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College is the perfect time to explore new interests and dive deeper into your existing passions. For many Tufts applicants and current students, those interests include sports! While Tufts does have many successful varsity sports programs, the time commitment and level of competition involved isn’t for everyone. Luckily, Tufts offers 24 club sports and a rotation of intramural sport offerings for students of any skill level! Club sports are the perfect option for beginners and experienced players to compete against other schools while developing their skills through weekly team practices. It is a great place to meet new friends and have fun while also maintaining a level of structure and competition! Intramural sports are an excellent option for casual and serious athletes who loves to play but may not want to commit multiple days per week to their sport. Our intramural leagues are a great place to team-up with friends and compete against other Tufts students in a friendly environment.

Many of Tufts’ club sports teams are widely recognized for their success at the highest levels of competition. The co-ed equestrian team has a long history of success, winning the regional championships 5 times between 2011 and 2016. Mirroring their varsity counterparts, the men’s club soccer and women’s club volleyball teams have found success competing in their respective national tournaments! You can consistently find the men’s and women’s ultimate frisbee teams competing against the best Division 1 programs at college nationals each spring. But Tufts’ club sport athlete’s success does not stop after graduation! This year, 3 Tufts alumni are proudly representing Team USA Ultimate Frisbee on the world stage!

I am sure you have many questions about club and intramural sports at Tufts, so we reached out to two club sport athletes to answer some frequently asked questions! Danny Bronshvayg is a current senior who plays on the men’s ultimate frisbee team and works as a senior intern in the admissions office. Mia Goldberg plays on the women’s club lacrosse team and works as a tour guide.

 

Club and Intramural Sport FAQ’s – Mia’s Answers

1. What is the time commitment like for club sport athletes in comparison to varsity athletes?

The time commitment for a club sport can vary depending on the team. For club lacrosse we practice twice a week for 2 hours, and play 1-2 games each weekend, during our spring season. During off season we have an optional 1 hour practice a week, but they’re very casual. Varsity sports meet 6 days a week, on the other hand, and have lift even when not in season.

What about intramural sports?

Intramural sports are usually a 1 hour commitment each week.

2. Do Tufts’ club sports teams have a try out process?

a. For the competitive club sports teams that do have a tryout process, can I still be involved even if I do not make the competitive team?

Most club sports teams have a tryout process at the beginning of the season, usually to determine a “game team” and a “practice team”. At least for club lacrosse, everyone on both teams practice together, and then the people who are chosen to be on the game team travel to games on the weekends. When we have home games, everyone is welcome to play, but it’s hard to transport everyone to away games. We welcome people of all skill levels to come to practices and team bonding events.

3. Is there a financial commitment if I join a club sport?

Most club sports acquire funding through Tufts Senate, but sometimes there are additional costs. For club lacrosse we have to pay dues of about $30, a fee to our league of $35 and then pay for our own equipment (sticks, goggles, mouth guard). For other club sports costs may differ because for basketball you wouldn’t need a lot of equipment, but equestrian requires a bunch of equipment. It really varies. I would say a lot of teams do have ways to pay for teammates that can’t pay for themselves though.

4. What colleges do the club sports teams typically compete against?

Club sports tend to play teams that are in the New England area. Club lacrosse plays UMass Lowell, UMass Amherst, Bates, WPI, Providence College, and others.

5. What is the difference between club sports and intramural sports?

a. Can I do both?

Club sports play teams at other schools whereas intramural sports compete in tournaments within Tufts (Tufts students playing other Tufts students). Club sports are a larger commitment than intramural sports, but you can definitely do both!

6. When and where do club sports teams’ practice?

Club sports teams get practice time on Tufts fields and in the athletic complex! There’s a club sport’s director who manages and assigns field space to make sure we all have proper space to play our sport.

7. How can I learn more about the club and intramural sports offered at Tufts?

Some of the club sports have websites which can be found on the Tufts Athletic website. Others have Facebook pages that can be searched up or even have Instagram! Follow Women’s Club Lacrosse on Instagram @ tuftsclublax !!

 

Club and Intramural Sport FAQ’s – Danny’s Answers

1. What is the time commitment like for club sport athletes in comparison to varsity athletes?

Generally, varsity athletes will have a practice/game almost every day during their season and then additional commitments in the offseason. Club sports vary, but officially we practice twice a week in season on top of games/tournaments, and then don’t really have much of a commitment in the offseason.

a. What about intramural sports?

Intramural sports are super low commitment. A game for like an hour once a week. The season is only like 6-8 weeks.

2. Do Tufts’ club sports teams have a try out process?

Some club sports have tryouts. For example, I know the club tennis team is difficult to make because you can only have so many tennis players on a team and when 50+ people tryout you have to make cuts. Other teams will take anyone! Some teams like club soccer and ultimate frisbee have multiple tiers of teams (A team, B team, etc.). The ultimate program does not make cuts since both the women’s program and men’s program have an A, B, and C team.

a. For the competitive club sports teams that do have a tryout process, can I still be involved even if I do not make the competitive team?

Probably! Like I said, ultimate doesn’t make cuts, so there is always a spot if you want to learn to play. I’m not sure what the options are for other sports, but I would recommend trying something new (like ultimate) if you don’t make your first-choice club sports team. Probably more worth your time than being a team manager or equivalent!

