By Ryan Martin–
Division I sports are not the only way to get involved in campus athletics. University of Louisville offers intramurals, but the school also offers club sports, which includes a wide range of sports from bowling to lacrosse, racquetball or even ballroom dancing. Club sports, like intramural sports, are a great way for students to get involved on campus and be a part of something outside of the classroom. Although club sports may not get the attention and the publicity that the bigger sports get, they both function in somewhat similar ways, and are very beneficial to the students who get involved in them.
Racquetball club coach Gordon Henry emphasizes how much his club, as well as others, is good at developing a social network between students. “A couple of years back, a guy and a girl met through my club and wound up getting married,” he said. “I even have students that were in the club about seven years ago and they all still talk to each other.” He also went on to talk about how it doesn’t always stop at meeting students at the university’s club. “Sometimes, we will travel to other school’s campuses, and our students will meet students at these other schools,” he stated.
Aside from developing friendships and other relationships, there are many more benefits to joining a club sports. According to sophomore political science major Matt Leggett, a member of the rugby club, joining a club sport has taught him to be more responsible with his schedule. “When I’m involved in rugby, I have to balance out my schedule and this does a good job of keeping me in check,” he says. Many clubs have grade requirements that students must meet in order to participate. John McCarthy, the head coach of the bowling club at the university, stated that this is a great way to keep students in check. “When you give students a grade requirement to follow, then you give them just another reason to work that much harder.” Club sports have done a good job of allowing students to balance out their school and sports lives. Henry lets his players take their homework with them for weekend tournaments. “A lot of times you’ll see my students between matches typing up papers or studying for a test the following Monday,” he stated.
Not many students on campus hear a whole lot about club sports since they don’t get the attention that some of the bigger sports get. Matt Leggett stated club sports as being “undervalued.” “We don’t get enough attention,” he stated. Gordon Henry stated that there is more of a money issue on campus than there is with attention. “Recently the university has declared that all club sports are not guaranteed any money from the university,” he says. Henry went on to say that the racquetball club has gone on to do fundraisers and host tournaments for other schools in order to help with their own budget.
Club sports are an excellent way for students to get involved on campus, and come with many benefits. Although they may not get the attention that the bigger sports get, but students almost always have fun while participating and it helps get the most out of one’s college experience.
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Photo: Shelby Stafford/The Louisville Cardinal
