With a new semester in full swing at UTSA, players in both intramural and club teams are ready for another semester full of competition and great moments. The sports offered at UTSA provide an outlet for students to relieve stress and make new friends.
Some of the intramural sports leagues offered this spring include basketball, dodgeball, softball, volleyball, soccer, tennis doubles, and badminton. Most of these sports offer different divisions: men’s, women’s and co-ed.
One particular highlight of the Spring Intramural season is the Brandon Vaughn regional men’s basketball Qualifier Tournament. Competition is fierce as UTSA’s best men’s basketball intramural teams compete. The winning team will go on to represent UTSA at the state tournament for Texas university and college intramural teams. Registration has opened for spring intramural sports, so students who are interested in registering for a sport should sign up as soon as they can.
The club teams here on campus offer a more organized and team oriented environment than intramural sports. Club teams are simular to traditional school teams as they regularly meet for practice on campus and compete with other schools. The club teams allow students to participate in a wide variety of sports and encourages and develops student leadership. Club teams are formed and administered by students who are on the team and although Campus Recreation assists the teams in growth and organization, the real emphasis of club teams is student leadership and involvement. Club teams also have try outs and players must meet certain GPA requirements.
Since the club teams are not run by UTSA Athletics they do not have access to the athletic’s weight room and other facilities, However the teams still use the campus Rec weight room and Rec Fields. The teams have coaches as well who provide a more disciplined and structured team style of play.
A club team whose season is underway is the Rugby Club team. The Rugby Club’s team schedule consists of games against schools from the 17-team Lone Star Conference. Watching this team going through practice, it’s clear that club team participants take their sport seriously. The team ran through drills and practiced scrum formations. The team was preparing for their Saturday match up against the number one team in the conference, the Angelo State Rams.
“One of the things I love so much about this is that we get to meet new people and make friends,” said sophomore rugby club team member Alex McCarty. McCarty and other players on the team also individually compete for a chance to play on the All-Conference All-Star team. Players on the All-Conference All-Star team get a chance to compete against other rugby club teams in out of country tournaments in places like New Zealand and Canada.
“It’s a lot of fun to play in those tournaments. To play against the best players from other schools,” sophomore William Wallace said. “It also pushes us in practice more.”
Intramurals and club teams are offered in both the fall and spring semesters, with some sports being offered in the summer as well. Students can find a wide of variety of sports to satisfy anyone’s competitive needs. For information on intramural and club teams visit campusrec.utsa.edu/intramural-sports and campusrec.utsa.edu/club-sports.
