Club teams run the gamut
With the fall sports season in full swing, many of CU’s club teams are getting back into the groove.
CU has 34 club sport teams, ranging from soccer to fly-fishing. The wide variety of club teams gives students an alternative to varsity sports and provides them with an opportunity to play a sport that the school doesn’t offer.
“Anybody can go out for a club sport – you don’t have to be up to NCAA standards to play,” said Anthony Bowe, media relations director for club sports.
Turnouts for many club sports look good this fall, especially women’s soccer.
Women’s soccer usually has about 100 to 120 women try out for the three different teams, but this year there were 142. The team had to cut more than half of the women who tried out, ending with only 63 women on three teams.
One big reason for the large turnout this year was the effort the club put into recruiting new players.
“We did a lot of advertising, with fliers and banners in the rec. center and the dorms,” said Dorian Barnes, coach of the women’s gold team and club director. “We knew there was better talent out there that we could recruit.”
The club also used its new Web Site to fuel the recruiting process. The players were able to sign up online and stay in touch with the club and the coaches during tryouts, allowing new players a chance to be acquainted with the team.
“We have a much better team this year, with lots of new talent. We will probably be even more competitive this season,” Barnes said.
That is saying a lot when you consider the excellent performances of the top two teams last season. Both teams made it to the finals of the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association championships, only losing in their final matches.
Several other CU club teams competed in national championships over the last few years, including men’s hockey, men’s ultimate, men’s soccer, cycling, the triathlon team; and the swim team, who were national champions in 2006.
For many CU students, club sports allow them to compete in a sport without the same pressure that varsity sports can put on their players.
“It’s kind of like playing high school sports, but more competitive,” Bowe said.
Club sports can also become a place for students who want to play a sport that CU does not fund at a varsity level.
For many years, CU had varsity teams for men’s tennis and men’s baseball, both of which no longer exist.
Club sports have picked-up the slack, providing players with a way to keep practicing their sport and competing against other colleges.
The co-ed tennis team is a great outlet for men’s tennis players at CU, who are using their talent to make a name for themselves in the world of club sports.
“We do have a lot of guys participate, some that are ex-varsity players. We have about half of our players returning this year, and we are currently ranked fourth in the nation,” said Wes Blakeslee, president of the co-ed tennis club.
Club sports have been doing well at CU, with an ever-expanding budget for teams that want to participate in the action.
“We have over 1,200 students that compete in club sports every semester. That’s a huge portion of the population at CU,” Bowe said.
