Are Club Sports at Tufts Worth It?
Currently aboard Flight 1320 to Boston from Austin, I ponder whether club sports at Tufts are worth joining. As always, I have consulted several fellow student-athletes contracted to various club teams at the university. Five years ago, I believed that I would play varsity athletics at the collegiate level. Unfortunately, various personal, academic, and personal decisions diverted my path from varsity soccer. Of course, that principal disappointment plagued my first few years, I shortly recognized the value that club athletics presents—liberty, friendship, fun.
At Tufts, club sports offer the opportunity for athletes to self-determine their schedules—rather than tailoring their academic calendar according to athletic obligations, club athletes do not have required practices in the same way that varsity athletes do. Furthermore, the flexibility afforded by club sports allows for students to make last-minute adjustments to their weekly schedules as needed. Often, my enrollment in the Combined Degree program at Tufts requires extensive hours in the studio—should I need an extra hour or two to complete some paintings or etchings, for instance, I feel no obligation to sacrifice my academic/artistic excellence to attend an evening club sport practice. Although club athletes certainly demand commitment, club teams recognize that being a student precedes being an athlete.
So, as Flight 1320 prepares to descend into Boston, I proudly express my gratitude to the club sports program at Tufts. Although Tufts offers incredible varsity programs, I would suggest that incoming (or current) athletes for whom club sports appear attractive reach out to the club captains inquiring about trying out! Either way, an athletic program at Tufts will prove invaluable, irreplaceable, and unforgettable. In fact, were I given the opportunity to play varsity sports at any university in place of playing for enjoying four extraordinary years with the Tufts University Football Club, I would gladly choose the latter.
Photo Credit: Brandon Almeida