Yassir Ali, opinions editor

Augsburg’s athletic department is home to many student athletes who have managed to foster great connections and build a community through companionship. Some of Augsburg’s sporting teams have gone on to do great things, from the men’s wrestling team winning 15 national championships to the women’s hockey team getting bronze in the national championships last year. Other teams have also been really successful, and the home attendance has generally been good. The question is, how is this experience impacted for the teams who have limited access to practice spaces or chances to play at home?

As a university whose mission statement is to foster community engagement and holds intentional diversity as its life and work, Augsburg should have the capability to increase the engagement and the success of its sports teams. Granted, there is certainly a limited space on campus to fit new facilities. However, as seen with the Edor Nelson field, which is utilized by several different sports teams, it is certainly possible to rethink how these spaces are best used in order to cater to a maximum number of students. 

Augsburg teams, like the men’s baseball team, do not have the capability to play at home, as they do not have access to a big enough practice field to host games. When speaking with Gelyn Boling, a current player from the baseball team, he said, “I feel kind of left out seeing other teams have home fields and we don’t. I like our fields, but it sucks not having as many people be able to come out and watch us play because we aren’t on campus.”

Some students have voiced their opinions on this lack of accessibility and on the lack of transportation for the students who live on campus but do not have vehicles to get to these sporting events. This reduces their abilities to support their friends and fellow Auggies. Augsburg should be able to help bridge that gap so that every team gets to experience the love of a home game and the passion of school spirit.

At the end of the day, Augsburg has already proven it can build a strong community around athletics. The history of championships, the energy of home games, and the dedication of players are all proof of that. The next step is making sure no team feels left out of that tradition. If Augsburg truly wants to live up to its mission of engagement and diversity, then ensuring that every athlete has the space and support to represent their school should be a top priority. That way, whether it is wrestling, hockey, baseball, or any other sport, every Augsburg athlete can feel the pride of playing on their home turf with their community right behind them.