Lauren RabainoRepresentatives from Cal Poly’s various club sports will be out recruiting for their programs during University Union hour today.
“It’s not going to be fancy; there won’t be any booths or tables – just representatives from clubs handing out flyers and talking to anybody interested,” said biomedical engineering senior Phil Chang, who organized the event.
Chang called the effort a “trial run” to gauge student interest in club sports, and said if it goes well, the sports clubs program may sponsor a sort of rush-week event in the fall.
The primary purpose of the event is to elevate the profile of the sports available to students, such as badminton, fencing, field hockey, sailing, soccer, surfing, rugby and Ultimate Frisbee.
Chang, a member of the Cal Poly triathlon club team – the largest sports club on campus – says he believes clubs provide students with unrivaled opportunities for fun and recreation. He said they allow students who played sports in high school but could not continue to do so at the NCAA level to keep playing in college.
However, that’s not to say many of the club teams at Cal Poly don’t compete at a high level.
Both the men’s and women’s water polo club teams are defending national champions, the rugby club team finished ranked sixth in the country by the American Rugby News and the women’s lacrosse club team won seven consecutive national championships prior to coming in second this past season.
Business senior Adele Schopf, who belongs to the field hockey and triathlon club teams and serves on the Associated Students Inc. Sports Clubs Board, said she is grateful to be able to continue playing field hockey after high school, and for the opportunity the clubs give her to meet students from different backgrounds and majors.
“It’s a way for me to keep up with a sport I love,” she said. “And I’m making lifelong friends from my sports.”
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to noon.