Some big game changers are coming to the athletics program at Bucks, starting with the program now being run by Student Life.

Matt Cipriano, the director of Student Life programs at Bucks says there are some great improvements and changes to take place this year with Bucks athletics. One of those changes is organizational and structural changes.

The student athletics are now going to be under the Student Affairs division instead of the Academic Affairs Division.

Due to these structural and organizational changes Cipriano says they were able to streamline some of the paperwork making things more organized and efficient.

Also Bucks has made moves toward hiring an assistant golf director as well as moving Assistant Athletic Director Justin Boroughs from part-time to full time, so that he will be more accessible to serve our student athletic teams.

With the structural changes Cipriano is also encouraging teams to start fundraising for new equipment, “We are encouraging student-athletes to fundraise for things beyond the issued uniform.”

Many of the teams have just the basics of what they need due to low funding, so with the extra funding raised, they’ll be able to get more for their teams.

Cipriano assures that the changes being made won’t be hard for anyone to adjust to or cause any type of controversy.

“The changes we have been making thus far are small things. The current system isn’t broken by any means so we want to learn how things are done and the processes that have been set in place.” He said.

Besides the changes of structure and the added encouragement for fundraising, there has been an influx of students wanting to participate in sports this semester, which shows the changes are bringing a positive reaction from students. Cipriano said, “We had a record number get physicals and process eligibility paperwork at our Fall Athletics Orientation program. We have 53 I believe.”

The athletic program is also set to launch a new website, hopefully by the end of next month. Cipriano said the website should bring more traffic due to its easier navigation, better interaction and attractive design.

Bucks is also working towards the rejuvenation of its intramural leagues. There has always been an intramural sports league, but it hasn’t received much attention.

So for students looking to have a little fun and workout without the heavy commitment it’s a great option. The first intramural offering will be indoor sports.

Bucks currently offers a men’s and women’s, basketball, soccer, and tennis team. In addition to a woman’s volleyball team, men’s baseball and golf team, and a co-ed equestrian team.

Cipriano encourages students to go and try out for the Bucks athletic program. Besides being able to pursue something you love and compete, “you get to provide a very important service to the college by being an ambassador to Bucks by playing on one of our teams.”

Cipriano said that “about 90 percent of the work done for events activities and sports is behind the scenes.”

With the many changes being done within the Bucks athletic program, there should be lots of good to come. We hope for many victories from the Bucks Centurions.