The South Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve an application to the National Junior College Athletics Association. This application is in connection to the college taking steps to start a men's and women's basketball team.
The projected plan is to have the teams set up for next season to play 16 games with six away and the others played at the Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado.
The SouthArk teams would be classified as Division II, which is the same division as Arkansas State Mid-South, North Arkansas and Southern Arkansas University Tech for both the men's and women's teams.
Derek Moore, vice president for student services, said at the meeting that the startup cost for the teams will be around $60,000 for equipment, uniforms, coaching and transportation.
SouthArk put out a job listing last fall for a part-time basketball coach, but has not yet announced anybody to fill the position.
Moore said joining the NJCAA will not only give the teams competition, which wouldn’t really happen if they were to be just club sports, but the hope is that it will also help with recruiting, marketing and allow the teams to play postseason after two years.
The school is applying for a grant that would go toward renovating the gymnasium. If that goes through, the teams would be able to play there, however in the meantime Moore said the Boys & Girls Club has agreed to let the teams use their facility. The Boys and Girls Club received a new basketball court in November, which was a donation from LANXESS.
Moore said the college’s best bet is to try to recruit locally for the time being because SouthArk doesn’t offer any on-campus housing options, which would aid in recruiting from outside of the area.
There was also brief conversation at the meeting from Trustee Kerri Brown, speaking for the Real Estate and Facilities Committee, about on-campus housing.
“We would like to explore house on campus,” she said.
However, no action was taken on the topic by the board at this time.
Board honors leaving trustee
Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer has served on the SouthArk Board of Trustees for 12 years. However, now stepping into her role as mayor, when her term ran out at the end of the year she didn’t apply for the position again because of obligations as mayor.
During Smith-Creer’s last term, she served as vice chair on the board.
Because of her long-term service with the board SouthArk President Dr. Barbara Jones and Board Chair Steven Cousins presented her with a SouthArk clock. Smith-Creer said she hopes this isn’t a true goodbye and there are things she still hopes to be able to do with them in her new position.
“I want to thank all of you who are current board members who I have worked with, all of those who aren’t here who I got the chance to work with,” Smith-Creer said. “I’ve been able to grow because of it. I think it will make me an amazing mayor because I was, I hope, a good trustee.”
Smith-Creer’s position on the board was filled by Wayne Gibson, who is also on the El Dorado School Board, in an announcement by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in January. His appointment is through 2025. The Board will also need to elect a new vice chair with her departure.
Michael Shine may be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook @MichaelAZShine for updates on Union County school news.