Club sports, intramural sports and college visits

Frank Cox<coxf@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Consider and learn how to play a sport at the club or intramural level during a college visit.

Colleges and universities have resources and activities in place to help students learn, grow and meet a goal of earning a degree. Michigan State University Extension has explored examples of college and university resources and activities including service learning centers, career centers, study abroad opportunities, academic support, counseling services, health services, student organizations and physical fitness centers. These are some resources and activities to check out as students take visits to a college campus.

There are other activities for students to participate in while at college. Do you love sports? Do you like playing a sport and competing? If you answer to these questions is yes, then there is an opportunity for you to get involved in playing a sport in college. If you are a high school athlete and you didn’t receive any offers for a scholarship to continue your athletic career, there are still opportunities for you to participate in a sport in college. For example, at Michigan State University through Recreational Sports and Fitness Services, students have opportunities to participate in club sports or intramural sports. There are differences between club sports (or sports clubs) and intramural sports at the college level. Consider asking the following questions while on your college visits to learn about getting involved in a club or intramural sport:

  • What is the difference between club sports and intramurals?
  • How do I join a club or an intramural sports team?
  • What sports are offered at the club or intramural level?
  • Do I need any previous experience in a sport to play at the club or intramural level?
  • Is there a cost to play club or intramural sports?

Think about the benefits of participating in club or intramural sports. First, participating in a sport is a health benefit and gives students the opportunity to get in shape and stay in shape. Also, students have the opportunity to build relationships, learn how to be a better team player and develop leadership skills. College can be stressful. Playing a sport can be a stress reliever and contribute to a healthy lifestyle from the physical activity involved in a sport and from the interaction of teammates working together to achieve a goal.

The college experience is a time of learning and growing as a person. It can be a fun time in the life of a person, too. With the activities that the college campus provides, consider participating in a sport to create lasting memories and to use the experience of playing a sport to learn something new or to continue to learn in general.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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