When you go to college there are many ways to continue being active and athletic. At the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, you can participate at three levels of athletic competition, depending on your skills and time to want to devote to the sport.
Varsity Athletics
These are the sports sponsored by the school. Teams play in the WIAC Conference and compete against other Division 3 teams and will (hopefully) compete in the NCAA Tournament at the end of their season. Generally, most of these team players have been in contact with or recruited by the coach of a specific sport. (There are exceptions of walk-ons.) You compete in tryouts and (hopefully) make the team.
During the sport season, an extreme time commitment is required for daily practices and frequent games, many of which involve travel time. These sports have more fans because they are sponsored by the school. If you think this level is for you, contact the coach to get on his or her radar so when it comes to tryout time, you have a connection. To see what sports are offered at the varsity level and to look at individual sports websites visit https://athletics.uwsp.edu/
Club Sports
I enjoy participating in club volleyball and strongly advocate club sports. Essentially, club teams play other club teams from the surrounding UW system schools (and some Minnesota schools) in a conference-like scenario. Club teams generally travel less than the varsity teams and have fewer practices each week. However, the season may last longer. For example, club volleyball travels two times a month for four months and practices twice a week most of the year. Some club sports participate in state and national tournaments, which are extremely competitive. They offer a wider variety of sports (such as men’s volleyball and men’s and women’s rugby). To see a complete list of the club sports and learn more about their individual commitments, visit: https://www.uwsp.edu/centers/campusactivities/Pages/URS/Clubs.aspx
Club sports offer competitive opportunities for athletes who may not want to compete at a varsity level, or have the time to do so. From my experience, club sports are as competitive as you make them. Last year, the UW-Stevens Point Women’s Club Volleyball team went to nationals and took ninth place, playing teams like Duke and University of Maryland as well as taking third place at state. The UW-Stevens Point club team was the best and most competitive I have ever played on. So, if you are interested in less of a time commitment or you enjoy a sport not offered at the varsity level, look into club sports.
Intramurals
Intramurals are extremely popular at UW-Stevens Point and are one of the most entertaining ways to get involved on campus and meet new people. Intramurals typically play one game a week with no required practices times. You sign up with a team of your choosing and play in one of the four time blocks during the school year. Intramurals offer a “D1” or “D2” level. D1 is for athletes who generally participated in the sport before and want to be more competitive. D2 is for athletes who either have never participated before or want to play at more of a recreational level. Intramural sports have coed teams, which can make them even more fun.
A wide variety of sports are offered in intramurals as well. Some interesting options you may not expect include trench ball and table tennis. Within each block, athletes compete during “Champ Week” to win a champion T-shirt as well as bragging rights! If you are interested in participating on a team, stop by the intramurals office for more information. It is located in the Health Enhancement Center near the main doors to Quandt gym.
UW-Stevens Point blogger Valerie Every is a communication major from Green Bay, Wis.
