With more than 40 Club Sports available to students, anyone should be able to find a sport he or she enjoys. Sports range from traditional teams, such as baseball and soccer, to eclectic activities such as yoga and fly fishing.
The Club Sports program offers students a chance to participate in a sport in a collegiate setting regardless of whether they performed that sport in high school.
“We try to provide not only the teams that students are involved in but also opportunities for leadership,” Club Sports Director Sandy Vaughn said.
Each sport also offers its own level of competitiveness as well. Rugby and baseball have tryouts and mandatory practices, while the running club members are allowed to choose when they want to participate with the team.
Club Sports Executive Board Member and equestrian coordinator Stephanie Bobiak said she believes Club Sports is “a great place to continue playing a sport and getting exercise in a collegiate setting.” Bobiak also said she believes it’s a great way for freshmen to be introduced into an instant niche of friends.
There are a variety of sports available and each one carries its own price tag. Some sports require mandatory fees that are needed to help pay for things such as renting an ice rink or providing transportation to a meet, while others may not require a single fee for the entire year. None of the money goes into paying for coaching fees as all coaches and coordinators are volunteers.
Sports such as baseball, men’s lacrosse and women’s water polo have had success as all have reached the Club Sports National Championships in recent years.
Most of the sports are active throughout the school year but usually compete for one season. Some teams will continuously practice on a routine basis when not in season while others may have competition throughout the school year.
Bobiak also stressed that the sports are not intramural teams that play against other UO students, but against other major universities. Certain sports will face off against schools like Washington, Oregon State, many of the California universities, as well as many private schools.
There will be more information about Oregon’s Club Sports program at the Club Sports Open House Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Fir Room at the EMU. Club Sports also has a Web site at clubsports.uoregon.edu and has an office on the bottom floor of the EMU.
Club Sports has everything from traditional to extreme
Daily Emerald
September 26, 2005
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