).

Athletic Director Brad Clifford reported to the Board that in 2020-202, only five of the student athletes are from Yavapai County.  Thirty recruits are from Arizona, 33 from outside Arizona but in the United States, and four came from countries outside the United States.

One explanation given by Mr. Clifford for the low number of County students in the program is that “the best student-athletes in Yavapai County want to leave the county to pursue their athletic endeavors.” He did not discuss whether lowering  recruiting standards would generate more athletes from the County.

Mr. Clifford also said that “the department’s policy is to recruit within the County first.”  However, “due to sheer numbers,” he said, “most recruiting is done outside of Yavapai County.”  (See his slide.)  He did not explain what he meant by the phrase “due to sheer numbers.”

In April 2020, Vice President Clint Ewell told the Governing Board that it was his understanding that  the College would  seek to increase County student athletic involvement by at least twenty-five percent. Chair McCasland affirmed Mr. Ewell’s statement.   (The video clip is below.) The BLOG recalls  no discussion at Tuesday ‘s presentation to the Governing Board regarding how that goal  would be achieved. 

Rozanne (Rozie) DeWeese, named first Head Coach as Community College expands its athletic program

Yavapai Community College has hired Rozanne (Rozie) DeWeese as the  Head Coach for its  new  Women’s Soccer Program.  Coach DeWeese is leaving Sacramento State University, where she was an assistant soccer  coach since 2017.  Coach DeWeese spent 10 years as the Associate Head Coach at the University of California, Davis and before that was an assistant coach at Indiana State University.

Coach  DeWeese expressed her honor and excitement at becoming the first coach to head the women’s soccer program.   She said that “These are challenging times we are all facing through the continuing pandemic. However, I am grateful and optimistic about the opportunity to make a positive impact for aspiring student-athletes to achieve continued success, Together as part of the YC Soccer Family.”

The program will begin with matches in the fall of 2021.

Sources:  Yavapai Community College photo. Yavapai Community College January 15, 2021 news release written by Kelsey English. You may view the press release at https://www.yc.edu/v6/news/2021/01/rosie-deweez.html. 

Expansion to begin in spring 2021

Yavapai Community College is expanding its sports programs significantly over  the next two years.  It is adding eSports, which involves computer competition to its program.  It is claimed that this is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. The College is working with a “couple of private firms” to raise funds to cover the cost of the sport. (Location probably Prescott Campus but no word yet to confirm that is the case.)

A women’s soccer team will be created on the Prescott Campus and functioning by the spring 2021.  The Community College had hoped to announce a new coach in October, but Covid-19 interfered with that decision.

The goal is to recruit 80 to 90 percent of female athletes from County high schools for the soccer team.  However, unless the current men’s soccer team is composed of athletes from the County in the same percentage, legal issues may arise under Title 9.  Those issues were not addressed.

The College also intends to kick off Men and Women basketball on the Prescott Campus in the fall 2022.

The total costs of adding all the new programs to the Prescott athletic offering was not disclosed.

You may view a portion of the discussion regarding the new athletic programs below.

Scrimmage and practice possible in small groups  in the fall; responding to Board member  Chevalier, VP Jenkins says College will not have spring sports if doing so poses a danger to students

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board was provided a detailed explanation at its August meeting for the reasons fall sports were moved to spring 2021.  Vice President Rodney Jenkins explained that the decision was made because “every scenario we looked at, there was a percentage of student athletes and or coaches and staff who would contract” Covid-19.

 In addition to the recommendation by the Yavapai coaches, staff and Jenkins made to the President about closing,  all of the Arizona community college presidents agreed on their own to move fall sports to spring. The NJCAA also recommended the move.

Third District Representative Paul Chevalier raised a question about operating the sports program in the Spring if there had not by that time been an effective vaccination program in place.  Vice President Jenkins assured Mr. Chevalier that the Community College would not place student athletes in danger of the virus in the spring.

You may view the six minute report and discussion on the video clip below.