Ball State University football players aren't the only people benefitting from the newly-renovated Scheumann Stadium. Saturday, the first-ever women's football clinic took place at the new stadium. The clinic was the football team's effort to reach out to women in the community and benefit a good cause at the same time. Each of the 100 participants paid a $30 entry fee, and all of the proceeds went to The Cancer Center at Ball Memorial Hospital.
The women's clinic showed the team's willingness to be involved in the community, but the efforts shouldn't stop with the women's clinic. The athletic department and football team should consider offering more community-orientated programs in the future and allow the new stadium to be used to its full potential.
At most universities, it's rare to see big money-making sports like football donating space and time to events that involve the community. Typically, football stadiums are reserved for games and sit unused the majority of the time. The football team has already sponsored the women's clinic, and there's no reason similar events shouldn't be hosted at the stadium as well.
At some point or another, anyone who's attended a major football game has probably wondered what it would be like to run around on a high-quality field. In the past, allowing people from the community to run rampant on the grass field would have spelled disaster. With the new artificial turf, however, the field can be used more often without causing any damage.
The more the football team involves the community, the more likely the stands will be filled when the season starts. The stadium could be used for a multitude of activities, whether they relate to football or not. If fans are given the chance to be involved with the stadium in other ways besides sitting in the stands, the appeal of football will only increase.
An increase in use will also make it easier for the athletic department to justify spending millions of dollars on the renovations. After all, using the stadium for one game a week during the season is hardly the best way to use the new features and space the stadium offers.
The football team has a good start to involving the community more with Scheumann Stadium after this weekend's clinic, but the efforts need to continue if the stadium is going to be a success in the future.
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