Club sports garners a large attendance, but not enough is being done to properly support them in their athletic endeavors
The gap between high school and collegiate athletics is larger than most think, even at the Division III level. Collegiate athletics simply demands more from athletes, whether it be in terms of skill, talent or raw athletic ability. A 6’3″ basketball player will go from starting center as a senior in high school to backup shooting guard as a first year in college through no fault of their own. Some people are better suited to play varsity sports in college than others, and a lot of high school varsity athletes can feel like they’ve lost a piece of themselves. Luckily for them, there is an incredibly underserved and underutilized option: club sports.
I know what you’re thinking: “But aren’t club sports just for fun?” The answer is unquestionably yes, and some of my favorite memories on sports teams have come in my time with Detox, Occidental’s men’s Ultimate team. But at the same time, some of my favorite competitive moments have come with this team as well. That’s the best part about club sports. Detox is easily my favorite team I’ve been on because I’ve had so much fun. Winning tournaments and going to nationals two years in a row have been unforgettable experiences for me, and I wouldn’t have had these opportunities without club sports. Beyond men’s frisbee, other club sports programs are experiencing similar success. Women’s Ultimate aims to surpass Claremont in the regional standings and earn their first bid to the national tournament. Women’s rugby is embarking on a 10-day trip to Ireland to compete and spectate, and men’s rugby is coming off a stellar season with an exciting young core. Club sports at Occidental are making noise, which is why it’s disappointing to see how little support they receive from the school compared to varsity athletics.
Varsity sports are allotted money and gear at the beginning of each season, including but not limited to pads, balls, sticks, helmets, shoes and warmup gear. Club sports teams are lucky to even be allotted field space. As if that wasn’t bad enough, while varsity sports are all given the number of hours for practice they desire and the full field to work with, many club teams are often sharing half or even a quarter of a full field with other teams. The icing on this very mediocre cake is club teams practice at most three times a week, and most often only practice twice a week. After all Occidental’s club teams have achieved, and with the school’s name on their chest, one would think the school would be more agreeable to allotting funds and field time to the improvement of these teams rather than continuing to throw money at programs that are more popular with alumni than the student body. But, I guess students aren’t the ones donating thousands to the school, now are they?
