Football, soccer and gymnastics are some of the main sports we correlate with UW-Whitewater. But did you know that the university offers intramural sports such as basketball, pickleball and spikeball? If those don’t interest you, the university also has club sports that include boxing and fencing. Those are just some of the intramural and club sports that the university offers.
Assistant Director of Intramural & Club Sports Matt Schneider, one of the many faculty involved with recreational sports, had answered the simple question of how many recreational sports the university has.
“We have 34 club sports and 22 intramural sports for the fall season,” Schneider said.
If you look at their website and don’t see a particular sport that you want to be involved with, feel free to reach out to the staff. They are more than happy to elaborate on any new ideas for club sports or intramural sports, it is not guaranteed that it can be added but they will elaborate that further.
Rec sports are a great way for students to find fun ways to meet people and just enjoy themselves.
“The games happen during a good break in the day to relieve stress and bring entertainment to those who want to cheer their fellow players,” Schneider said. “It’s a great opportunity to meet new people and to bring excitement to the crowd and to motivate the players to push themselves.”
You may be wondering what are recreational sports, well, Schneider provided a definition in his words: “Recreational Sports is a way to provide a platform for students who want to be active in whatever they want to be active in, whether that is being in the weightroom to playing in a club or intramural sport.”
If you are starting to have a slight interest but realize you might have missed the deadline for a specific sport you want to be involved in, you can reach out to the staff via email or phone. Schneider stated that the staff are friendly and they want to help you and they aren’t picky with whatever background you have in the sport. Whether you are trying it for the first time or you have done it for numerous years, there is no registration fee and they provide a judgment free zone.
“They’re people who get it and care, we care because you care just as much or even more,” Schneider said. “It’s a great way to make connections, it’s fun, and you can make a lifelong friend by being involved.”
He brought up how many students have a very close connection with one another and how often they hang out outside of practice. If you talk with the students involved in a sport you are watching they would be more than happy to elaborate or even get to know you.
Schneider also gave some advice for those who are hesitant to join.
“You don’t have to be committed when you first join and test the waters because it may not seem as cold as it looks, and do what fits in your schedule.”
Schneider is an alumnus of UW-Whitewater and once he stepped foot in the William Center, he knew that he had found his passion. That goes to show how you never know if you feel a passion for something until you try it.
”Bowling has been good so far, the practice and team bonding are a lot more fun than I thought,” men’s bowling team member Teegan Cross said.
While participating is a great way to meet new people and create connections, students also tend to enjoy the competition aspect of recreational sports.
“I joined because I wanted to improve my skills and to compete at a higher competition than high school,” Cross said.
Many other students in other recreational sports could agree with Cross about how fun the sport and team bonding can be, as well as how much you could improve.
The recreational office is located at the William Center in room 100, they also have a website where you can look for events to watch for both club sports and intramural as well as contact information. They have an app for both Android and Apple called “Rec Sports App” that provides a lot of information to sign up or to reach out.
