Welcome to the glamorous life of a college student: Sleepless nights, long hours cramming formulas, and trying to learn a trade you hope one day will pay off and become a way of providing for your needs and wants.
Meet the students who are also athletes, players of sports like lacrosse and rugby. Neither sport is NCAA sanctioned at UVU, which means no scholarships, no fancy treatment.
It also means paying your own way for travel, and rooming with relatives or friends when on the road. However, there is an upside to club sports: the ability to play a sport that you love, even if you are new to it.
Lacrosse head coach Brea Burbidge expressed his love for club sports, saying that most anybody who wants to play the sport can do it, something that can’t really be done on an NCAA sanctioned or varsity sport.
“It lets us, as a club, compete on a higher level, more than they’ve (students) ever got a chance to,” Burbidge said. “It gives us the opportunity for more people to play … without having to make all the commitments with the NCAA.”
These clubs have come a long way; the men’s rugby team has evolved through the years. According to former head coach David Logsdon, who also played rugby as a student at UVSC from 1997 to 2001, they were a rag-tag bunch of guys who just wanted to play. The rugby team has since won a national championship after their win over Utah State last season. They are also making the move onto Division IA next season, which gives them a greater opportunity for even more national recognition.
New rugby head coach, Adam Griffee believes that there is something pure about players playing for the love of the game. Griffee, a former rugby player, understands firsthand the struggles that student athletes go through, especially those who play for club sports.
“Our players not only have to pay for school, they still work out like university athletes,” Griffee said. “Many support families, work full time and pay when they travel.”
In order for these sports to continue to grow they are in constant need of support from the students.
Former captain of the men’s rugby team, Zach Burr, said that getting support from the community and administration are the keys to having a successful season.
So as new students, take the time to go out and support the club sports. They are a fun and entertaining way to pass the time, show support for those students who work hard to perform to their fullest and, above all else, show your Wolverine pride!
