Last Monday, the Recreation and Wellness Center (RecWell) hosted a club sports showcase, as well as the first-ever flag football game under the new lights on the soccer field. Jack Morris and Sophie Clift, members of the RecWell Student Leadership member of the RecWell student leadership team, were in charge of organizing the event.
“All of the club sports officers and teams did tabling, fundraisers and got to know one another to kick off the season,” Clift said. “We are so excited to finally have the lights up and running this year, after all the effort put into making it happen.”
There were a variety of club sports tabling at the event, including rugby, jiu jitsu, soccer, tennis, pickleball, basketball, volleyball, rowing and archery. Captain of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club, Travis Willi, and his co-captains Carlos Benitez and Aaron Hines, all have experience with martial arts, so they decided to create the club, which took them two semesters to get up and running. To get the funding needed, they held fundraisers and secured a generous donation from the Veterans Association. Their work paid off, as they have received a lot of interest in the club, with 86 students having signed up. They offer mixed gender classes as well as a women’s-only class guided by Auri Zhou, who is a purple belt. Practice is already in session. Both consistent comers and beginners alike come to their sessions.
Hunter Rayburn, one of the officers of the climbing club, spoke on the co-ed team they hold. The club has been around since COVID-19, but over the years, it has gained more interest due to its uniqueness.
“It’s a great sport to try out if you are looking for a new skill to master and a group of students to bond with,” Rayburn said.
Their practices take place off campus at Austin Bouldering Project. They held tryouts on Wednesday and Thursday, and the only qualifications needed for joining were working well with others and having a good attitude.
“Everyone starts somewhere,” Rayburn said. The club members want everyone to give climbing a chance, so they don’t judge on skill level.
As for the flag football game, the climax of the event, there weren’t any tryouts or requirements to join; the officers picked people that had signed up. The players were divided into two teams: blue and gold. The club sports themselves varied in recruitment; some held tryouts while others were open to all. Some clubs, such as tennis and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, do the best of both worlds, where they have a competitive team as well as a casual club.
Will Shifflet, one of the players on the gold team, said that the flag football game exceeded his expectations. “I had a great time playing with his friends out on the field,” said Shifflet.
The wide variety of club sports allows for an opportunity for everyone to get involved. CollegiateLink is a good resource for those looking for events and involvement on campus, and keep an eye out for future RecWell events.
