El Camino College has made the decision to indefinitely suspend four athletic programs: the women’s badminton team, men’s golf team, and both the men’s and women’s tennis teams Wednesday, May 28.

The decision, which has not yet been accompanied by an explanation, has left students and coaches stunned — especially as all three sports have long standing histories at the college and continue to grow in popularity both locally and nationally.

Abi Francisco, interim athletic director, confirmed the college is suspending all three sports programs but declined to say anything further until a press release is issued.

ECC badminton coach David Levin said the women’s tennis and women’s badminton teams have acquired a Title IX advocate, Nancy Hogshead-Makar, former Olympic champion, Civil Rights Attorney and CEO of Champion Women, a nonprofit focusing on ending sex discrimination in athletics.

Title IX is a law that bans sex based discrimination in any educational program or activity that receives federal assistance.

“The school is responsible for giving women equal opportunities,” Hogshead-Makar said.

The Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) is a federal law passed in 1994, requiring universities and colleges receiving federal assistance to report data on their athletic programs focusing on gender equality.

According to the EADA, El Camino College has 106 unduplicated women participating in sports compared to the 254 unduplicated men participating in sports.

Just weeks before the suspension was announced, badminton team duos Anya Gore and Montila Winyaworapon won the Doubles Consolation title at the 3C2A State Championships in San Francisco.

“This is a difficult time for the ECC suspended badminton program. It is my goal to do everything possible to facilitate the return of the 3C2A badminton team to the El Camino campus,” Levin said.

Badminton has a long history at ECC. First introduced in the 1970s, the program was suspended for decades before being reinstated around 2000 by longtime coach John Britton. Since then, it has held a consistent presence on campus.

The sport has grown in popularity through the ECC Badminton Club which currently has around 50 active members. At least seven female students were planning on joining next season.

“Oh, I was very disappointed, because I wanted to be in the team, so I was really working up to getting better so I could join the team,” Giovanna Ganci, 21, psychology major said.

The Badminton World Federation reports over 300 million players worldwide and in the United States more than 1.5 million people play regularly. The sport is also being played in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The closest remaining community college women’s badminton team is at East Los Angeles College.

ECC joins one other college in suspending sports this year. Compton City College cut women’s cross country and women’s badminton this year.

However, Cerritos College, Santa Monica City College and Long Beach City College are not suspending any sports this year, but the latter cut golf in 2018 and is looking to add a women’s flag football team in the spring.

Under the California Community College Athletic Association, also known as the 3C2A, nearly 30 community colleges have competitive golf teams.

Community college golf has long served as a launching pad for athletes who may not have had access to elite training or exposure in high school.

Professional golfer Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion in 2012 and 2014, began his journey at Faulkner State Community College — now Coastal Alabama Community College — before transferring to the University of Georgia.

Many players use their time at two year colleges to grow as athletes, improve academically and earn athletic scholarships. Some even go on to compete at a professional level.

“It definitely sucks – not being able to be an El Camino athlete anymore,” Joshua Martinez, 21, kinesiology major and future co-captain of the golf team said. “I was really looking forward to next season, so it kind of puts a little bit of a strain on being at El Camino.”

The closest remaining community college men’s golf team is at Cypress College.

“El Camino is really good with my major. Academically, it’s been great,” Martinez said. “But not being able to play golf might make me transfer. It’s still up in the air right now.”

ECC golf coach Stacy Komai declined to comment on the golf program cuts.

Carlos Lopez, vice president of Academic Affairs, declined to comment after canceling a meeting with The Union less than 30 minutes before a scheduled interview at 8:30 a.m. on Friday.

Jeffrey Baumunk, director of Public Safety Education and interim dean of Health Sciences and Athletics, canceled his meeting with The Union through its advertising manager, and not through the reporter who scheduled the meeting.

ECC’s decision to cut both the men’s and women’s tennis teams has left players disheartened.

Although rumors had circulated throughout the season, the confirmation still came as a blow to many, especially first year players who were hoping to grow with the program.

The closest remaining community college tennis teams are at Santa Monica College. Currently three women and two men were planning on returning to the team next season.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Tarik Hossain, 19, automotive engineering major and tennis player said. “Coach was fighting for us. We held a tennis camp and tried recruiting more players. We did everything we could to save it.”

For Hossain, tennis was more than just a sport — it was a key part of his daily routine and college life at ECC.

Though he plans to keep playing casually, the loss of organized matches and training means his experience at ECC will feel noticeably different. Hossain said he was unlikely to transfer.

“It’s difficult for me because tennis is in my DNA,” ECC men’s and women’s tennis coach Sergiu Boerica said. “It’s difficult for me to accept the total destruction of tennis as a sport.”

Editor’s note: Misspellings were corrected and links and tags were added Saturday, June 7.