SAN ANTONIO — Margie Olivares says enough is enough.
A letter from University of the Incarnate Word student-athletes posted on Twitter allege inequality and inequity for female student-athletes. The letter was written by women soccer players.
They cite a 'miserable' out of town trip and having to tape and super-glue their cleats among other claims.
The letter was posted, on Twitter, by Olivares a former employee of the UIW athletic department. She read part of the letter to KENS 5.
"However, we are only given one pair a year. This year, at least five players cleats were falling apart two weeks into the season. Our solution was to tape and superglue them back together every weekend. Division 1 institution with superglued cleats. How are we expected to succeed?"
Olivares said she was disheartened and angry when she came across the letter.
"Disheartened because these student-athletes felt the need to put this down on paper," she said. "For me having worked there and always noticing coaches advocating for their athletes. Why did it get to this point? Why is this happening?"
The letter was brought to her attention this week. UIW confirmed to KENS 5 the student-athletes shared the speech at the regular meeting of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) held on Monday.
In the first paragraph, the two women soccer players write about wanting to address inequality and inequity. The two write about travel, nutrition, and equipment in comparison to the UIW football team. They say women's teams receive the leftovers.
They say quote: "The much larger underlining issue that arises is when we no longer get what we need because football needs a little more luxury."
The example they gave, the women's soccer team having to ride the short bus because," football needed the long ones to be shuttled from the airport and back."
They also write about the team having to stay in a motel room that smelled of cigarette smoke. They said the girls slept with their jerseys over their head to help with the smell.
The letter at least five pages has gained traction on Twitter. Olivares gave her reasoning on wanting to post it.
"For people to see the inequity that lives in women's sports all around," she said.
"Their student-athletes aren't asking for big things. It is not like they are asking for the world. They aren't asking for giant changes. They are asking for equity."
UIW sent the following statement to KENS 5:
"The University of the Incarnate Word takes all student concerns and questions of equity very seriously and the health and safety of our student-athletes is, and always will be, our top priority. The University has already started working through its extensive processes to assure that we remain in compliance with all university rules, regulations and standards and that the concerns listed by the students are heard and fully taken into account."