Students interested in sports can now join the club

Student initiatives have launched club sports for swimming, ultimate Frisbee equestrian, women’s volleyball teams for NSU students interested in competition.

Parker Sheppard, junior exercise and sports science major, and Macy Roderick, sophomore biology major, co-founded the club sports council, which acts as the governing body for club sports on campus. Sheppard acts as co-president and co-treasurer for the swim club and Roderick is president of the volleyball club.

According to Roderick, club sports differ from both NCAA sports and intramurals. NCAA athletes must commit a large amount of time and effort to their endeavors to represent the university year-round and intramural sports have players with varying skill levels with short time periods for tournaments. Roderick said that club sports represent a happy medium. Club sports were designed for students who have experience with a certain sport and wish to compete, but perhaps not at a collegiate level. Club sports will practice year-round and participate with other universities in three to four tournaments a year.

Sheppard said he was inspired to start club sports after choosing to leave NSU’s swim team due to other time commitments. He said he also wanted to give to the NSU community in a way that was different.

Michael Birch, assistant director of intramurals and special events, said that club sports present an opportunity for students to become engaged on campus.

“Club sports are great because the clubs are started and organized by the students,” said Birch.

Roderick said that there has been strong student interest in the sports clubs so far and 60 students signed up for volleyball tryouts at Sharkapalooza. Tryouts for the volleyball club were held this semester. She said that the volleyball cub will be holding second tryouts during second semester to possibly add new members for the team. Roderick said students interested in swimming, ultimate Frisbee or equestrian may have different requirements for joining.

Sheppard said that club sports present engagement opportunities for students “who might not have been engaged in anything else.”

Bailey Fallon, freshman marine biology major, is the club sports supervisor in the Office of Recreation and Wellness.  She said that students who are interested in creating new club sports are able to do so by filling out the proper paperwork, which includes a petition to show student support.

“The more the merrier,” said Fallon. Specific information about starting a new club sport can be found on Orgsync or by contacting Fallon through the department of Recreation and Wellness.

Roderick and Sheppard said that there have been students interested in starting other club sports like men and women’s soccer.

Birch and Fallon both said they hope club sports will grow and expand within the next years.

Roderick said she was excited for the experience that players will gain by being part of club sports on campus.

“I’ve been playing for the past five or six years, but every team that I’ve been on is such a close-knit and family environment,” said Roderick.

To learn more about club sports as a whole or individual club sports, visit the club sports Orgsync page.

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