A drive for competition, a love for a sport or a search for a new way to get involved on campus pushes students toward the 44 different active club sports offered at Syracuse University.

“It’s a different way to get involved,” said 2012 graduate Bryan Sakakeeny, former captain of the club lacrosse team. “I think lacrosse not only gives the students a sport to play but an alternative way to find a niche or a group of friends.”

Club sports give students the opportunity to stay involved in athletics without the demands of playing for a Division-I team. They also give students a chance to build friendships with people of similar interests. Many club leaders must book facilities, schedule matches, order equipment and balance a budget each season. The annual Sport Club Activity Fair will be Sept. 4 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Flanagan Gymnasium.

Sakakeeny said students can find a social circle within a club sport, a recreational organization as opposed to a more serious student organization like a fraternity. The passion for a sport often brings the athletes closer together.

Stephen Rathbun, a junior and president of the running club, wanted to continue running in college. He felt he didn’t have enough skill or interest to run on the varsity team, so he joined the less demanding club.

He said that runners think differently than most people, and he was relieved to find a group in college.

“Runners are sort of like twins in the sense that everyone thinks the same in a way,” Rathbun said. “So it’s nice to have that set of friends in college along with other friends.

Sakakeeny said many lacrosse players have similar motivations. He and others who joined the club played for four years in high school. Many could have continued at a smaller college, but they wanted to attend the larger SU, which has a top Division-I lacrosse program. The club team gives these students an outlet to continue playing without altering their school choice.

Some use club sports as a starting point for potential Division-I participation. Anthony Herbert, a sophomore, works out and competes with the running club.

Herbert said workouts are not mandatory, making them easy to work around his schedule. Most clubs allow the participants to decide how much time they want to put into the club, and they get out what they put in.

For Herbert, the goal is to earn a spot on the SU track and field team.

“A lot of the athletes on the track team have been running a lot longer than me,” Herbert said. “So I joined the running club to stay in shape while I work toward qualification.”

Even students who never played sports in high school can join club sports and fit in perfectly.

Senior Tim Koes, a senior and president of the rugby club, said many high school athletes, particularly football players, join the team to stay active, despite having little or no experience with the sport.

The draw of competition and the team atmosphere attracts students to club sports each year.

“They played a sport in high school, and they still want that activity, that camaraderie,” Koes said. “It’s a new sport, new experience. Everyone wants to keep that competitive drive.”

Published on August 21, 2012 at 12:04 pm

Contact Jacob: jspramuk@syr.edu