By Alexandra Salerno
Managing Editor
Earlier this week, Sports Locker in Olean contacted Rob DeFazio about a T-shirt design it deemed too inappropriate to produce.
Welcome to Spring Weekend.
Starting yesterday and culminating in a championship game Sunday, 56 student softball teams will take part in the 14th annual Rick Farina Softball Tournament.
The games should be a fun and safe experience for everyone, according to DeFazio, tournament coordinator and director of the Center for Activities, Recreation and Leadership and the Richter Center. However, some students are taking team creativity too far.
“Every year, the team names are getting riskier and riskier,” said DeFazio. “It’s gotten beyond the point of trying to correct it. I’ve had to contact individual teams to change their names. Everything is either sexually related, alcohol related or (deals with) insensitive stuff that we’re not going to promote or tolerate.”
After receiving the call from Sports Locker, DeFazio sent tournament rules to local shirt printers that state derogatory, insensitive, vulgar or inappropriate language, clothing or equipment are not permitted. The result of these actions will be the loss of privileges.
DeFazio said he tried to monitor shirt designs as much as possible.
“Both (shirt printers) have been good with sending me examples of shirt designs and names on the front and back.”
DeFazio said he questions why students choose to sport vulgar clothing in the first place.
“I’ve talked to students who told me the only time they can wear their old Spring Weekend shirts is during Spring Weekend because they’re too ashamed to wear it any other times,” DeFazio said. “When you can’t wear your shirt anywhere else, even at home, that should tell you something.”
DeFazio said he hopes students follow tournament guidelines throughout the weekend.
“Whether it’s fighting or being generally abusive toward other players, one person can definitely ruin it for the whole team,” he said. “A high percentage of people follow the rules and have a good time, but there’s always going to be someone out there breaking the rules, and we’ll deal with it.”
DeFazio said he plans on enforcing rules such as students cannot bring a container larger than a gallon size on the field.
“If we do see students who are inebriated and a safety risk, we are going to do our best to get them off the field,” he said.
DeFazio said he hopes students are prepared for weather. Games will only be cancelled on account of rain.
“It’s going to be cold, and hopefully people dress appropriately,” he said. “They probably won’t, but we hope they do.”
Although DeFazio said his main goal for the tournament is for students to have a good time, he looks forward to future softball tournaments. He has questioned changing the sport tournament all together.
“I’ve asked students randomly what they would think about a kickball tournament instead of a softball in the future,” said DeFazio. “More people may feel part of the tournament if it’s changed to kickball because more people can take part in it. Kickball is a safer game because we don’t have to worry about people getting hit by balls or bats and things like that. Nothing is changing now, but it’s just something I’ve asked about for the future.”
salernak10@bonaventure.edu
