Diversify Sports Coverage

To the Editors of The Crimson:

We, the Harvard men's volleyball team, are concerned about the lack of diversity in The Crimson's sports coverage. The winter/spring sports seasons issues of our school's newspaper were extremely narrow in their focus regarding which sports were given coverage. In particular, the apparent nonexistence of volleyball at Harvard was--and is--disturbing.

It is clear to us and the other members of the Harvard student body that the more popular, revenue-producing sports will continue to hold The Crimson's spotlight. Hockey, basketball, baseball, tennis and lacrosse have all been established as prominent sports much longer than ourselves, and we do not begrudge them the attention they receive and deserve.

However, we find it hard to believe that in almost four months of matches, games and scrimmages you could not mention the progress of the lesser sports more than you did. For example, in our own case, we counted a total of three articles and two pictures alloted to men's volleyball during the course of our season. These brief appearances in The Crimson all occurred before we had completed the first third of our season, which began in early January and finished this past weekend. It seems to us that rugby, swimming and golf find themselves in similar circumstances.

What we ask for is not incredibly demanding, or even out of the ordinary. Perhaps an occasional article between baseball double-headers or lacrosse national tournaments? Or just a mention, a word in "Sports Shorts" (see The Crimson, April 22) like most every other sport received? Or just a listing on a Monday of our games coming up during the week? Please?

These are requests that many other teams would make also, and they would not be difficult to concede. For example, would a small box listing the sporting events of the week be so difficult to include on a regular basis? In last year's Monday issues, Crimson readers would frequently find a few extra pages which covered the spectrum of Harvard athletics. This was a popular feature, and it would be nice if such a weekend wrap-up were ressurected.

At the very least, isn't it the newspaper's responsibility to give each sport a short summary of its season when it is over? This courtesy is owed not only the athletes who devote so much of their time to the sport, but also to the loyal fans of the sport, however few.

As a side note, the men's volleyball team enjoyed a successful season. We compiled an 18-9 record, finished first in our league and qualified for the NCAA playoffs, both distinctions which are as significant, if not more so, as many of those earned by some of the more recognized sports.

Moreover, this past Saturday, April 20, Harvard hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Eastern Regional Volleyball Playoffs at the Malkin Athletic Center. (Did the sports editors know this?) The Crimson spikers defeated the East Stroudsburg Warriors 3-1 in the morning, but fell in a tough three games to Navy, ranked 18th nationally, in the afternoon.

This concludes a long, unheralded, but still thoroughly worthwhile season for us, during which our small group of fans grew louder and more numerous. Their presence was more valuable than they know. We would like to extend to our fans our deepest thanks for their support and encouragement, and also our warmest invitations to return next year.

In writing this letter, we do not wish to offend or whine. Rather, we offer our requests as small additions to our school's newspaper, additions we feel would help ensure a more informed student body and a more diverse sports section. Vince Marin '92   Alec Berg '91   and the Harvard Men's Volleyball Team