Club Sports provide students with a sense of community

By JESSICA LINK

Staff Writer

The University of Mary Washington offers a wide variety of ways for students to get involved and be healthy. For students who do not want to commit to a full time athletic team, getting involved in a club sport is the perfect place to have fun, make friends, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Club sports are a great way to try a sport you’re interested in, but never had the time to try. Most club sports are run by the students themselves, and monitored by a faculty advisor. Some clubs allow students to join year-round, but many prefer starting at the beginning of the year for tryouts, or to learn basics about the sport.

There are 19 sports clubs available to join at UMW; here are a just few options:

Women’s Club Basketball: A competitive club team of girls with a love for basketball. This club currently practices on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings in the Goolrick Hall main gym and compete in three or four tournaments each year at various colleges. Check it out on MyUMW.

Fencing Club: Mary Washington’s fencing club is fun club “where you can legally stab your friends,” said club president Heather Moseley. Heather joined the club her junior year after transferring to Mary Washington, where she quickly forged strong bonds with other members. This club is inclusive of fencers open to all skills levels from unexperienced to advanced. They practice Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday in the Goolrick Hall main gym and the auxiliary gym. Go to MyUMW for contact information.

Quidditch Club: A fun and exciting club perfect for Harry Potter lovers and active students alike. Practices are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the Campus Recreation Fields. The Quidditch Club participates in events at different colleges with other Quidditch teams. Sounds fun? Look at their page on MyUMW for more information.

Men’s Club Basketball:  A great way for guys to be active and have fun. Practices are typically held in Goolrick Hall on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday in the evenings. In addition to practices, the team plays at weekend tournaments throughout the year. If this interests you, look them up on MyUMW.

Enigma Colorguard: This club brings the beautiful art of colorguard to Mary Washington. One of Caitlin Ward’s favorite parts of colorguard is “falling in love with the camaraderie.” Ward has been a long-time colorguard member that has participated on her high school team and continued into college after. Currently the team of six competes in four or five competitions each year at Virginia high schools. Practices are Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays in Goolrick’s main gym and the auxiliary gym. Their competitions are through the Atlantic Indoor Association. More information can be found on MyUMW.

Other club sports include baseball, cheerleading, field hockey, lacrosse (Women’s and Men’s), soccer (Women’s and Men’s), softball, swimming, tennis, ultimate (Women’s and Men’s), and volleyball (Women’s and Men’s). For specific information on clubs and schedules, please check out MyUMW and the Campus Recreation Page on the main website.

If you do not see a club that you are interested in, you can find five other interested students and a faculty advisor who are willing to start a club with you, then head over to the SAE office on the third floor of the University Center to start the approval and chartering process.