Sports at the University are not simply confined to varsity letters and packed arenas, but can also be found on a smaller scale. From snowboarding to sailing, there is a club sport for almost every athletic inclination.
Snowboarding
While people may not have heard much about The Virginia Snowboarding Club, it actually has a mailing list of over 300 people and roughly 30 to 40 active members. Because there are no dues for the club, members are considered active if they purchase season passes to Wintergreen.
"We are actually different from the Ski and Snowboarding Club because we only focus on snowboarding," third-year College student Tiphany Rigaudias said.
According to Rigaudias, the club is extremely laid back. Although members attend competitions almost every weekend, Rigaudias stressed that the club is more about having fun than it is about competition.
"We don't have coaches, so we just get together and learn from each other," second-year Engineering student Kathy Tejano said.
This year the club has an entirely new executive board and hopes to make the sport a lot more popular on Grounds. "We're less traditional than skiing," second-year College student Clayton Ferrer said. "Most people have grown up skiing, so it would be nice to see people try something new."
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey at the University has both men's and women's club teams.
"It's my favorite part of U.Va.," said third-year College student Jenny Kane, who is in her second year as president and captain of the women's club ice hockey team.
The 17 girls on the team usually practice at the Charlottesville Ice Park at the Downtown Mall. They play in a league with many other East Coast schools such as the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Maryland, Princeton University, American University and the University of Delaware. According to Kane, Pennsylvania is Virginia's biggest rival because that team has beat Kane's team for the past couple of years.
"However, we have a lot of great talent this year, so I'm confident that we'll be extremely competitive," Kane said.
Because people do not need to have prior ice hockey experience to play on the team, the team is composed of players of a range of skill levels. According to Kane, this creates a very diverse and dynamic group.
Kane said the biggest misconception about women's ice hockey is that there is checking; in reality, there is not.
"Yes, women do play ice hockey, but it's more about finesse," she said.
Unlike the women's club ice hockey team, the men's club ice hockey team has coaches. In fact, it has four coaches who all have extensive backgrounds playing and coaching hockey.
"The team was founded in 1994, and since then have won seven championships," coach and general manager Roger Voisinet said. "The players [on the team] are highly skilled, and most have been playing hockey since they were quite young."
The team plays in the ACC Hockey League against schools like Georgetown, George Mason and Virginia Tech.
Sailing
Sailing is yet another unique sport offered at the University. According to fourth-year College student and Virginia Sailing Association Commodore Martha Gray, the Association's purpose is twofold: teaching and competing.
For those who want to learn how to sail, the Association offers lake days on Friday afternoons at Lake Anna. The club also offered a similar short class this semester with a more academic framework.
For those who want to satisfy a competitive spirit, the Association participates in competition almost every weekend during the season (which mainly runs until mid-November and picks up again in mid-February). There are roughly 15 to 20 people who race, and most competitions are held in Virginia and Maryland.
"The club has gotten a lot more competitive over the past few years," Gray said.
Just last month the Sailing Association came in 15th place at a qualifying regatta, which made the team eligible for an intersectional competition at the University of Charleston. This is the first time that the club ever has qualified at a regatta.
"We do not have a coach and are competing against many teams that do," Gray said. "So it's really impressive that we have qualified because we're competing against the best of the best."
According to third-year College student Kristin Peters, the best thing about the club is the chance to get to know teammates and the other teams really well.
Gray agreed the club is an excellent way to meet people.
"Because there can only be one race at a time, you spend a lot of your time during a competition on shore cheering on your teammates and getting to know the other teams," she said.
Like students who play ice hockey, sailing students said there are certain misconceptions surrounding their sport.
"I think a lot of people think that we just hang out on boats, but there is really a lot that goes into it," third-year College student Jessica Burnshell said. "Because you're using outside forces to propel you, you really have to know the courses [you're racing on]. There is a lot to think about [when racing], but at the same time it's really easy to pick up and we are more than willing to teach."
Archery
Archery also is offered at the University, and attracts archers of all skill levels. According to second-year College student and Club President Annalisa Smith, although the club is currently not fully functional because a tree fell on the club's equipment shed during the summer, the club should be up and running for the spring. Unlike many other club sports, University Archery is not a competitive sport, but focuses more on recreational archery. The club meets weekly on Grounds to work on marksmanship and shooting.
"It's not a field simply for experts," Smith said. "Anyone can come and shoot. It's an old sport, but a distinguished one. It's also really fascinating because every nation has had some form of archery in their military history."
Smith said the club hopes to get new equipment and funding so that it can provide its members with the best tools to practice their archery.
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