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Popularity of club sports has risen over the years due to range of activities, unique sports
By Matt Ehalt
Posted: 4/9/08, 11:59 PM EST Section: Feature
Joe Lore had a simple question.
With a list of 47 club sports for the 2004-2005 academic year at Syracuse University in front of him, the then-director of club sports wanted to know how more he could get added.
"It seemed as though student interest in forming clubs had peaked," Lore said of three years ago.
It hadn't.
Syracuse added three new clubs this year (Asian dance group, chess, kendo) to give the university its highest total ever at 57, and that number will most likely grow in the future, Lore said. Back in 2000-2001, Syracuse had 34 clubs.
"Going back to 1984, when I started as club director we had 20 clubs," said Lore, now the director of the department of recreation services at Syracuse. "We had 20 clubs and a $12,000 budget. Now, we have 57 clubs and a $135,000 budget. It's become bigger."
New club sports are being added across the country, and the popularity of club sports is increasing across college campuses.
The University of Connecticut (UConn) has added eight clubs during the past two years, going from 31 club sports to 39. Ohio State University now offers 80 different clubs sports, the most in the history of club sports' program. Pennsylvania State University also has a school-record of 62 club sports, several more than the previous year.
"Our clubs have definitely gotten bigger," said Jason Halsey, director of sport clubs at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). "Competitive team sports have gained a lot of legitimacy in the past five to 10 years as well and have a lot of publicity, and kids see that and want to be a part of it in the same sense."
A club sport is defined as a campus group that provides recreation, competition and/or instruction in sports-related activities, and the club must be registered within the department of recreation services, Lore said.
Syracuse offers club sports like baseball, chess, cricket, equestrian, handball, roller hockey, tennis, ultimate Frisbee and yoga. Lore said Syracuse ranks within the top five schools in the nation in terms of club sports available.
With a list of 47 club sports for the 2004-2005 academic year at Syracuse University in front of him, the then-director of club sports wanted to know how more he could get added.
"It seemed as though student interest in forming clubs had peaked," Lore said of three years ago.
It hadn't.
Syracuse added three new clubs this year (Asian dance group, chess, kendo) to give the university its highest total ever at 57, and that number will most likely grow in the future, Lore said. Back in 2000-2001, Syracuse had 34 clubs.
"Going back to 1984, when I started as club director we had 20 clubs," said Lore, now the director of the department of recreation services at Syracuse. "We had 20 clubs and a $12,000 budget. Now, we have 57 clubs and a $135,000 budget. It's become bigger."
New club sports are being added across the country, and the popularity of club sports is increasing across college campuses.
The University of Connecticut (UConn) has added eight clubs during the past two years, going from 31 club sports to 39. Ohio State University now offers 80 different clubs sports, the most in the history of club sports' program. Pennsylvania State University also has a school-record of 62 club sports, several more than the previous year.
"Our clubs have definitely gotten bigger," said Jason Halsey, director of sport clubs at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). "Competitive team sports have gained a lot of legitimacy in the past five to 10 years as well and have a lot of publicity, and kids see that and want to be a part of it in the same sense."
A club sport is defined as a campus group that provides recreation, competition and/or instruction in sports-related activities, and the club must be registered within the department of recreation services, Lore said.
Syracuse offers club sports like baseball, chess, cricket, equestrian, handball, roller hockey, tennis, ultimate Frisbee and yoga. Lore said Syracuse ranks within the top five schools in the nation in terms of club sports available.
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