3. Is there a financial commitment if I join a club sport?

Again, it varies by sport. Club sports get funding from Tufts to cover things like travel, uniforms, tournament/league fees, etc., so for some sports there is no financial commitment. Ultimate frisbee is a bit unique because our A-teams fly to all their tournaments since they compete at the division 1 club level. So, we don’t get enough funding from Tufts to be able to cover everything, but we offer financial aid to anyone who needs it, and since we are a very historic program our alumni have put together an endowment specifically for the men’s and woman’s ultimate team to use so that has greatly eased the financial burden put on players.

In short, I would say the club sports team get funding and will help financially if needed.

4. What colleges do the club sports teams typically compete against?

Most club sports teams will compete against local schools in New England. Most will stay in the greater Boston area for regular season play, but then expand to New England and beyond for post-season play. Ultimate is very different, at least the A-teams. We travel all over the country (Tampa, Austin, San Francisco, Charlotte) playing large schools from all over the country (Stanford, Pitt, Texas, Colorado, UNC, Oregon). I don’t think any other club teams, never mind varsity teams play schools that large. The B-team operates more like a traditional club sports team staying within the region.

5. What is the difference between club sports and intramural sports?

The commitment level is very different. The level of play is very different. They’re pretty different.

a. Can I do both?

Yes! I did both!

6. When and where do club sports teams’ practice?

It varies by sport. Usually twice a week during the season on Tufts fields or the indoor space in the winter. Ultimate gets some indoor space in the winter and then we have a field we get outdoors which is reserved just for ultimate use in the spring. That same field is used for rugby in the fall.

7. How can I learn more about the club and intramural sports offered at Tufts?

Follow this link: https://www.gotuftsjumbos.com/information/Club_Sports_Home/Index and you can get contact info for most if not all the club sports teams. You should reach out if you have questions!

 

Club and Intramural Sport FAQ’s with Matt Callahan, Assistant Director of Recreation & Club Sports

1. What is the time commitment like for club sport athletes in comparison to varsity athletes? What about intramural sports?

The time commitment for a club athlete is much less compared to a varsity athlete. Club Sport teams usually only practice 2-3 times a week and may play a game or two on the weekend. The club sports season is also shorter than a varsity season. Intramurals is even less of a time commitment than Club Sports. Intramurals does not require team practices during the week and a team might only have 1 or 2 games a week for the 3-5 week long season. Intramural sports are usually scheduled for Sunday and Wednesday nights.

2. Do Tufts’ club sports teams have a try out process? For the competitive club sports teams that do have a tryout process, can I still be involved even if I do not make the competitive team?

Due to league roster restrictions, some teams have tryouts at the beginning of their season. But we has several club sports that enter multiple rosters into a league so more students can participate.

3. Is there a financial commitment if I join a club sport?

Club Sports are not fully funded. Some teams require participants to pay dues in order to help offset the costs for team activities. Other teams actively fundraise throughout the course of the school year oppose to charging member dues.

4. What colleges do the club sports teams typically compete against?

It depends on what league the club team competes in. But most of our teams compete in local leagues that match us up against a lot of Boston and Massachusetts based schools – Harvard, Boston University, Brandeis, Babson, Umass Lowell, WPI, Holy Cross, Springfield College, and many others.

5. What is the difference between club sports and intramural sports? Can I do both?

Club Sports requires more dedication and time commitment. A club sport athlete will practice several times a week and compete against other schools on the weekends during their competition season. Intramurals is more for fun. A student can register for an intramural league with friends and classmates and compete once or twice a week for the 3-5 week long season. Intramurals are designed for the Tufts community; students compete against other Tufts students (undergraduate or graduate). Many students participate in both clubs sports and intramurals at the same time.

6. When and where do club sports teams’ practice?

Club teams can practice any day of the week during their competition season (Fall, Winter, or Spring). Teams have access to the athletic facilities to hold practices – Field A, Bello Field, Ounjian Field, Chase Gym, Cousens Gym, Jackson Gym, Hamilton Pool, Voute Tennis Courts, and the Ganthcer Center. Team leaders work with the Club Sports Office to coordinate days, times, and locations of their team practices.

7. How can I learn more about the club and intramural sports offered at Tufts? Interested students can find more information on the Athletics website:

Club Sports - https://www.gotuftsjumbos.com/information/Club_Sports_Home/Index

Intramurals - https://www.gotuftsjumbos.com/information/intramurals

 

 

 

Club Sports:

• Badminton
• Baseball
• Basketball (M & W)
• Cheerleading (All gender)
• Cricket
• Cycling (Co-ed)
• Equestrian (Co-ed)
• Fencing (M)
• Ice Hockey (Co-ed)
• Lacrosse (W)
• Marathon Team
• Quidditch (Co-ed)
• Rock Climbing (Co-ed)
• Rugby (M & W)
• Shotokan Karate (Co-ed)
• Ski (Co-ed)
• Soccer (M & W)
• Spikeball (Co-ed)
• Table Tennis
• Taekwondo (Co-ed)
• Tennis (Co-ed)
• Ultimate Frisbee (M & W)
• Volleyball (M & W)
• Water Polo (M & W)

 

Past Intramural Sports Offerings:

• 5 v 5 Basketball
• Indoor Soccer
• Volleyball
• Flag Football
• 6 v 6 Soccer
• Tennis (singles, doubles, recreational)
• Dodgeball
• E-Sports
• Futsal