Jeffery Tweedie Sport Clubs Leadership Award

This is an annual award presented by UMaine Campus Recreation in honor of Jeffrey Tweedie, a member of the UMaine Men’s Rugby Club who displayed great courage, leadership, and strength of character after being seriously injured while participating in the UMaine Men’s Rugby Club in 1994.

Sports clubs represent UMaine by competing against teams and clubs from other universities and colleges. National governing bodies for each club provide competition guidelines and league structure.

Sports clubs are student-led and student administered. Each has a budget that is run through Campus Recreation, which in part funds nearly all clubs. Clubs are eligible for funding through Campus Recreation after they have been active for at least one year and have a membership minimum of ten members.

The University of Maine, Campus Recreation Sports Club program gives the student an opportunity to take part in the leadership, responsibility, and decision-making process of their respective club activities.

The success of any Sports Club depends on the professionalism and leadership shown by the club officers, advisors, and coaches. It is created for students, by students and is under the supervision of Campus Recreation. Individual clubs establish their own membership requirements, dues, and club activities. Club members nominate student officers who run the day-to-day operations, which include: scheduling practices; activities, and games; contracting referees; arranging transportation; and budgeting.

Although Campus Recreation buttresses sports clubs with facilities, equipment, and administrative support in addition to limited funding, sports clubs spend much of their efforts raising the bulk of their funding on their own through membership dues and fundraising efforts (tournaments, sales, etc.).

Currently, there are more than twenty sports clubs at UMaine.