Part one of a series of updates profiling club sports.
With more than 20 club sports to choose from, there are plenty of opportunities for students to keep their dreams of collegiate athletics alive.
Temple’s club sports run the gamut from conventional sports like ice hockey and soccer, to some more unusual sports like paintball and indoor rock climbing. Any student with the desire to showcase his or her athletic talents can find a club sport that suits them.
Each club offers students a different experience, and they are integral parts of the Temple community. Yet, many of them go unnoticed by much of the student body.
“I know a lot of sport clubs are pretty small and don’t get a lot of recognition, even though they are very active,” cycling club president Adriane Hairston, a junior, said in an email.
Listed below are just a few of the sports clubs that Temple offers and a bit about the club and how the students can get involved.
Fencing
The fencing club is in its preseason. For anyone interested in fencing, the club is both recreational and competitive. It is open to any student who would like to join and is willing to teach the sport to all of its new members.
The fencing club competes once per month in tournaments. The first tournament will be held at Maryland University. In 2009, the fencing club finished first in the Baltimore Washington Collegiate Fencing Conference.
Led by junior President Mat Johnstone, the club practices every Monday and Wednesday night from 6-8 p.m. in room 141 of McGonigle.
Swimming
The swimming club has ended its off-season and has begun practicing for the upcoming season. It competes against local and regional schools during the season leading up to nationals, which it competes in almost every season.
With the season beginning on Oct. 15 at Syracuse University, the swimming club will be holding off on new members for now until the spring 2012 semester. They practice on Monday and Wednesday nights from 8-9:30 p.m., and insists that its members know how to swim.
“Everyone must be able to swim. We do not teach lessons, we just enhance skills people already have,” swimming club senior President Jennifer Luneau said in an email.
Last season, the swimming club sent approximately 20 swimmers to the national meet at Georgia Tech University.
Cycling
The cycling club, which is currently in its off-season, not only rides for fun, but races a schedule of eight-race weekends that starts on the first week of March.
“We ride for recreation and to compete against other schools in the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference in the spring time,” Hairston said.
The cycling club boasts an impressive resumé from previous seasons placing first in the Yale Men’s A Road Race, multiple top-5 Women’s C Time Trial results and first at the Penn State Road Race in the Women’s category.
“Last year, we hosted a race weekend in Philadelphia and we’re able to have a criterium that went right through Temple’s campus,” Hairston said. “We hope to be able to host it again here for next season.”
Power Lifting
The power lifting club is a competitive sports club that welcomes all who want to join. It has two prospective meets set for this season. The first is the Penn State Iron Lion, which will be held on Nov. 5 at State College, Pa. The next meet will be the USA Power Lifting American Open on Dec. 3-4.
Raffaele Longo, junior and power lifting club president, said in an email that they have, “had several top three lifters in the 148, 165, 198, 220 and 242 [weight classes].” The club is just starting to practice and prepare for its meet this semester, so join soon if you want to take part.
its off-season, not only rides for fun, but races a schedule of eight-race weekends that starts on the first week of March. Great sport to do love it.