Join the Club

Members of the IU Men’s Club Soccer Team don’t need to be called “varsity” to be a real team – and neither do the other more than 80 club and intramural teams on campus. For many students, the dream of athletic sportsmanship seems to end with a high school diploma, but IU Recreational Sports has proven otherwise.

When IU alumus Andrew Thomson first visited Bloomington the summer before his freshman year, he had every intention of making an attempt to walk onto IU’s famed men’s varsity soccer team, but when he stopped to talk to a group of guys playing a pickup game of soccer in Woodlawn Field, his plan changed.

The students told Thomson about their experience with club sports and that fall he joined their team. Although he said it’s difficult to pick a favorite aspect of playing on the team, the camaraderie and friendships would have to top the list.

“Playing soccer in college on any level is great, but if I can talk about our seasons 10 years from now with friends that were on the team with me, then I couldn’t ask for more,” Thomson said.

Junior Steven Smith has been playing soccer since he was 5 years old, and like Thomson, counts club soccer as one of the most significant parts of his experience at IU.

“The best part of being on the team is the combination of great guys to play with and the high level of talent and competition,” he said. “I love going away to tournaments and being on one of the best teams in the nation.”

Some club sports require a try out and do a significant amount of traveling, but with teams in everything from sailing to wiffleball, more than 1,800 students find a place every year. Students looking for something shorter-term can turn to the lengthy list of intramural sports. With thousands of students participating annually, intramural leagues are one of the largest programs on campus, according to a Recreational Sports brochure. Teams can sign up together or individuals can be placed in groups looking for more members.

Most intramural seasons last for three weeks plus playoffs and offer men’s, women’s and co-ed teams. Most intramural teams are seasonal – deadlines are at the beginning and middle of each semester.

For more information about club and intramural sports, visit www.recsports.indiana.edu.