At URI, club sports are a big part of the involvement on campus with the recreation department. There are over 18 teams* consisting of men’s, women’s, and even a few co-ed teams. There are around 600 students who participate on club sports teams that are organized and managed by students. Teams practice multiple times a week and compete against other schools both regionally and nationally. Here is a list of the sports that you can find on the campus rec website.

I, myself, participate in club sports, and I currently play with URI’s club baseball team. I joined the team sophomore year and haven’t looked back since. I missed the game after playing my whole life coming into my freshman year of college. Since I wouldn’t be able to play on the Division I team, I decided it would be a good idea to try out for the club team. 

Since the season starts so close to when the weather starts to turn, we divide the season into a fall portion and a spring portion. 

We were able to complete our fall season my sophomore year, but unfortunately, the pandemic hit the week before our first series of the spring. After that, going into last year there was still uncertainty about playing club baseball. So, the NCBA canceled the whole season and we weren’t able to play at all last year.

 

I was more excited than ever to start playing again this year, especially since we missed out on an entire season and a half of baseball. This year, over 50 new players tried out for the team in addition to around 20 returning players. So, we were able to make two teams of 25 that would compete in the same division as well as a practice squad that can come to any events and practices that we have throughout the season.

With the fall season concluding this past weekend, we finished with a record of 5-3 and sit at second place in the conference behind Boston University. The season kicked off against the University of Maine, so we took a five-hour drive up and split two games after one got canceled because of rain. It was worth the trip, though, as we got to bond more as a team and experienced one of the best comebacks any of us had ever been a part of. We were down 8-2 in the last inning of game one, and we rallied to score nine runs in the seventh inning and won the game 11-8. One of the most exciting things I have been a part of not only during club baseball but also including any game I’ve played in.

And at this point you can just call us the comeback kids because we did not stop there with the late-game heroics during the fall season. In each of the two last series that we played at home, there were walk-off hits to win the games and we got to storm the field to celebrate. One of them coming against the other URI club team, from Jack Vogel, and another off the bat of Ryan Cyr against the University of New Hampshire. We won both those series two games to one, and we ended the year with a convincing 10-4 win over UNH in our last game of the fall season. I definitely can declare this as one of, if not, the best experiences that I have had during my time at URI.

Not only did I get to play with two of my best friends from freshman year, but I got to create a lot more friendships with all of my teammates over the last few seasons. Playing against other schools in a competitive environment is something I missed a ton, but the organized practices are also always a blast. Anything to do with participating in club baseball for me has always been fun, and I found it to be a huge reliever and sort of an escape from all of the work and stress that comes with being a college student.

Club sports are a great way of making lasting friendships, staying active, having fun, and getting involved with URI Campus Recreation. It is more laid back than what you may have experienced during high school sports or even when you participated in your town/city’s recreational sports. We still focus during team practices where we work on team needs and skills, and when it comes to game time… we come to play and win. It is so much fun and finding a sport you have a lost love for, or even one that you have always wanted to try should be something you should consider. The club teams gather at the beginning of the year events like first night and the rec fest to give information to those interested about try-outs and who to contact to join the teams. If you are interested now, visit the club sports section of the Campus Recreation website to find information about the teams!

*the 18 Club Sports referred to are overseen by the Club Sports Council (CSIC) and Campus Recreation. There are additional club sports, including Baseball mentioned in this article overseen by URI Student Organizations.

Hi Everyone! My name is Collin and I am a senior majoring in Sports Media and Communications with minors in Journalism and Business. I’m excited to be a part of the Campus Rec team here at URI! I have always enjoyed writing and I’m happy to have this great opportunity to get my name out there and gain experience. I love sports, especially the Boston teams, and follow them each and every day. I also write for our student-run Sports Media club here on campus, Anchor Sports Network. I enjoy being active, whether it’s on campus or off, going to the gym and playing sports. I am on the Club baseball team at URI and also enjoy playing basketball. I hope to give everyone a different perspective on things and spark interest with you in whatever I write about!