September 8, 2023 | SPORTS | Olivia Xerras
As a senior walking around the Activities Fair, I was surprised to see just how many activities and club sports Colorado College offers. Some I was unaware we even had until the fair.
Club Baseball and Rugby member Sam Treat ’24 offered some insight as to why new students should get involved with club sports at CC.
“I think a big thing for [first years] is just going in without that imposter syndrome that I think is easy to get when you’re going into a space where it feels like everyone’s already been doing this thing,” said Treat.
Coming from someone who values team culture, it can be equally as scary and exciting to venture into a new team environment where comradery and teammate personalities are uncertain. Thinking about joining a foreign program, from being a first year to even a senior, is not an easy feat.
However, as Treat put it, “I think you just have to embrace that at one point, all of the seniors and juniors were freshmen who had to come in and (for example) rugby is a sport that’s unique and that we have no one who played it before college.” Treat continued, “So there’s really no judgment if you’re not good, because how would you be good if you’ve never done it before?”
Hayley Heinecken ’24, a member of the women’s club ice hockey team, agreed with this thought.
“We also had people who never played ice hockey before, and we can get them gear through CC which has a lot of old equipment,” Heineken said. “So that’s an option for people who’ve never played before to even come out.”
When asked about the perceived pressures facing underclassmen to join, Heineken explains the easiest way to understand her team’s dynamic.
“They should definitely come out for a practice or even just get in our group chat because I think initially, they’ll just really get a sense of how welcoming it is.”
Equestrian Club Captain, Carlie Malott ’26, also spoke to the early fears of joining a team.
“Coming to CC, I knew I wanted to ride in college, but I was a bit nervous about the time commitment with the Block Plan,” Malott said, “I quickly found that this was not an issue. I love the escape to the outdoors, and riding makes me more productive and happier, regardless of the intensity of the block.”
Each team has unique traditions that have been around for generations. When asked, Malott spoke about the traditions within the equestrian team specifically.
“In addition to riding together, we have super fun team building activities like line dancing at Cowboys, going to the Colorado Springs Stampede, and team dinners.”
From soccer to climbing to cycling to frisbee, the opportunities are endless. To venture a step further, begin speaking with your peers on campus to come up with some team communities you want to join in tradition with!
