Club Rugby - file photo by Christopher Curry/ The Towerlight

Are you new to campus? Are you interested in playing a sport that you took part in growing up, but were not good enough to play at the highest collegiate level? Towson’s club sports program, a division of Campus Recreation Services, is one of the biggest in the country and is always looking for new members.
“All of the sports are student organizations, so they all have their own executive board and they hold their own elections,” Joe Hayden, assistant director of competitive sports, said. “They all keep their own budgets and we just really approve what they want to do. One of my favorite things is seeing a club go from creation to being huge.”
Sky-diving is the second most popular club on campus and they’ve only been around for three semesters. It’s one of the five new clubs that has been started in the past two years. The others are track, water polo, boxing and men’s golf. In total, there are 32 clubs.
Hayden also oversees a full staff of supervisors and graduate assistants.
Kevin Bearden, a senior who serves as the equipment supervisor for Campus Recreation Services, said that he enjoys helping people out that were in his position by providing them with the best experience possible.
“When I stepped in as an officer I was really overwhelmed, but the supervisors and staff members really did all they could to make sure we had fun, and now knowing that I’m helping students is really a great feeling,” Bearden said.
Hayden realizes that there are many reasons for someone to join a club team, but one really stands out.
“Similar to most student organizations, the club is based on common interests, and a lot of the members join because of the social aspect of it,” he said.
The mix of older, more experienced players and younger, less seasoned competitors forms a bond that keeps them all together.
“You get to do something you’re interested in with your friends, and I’ve had three of my supervisors tell me that if it wasn’t for the club they joined during their freshman year, they wouldn’t still be here,” Hayden said. “It’s like after a game or practice someone will say, ‘Hey, we’re all going to so-and-so’s house or whatever, do you want to come?’ You bring them in because they’re interested, you keep them there because you know how much fun you have.”
Bearden is spending his final semester at Towson overseeing the paintball, rock climbing, sky diving, women’s lacrosse and men’s soccer teams. He is in charge of making sure that all the teams have the equipment that they need, as well as storing it when it’s not in use. He also takes inventory of the equipment.
He made the jump from member of the club baseball team to supervisor when the spot opened up during his sophomore year.
Hayden stressed that there is no experience necessary for any of the sports clubs. There are only three sports that have a limit on members, and that’s because of a safety issue.
“It has nothing to do with making cuts or anything like that. Anyone who wants to participate can participate,” Hayden said.
One of Hayden’s supervisors started out as a freshman with zero experience in rugby, but that’s one of the sports that allow the more and lesser-experienced players play on the same team.
“It’s more a cohesiveness and how the team comes together. If they can coach themselves or bring in a coach to lead them, one that’s experienced in that sport, it becomes more of a fun atmosphere,” Hayden said.
Hayden had advice for new students on campus that are interested in getting involved.
“The best thing you can do is send us an e-mail or stop by the office at Burdick Hall [room 150] because there is always someone around that can answer any question. Or if you don’t want to talk to us directly, just stop by a team practicing and ask someone in charge what you can do to get involved,” Hayden said. “Most of our teams are good about allowing new members to join. If you go up to them and want to join, they’ll usually tell you that if you like it, you can start tomorrow.”
Some organizations, like club dodgeball, have had a lot of turnover in the past few years but their president, Paul Donnelly, remains confidant.
“It’s a lot of responsibility running a team and being in charge, but that’s something I really like, being in a leadership role, because it allows me to have a lot of freedom with something that I enjoy doing,” Donnelly said.