By David Volz
Campus News
You have seen college varsity teams on TV and maybe in person. Players on these teams represent their schools in NCAA games and tournaments and many receive partial and full athletic scholarships. But there are also very competitive programs known club sports. Athletes on these teams are very competitive and also represent their universities in games and competitions. There are clubs sports basketball, flag football, running, baseball, wrestling, martial arts and many other areas. Some clubs sports are in areas where there are fewer NCAA team such as rugby, lacrosse, wrestling, tennis and many other sports. Because football takes up so many scholarships and other resources, many universities offer fewer men’s sports such as track, hockey and soccer to comply with Title IX requirements.
For example, most Florida universities offer a full range of club sports. Florida State University offers many cub sports and some are very well organized and competitive. These teams play in conferences and national tournaments. The Men’s Rugby Club at FSU is comprised of about 60 FSU students who are attending undergraduate and graduate school. The program is divided into three teams. There is the First XV for top level athletes, the Emerging XV for intermediate players and the Development XV for novice players. The Rugby Team is open to anyone who wants to play.
Florida State also offers a strong women’s rugby team. It has won four national championships over the years and seven former players who have competed for the U.S. National team. The team welcomes any woman who wants to learn to play and compete in rugby. The team website says, “We teach the skills necessary to play the sport of rugby and encourage all shapes and sizes plus all levels of experience.”
The Beach Volleyball Cub at Florida State University is another student run athletic group that promotes teamwork and passion for beach volleyball. The club competes in three or more tournaments a semester around the state. The team website says, “We play competitive doubles, in both men’s and women’s and coed tournaments. FSU Beach Volleyball is a place to feel comfortable, find friends and enjoy some time in the sand.”
The Florida State men’s lacrosse team is an example of a very competitive club team. It involves a year-long commitment and practices five days a week. The team plays a 30-game schedule and participates in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association.
At the University of Central Florida there are club sports for a huge variety of sports. There are 44 different clubs teams in areas such as judo, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, soccer, rugby and even esports. Most of the club sports are open to men and women. Most of these teams travel to compete against other universities around the state and nation. An important benefit is the chance to make life-long relationships with fellow club members. UCF sports clubs have won more than 30 team or individual national championships since 2004. There are opportunities at the recreational and competitive levels and for people who are new to the sport or have many years of experience, according to the UCF website.
The University of Florida offers a huge range of club sports and some have longstanding traditions and are as demanding as any varsity sport. The men’s and women’s rugby teams offer high level competition and a chance to learn the game. There are more than 40 sports to choose from and each club is geared for people who have a passion for a specific sport or want to learn a new sport. The sports clubs emphasize leadership, education and service. The clubs are open to all students and faculty at all skill experience levels. The clubs compete with other universities around the state and nation, according to the University of Florida website.
Florida Atlantic University offers a wide variety of club sports. There are teams for hockey, soccer, volleyball, rugby, lacrosse, running, and many other sports. These teams are available for men and women and people of all skills levels, according to Victoria Torres of the FAU recreation sports program.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers a huge variety of club sports in just about every area including basketball, running, baseball, rugby, beach volleyball and ultimate frisbee.
For example, the UNC Women’s Rugby Team is a very competitive college team that is open to all female students interesting in learning the sport and competing at the regional and national level. It is considered a top notch college team. According to the team website, “We hold a strong legacy of promoting not only athletic excellence, but also creating a sisterhood built on camaraderie and teamwork. We openly recruit year-round for new members. Matches are held during both the fall and spring semesters.”
The UNC Men’s Rugby Team is also very competitive and offers an opportunity to men of all athletic ability and experience the chance to play rugby.
Ultimate frisbee is another popular sport that is played at the club level on college campuses. UNC offers a club known as UNC Darkside that is highly competitive and plays in various tournaments around the United States. It plays for the National Championship in May. According to the team website, “Our season is year-long and requires a significant time commitment from each member of the team.”
The UNC Beach Volleyball Club is a competitive men’s and women’s club that plays two versus two beach volleyball and competes in a tournament series held by the National Collegiate Sand Volleyball Association and other open tournaments. Both the men’s and women’s teams have won regional championships.
Penn State also offers a huge variety of club sports including boxing, basketball, baseball, fencing, ice hockey, bowling and many others. The sports are student run and also encourage students to learn leadership and business skills such as budgeting, organization and time management. The Penn State Men’s Rugby Team is considered a Team Sport rather than a club sport. This means the program receives some of the same benefits that varsity teams receive include access to the varsity weight room and even access to varsity team doctors. This is rather unusual for club teams.
At Bowling Green State University, there are more than 35 club sports and they are as competitive as many NCAA sports. Most of the teams are open to any student. The Bowling Green Rugby team has earned a reputation as one of the best club rugby teams in the nation. The team has competed in many national championships.
Most large universities offer an extensive array of club sports and many of the programs are as competitive and demanding as varsity teams. The athletes usually have to pay dues of around $100 a semester or year to play and they don’t get the benefits of NCAA teams. The players are usually very passionate about their sport and their club team and they travel around the nation to compete. Sports like men’s and women’s rugby and frisbee football are examples of very competitive sports. These sports are not offered by the NCAA and so those who want to play have to join clubs. Wresting is another example. Few colleges offer varsity wrestling but most large colleges have club wrestling. There are club programs that offer less experienced athletes a chance to learn a new sport, improve their physical fitness and make lifelong friends. There is probably a club sport for you at most big campuses.
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