So you know you have some game, but you can only pump up those old school Reeboks so much before the truth about your skill truly emerges.
So a varsity sport is out -- that's a given.
But what about one of those nifty club sports that you glanced at in one of the glossy Penn brochures?
Yes, that is definitely an option. But what is this "club sports" phenomenon?
The Penn club sports scene is alive and well on campus, ranging in competitiveness from sports that are pleading with the athletic department to give them interscholastic status to those that are purely for recreational purposes
There are three levels of competition in the club sports scene -- recreational, instructional and competitive clubs.
The first two are relatively self-explanatory. The recreational clubs are aimed at fun and providing exercise while instructional clubs seek to enhance skill levels and also allot some opportunities for tournament play.
And then there's the competitive clubs.
These organizations compete against other schools. Occasionally they conduct fundraisers to pay for things like equipment, and players often share a sense of companionship on par with their varsity counterparts.
And then there's a club like Penn's men's hockey team, which recently captured the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association regular season and playoff championships. The team holds tryouts every year for participation, and feels strongly that it deserves to be the next sport added to varsity status.
The team was formerly an interscholastic sport before being dropped by the Penn athletic department in 1978.
But don't let this example intimidate you. None of the club sports have the power to recruit players, so you really do have as good a shot as the next Joe to contribute.
Club sports abound at Penn, and should your sport not exist in this format, get a group of friends together and propose it to the Recreation Department -- that's how all of the current club sports got started at various points, after all.
Joining one of the cadre of club sports options is a sure way to meet people with similar interests quickly, while at the same time doing the thing you love.
So if your an athlete, club sports maybe something to consider.
Oh, and by the way -- those Reebok pumps may not fit any more.
