Welcome to the first club sports column that the Argus has ever seen. This is the point in the article when you say to yourself,

“Wait a second. Wesleyan, a small liberal arts university of the NCAA’s third division, actually has club sports?”

That’s right, we do. As a matter of fact we have a number of club teams, both for sports that have varsity teams and those that do not.

Hockey, Rugby, Soccer and Volleyball all have life beyond the confines of 5 day-a-week practices, teammates and friends battling to get that extra minute of playing time and coaches running you into the ground when you make a mistake in practice. That burnout that many an elite athlete experiences during a physically challenging and mentally grueling varsity season is nowhere to be found at this level.

I’ve experienced all these things, and although they can build character, they can also shatter your confidence and just plain emotionally and physically wear you out. If you’re digging what I have to say about this stuff, then from here on out, I’ll be your guide into the world where the play is fun, loose, and exciting. Yet in most cases nobody’s in the stands. They don’t know what they’re missing. Hopefully this is something we can change.

Speaking of nobody being in the stands, this is something that, at times, plagues all Wesleyan sports, not just the obscure and little known club sports. I myself was a culprit of not attending too many sporting events last year, despite being an avid sports fan. I’m not saying you need to be ra-ra for your Cardinals (that’s our mascot if you weren’t sure), but if we all come out to the games and support our friends and peers then maybe the games and teams will be better for it. The Argus always manages to let you know what’s going on with official Wesleyan sports, and in future editions of this column, I’ll be sure to let you know when and where you can catch all of the club teams in action

There are many benefits to the wonderful world of club sports. For those top-notch athletes who just don’t want to make a varsity level commitment, they have an open forum to strut their stuff somewhere a little more controlled than the chaos that can sometimes be intramurals. And for those, well, not so gifted athletes like myself, we have a chance to actually get out there and fall on our ass at midfield, serve out of bounds, or whiff on a point blank slap shot, without being pulled from the game or getting chewed out by a coach.

Yes people, there is a place where competitive sports can be fun again, and its right under your very nose. As you read these words, the club soccer and rugby teams are in full swing and hockey is just around the corner, with volleyball to follow next semester. Last week, rugby lost at Rhode Island College, while club soccer was victorious in a scrimmage against the junior varsity. On Saturday, October 1, rugby will be playing at Wheaton and the weekend after that they have a home game so you should definitely check that out.

As for club soccer, I’m not quite sure about what’s on tap for them but I believe they don’t have any games in the very near future. Later down the road in October club hockey, which I happen to play (not very well), is going to start practices and we’ll probably be playing some games toward the end of the month or in early November. And a note to all club athletes: If I ever leave anything out or there’s something you’d like people to know, feel free to email any advice, info or disgruntled remarks to jpowell@wesleyan.edu

Either way, stay tuned for the Club Beat. I’m your host, Jeremy Powell.