Club sports offer competition, fun and community

By Annie Renz

The fall season is underway for club sports on campus. For captains Noah Sands of Men’s Soccer, Ciara O’Connell of Women’s Soccer, Will Bramanti of Men’s Basketball, and Jake Powers of Baseball, playing a club sport has made a profound impact on their time at Stonehill, and they could not recommend this part of the college experience enough. 

The four captains agree that what makes club sports so great is that they do not have to give up the sport they love after high school; for students who do not move on to play at the college level, club sports offer a chance to keep their love for the game alive.  

“I think it provides a lot of people who have the talent and drive to play with the opportunity to do so,” said O’Connell.  

“We still love the game,” said Powers, “I think 18 years old is too early to give up the sport you want to play.”  

One of the reasons why club sports are appealing is that they create a community by bringing together students with the same interests.  

“It gives you that team camaraderie. Everyone has their group of friends outside of the team, but this gives them another set of friends,” said Sands. “Some of my best friends are from club soccer.” 

Bramanti said the team community fosters relationships between grades. 

“As a freshman, you have these connections with seniors and juniors that you might not have met before if you didn’t play for this team or try out for this team,” he said.  

That connection on the basketball court also exists on the soccer field. O’Connell, a four-year member of the club women’s soccer team, said her friendships with upperclassmen when she was a freshman influenced how she acts this year as a senior captain. 

“When I was a first year, I became really good friends with two juniors...they’re still good friends of mine,” she said. “It’s kind of funny because I see the way that I am with some of the sophomores on the team. Like last night, someone literally texted me asking to get food. I was like, ‘Yeah, I love that!’” 

Community is one part of Stonehill club sports’ culture. Another integral component is competitiveness.  

“I want every practice to come in where kids are competing, like, this is the real deal,” said Bramanti. “We want everyone to buy into a role that can lead us to win.”  

One of the things that makes club sports different than varsity athletics is the difference in time commitments. However, all four captains say the competitive nature doesn’t drop off like the number of practices or games does between varsity and club sports. In fact, the captains work to make sure their teams are well prepared for game day.  

“We’ve been trying to push the narrative that this is a team and it’s a commitment,” said O’Connell. “Of course, it’s not division one commitment, but it’s not an intramural level commitment either. It’s somewhere in between.”  

“We’re all college students, so during the week we’ll have school or other activities, but when it’s game day, everyone shows up ready to win,” said Powers. 

This balance of school, plus fueling a competitive but fun environment, is something Sands also recognized as a part of leading a club team. 

“We make sure everyone is having a good time, but at the end of the day, we make sure people realize when it comes to game time, we are a team, and we want to be competitive and have fun,” he said. 

If you are toying with the idea of joining a club sport, each captain has a reason for you to show up to the next round of tryouts: 

“You’re getting involved on campus, and you never know who you’re going to meet. You could meet your best friend,” said Powers. “But more than that, it’s the camaraderie, and it’s the community and culture built into the team.” 

“It’s just competitiveness,” said Bramanti. “It gives you a chance to still enjoy the sport you like at a high level without the biggest commitment. Also, just the connections you make – like our alumni game. Seeing all those people come back was amazing. We had someone come from New York.” 

For O’Connell, club sports alleviate some stressors of being a college student. 

“There are a million other things that you have to do. It’s nice to be able to take a break from an on-campus job, all the work I have to do and grad applications and just go play soccer,” she said. 

The routine that comes from playing a sport is also an attractive factor. 

“If you played sports all of your life, you’re used to having that set schedule – you’re practicing, lifting, whatever,” said Sands. “As you move into college, you may feel more inclined to take a more sedentary lifestyle. This makes sure you’re staying active.” 

If you’re interested in joining a club sports team on campus, the captains said their teams are set for the remainder of the fall. However, they are open to the idea of hosting tryouts in the spring, so be on the lookout!