There are a number of ways for TU students to pursue athletics on campus.
When the term “college athletes” is used, it is almost always to refer to players who are part of an intercollegiate program; an elite group of athletes who compete against other schools, and in some cases harbor aspirations of playing their sport professionally. Many college students at the University of Tulsa who are not Division I athletes, however, love sports and have played or watched a sport for most of their lives. Not playing at the highest level does not mean that there are no ways to be involved in sports in college, though. The University of Tulsa has a number of spaces and communities dedicated to casual athletics which students can become involved in.
Intramurals are a great way to enjoy semi-competitive sports. The Collins Fitness Center plays host to a number of intramural sports on various weeknights throughout the school year, beginning with football and volleyball in the fall, and continuing with basketball, soccer and softball in the spring. There are also a number of tournaments and competitions that can be found in the IMLeagues website, or advertised inside the gym that present great opportunities for students to showcase their skills.
Intramurals might be intimidating for some. Lucky for them, there are also unofficial groups of athletes who get together to play sports all over campus, with perhaps the most prominent being the pickup basketball community. Commonly called “runs” by those involved, pickup games usually happen in the afternoon after classes finish up on weekdays, especially on Fridays and during the winter basketball season. “We have runs [at] around four to five [p.m.] each day. It takes some stress away from school, and it’s good to get everyone in here when you don’t see them all the time,” said Colin Kramer, a transfer student who played intercollegiate basketball at his first school before coming to TU to study business. A basketball background is hardly necessary before pulling up to runs, though. Tim Stroup, one of the most consistent faces of pickup in Collins, never even played in high school, but is always among the first picked when teams are being decided. “The best part of runs,” he said, “is how competitive it is. Everyone who comes in plays hard, so it’s real competitive, real fun. … We joke around, check in with each other, make sure we’re all doing well. It’s just good vibes.” The structure is simple. After every game, the winning team of five stays on the court, and the losing team is replaced by the next five players who are waiting to come on. The games are competitive, but anyone and everyone can get in on the action, and more than that, anyone who comes to runs will make friends in the process.
Official clubs for various sports also exist on campus, and are another great way for students to engage in athletics. Tennis, pickleball, badminton, volleyball, disc golf and ultimate frisbee are just a few of the more prominent club sports at TU. They typically meet weekly, and are always open to players of all skill levels just looking to have fun with friends. “We can just go out there and compete against each other while still having a good time,” said Lucas Anderson, president of Ultimate Frisbee Club. “Us being able to be a group of friends while going out there and playing ultimate frisbee is awesome.”
“My favorite thing about Tennis Club is the community,” said Aidan Nalean-Carlson, a junior in the tennis club. “There’s always new people showing up, some that have never played tennis before, and I feel like everyone there does a good job of making people feel welcome and part of the group,” Both the tennis and ultimate frisbee clubs can be found meeting at Harwell on Tuesday evenings.
A more competitive environment is the Tulsa club soccer team, which is both a student organization and a team which competes against other schools. Ryan Calhoun, a captain on the team, explained what the weekly schedule looks like for the club soccer players. “So for us right now, in the fall, we’re doing two practices a week. So we’re out there from 6 to 7:30 [p.m.] twice a week, and then we have games pretty much every weekend, with a weekend off here or there. We have four home games and four away games this year, so we travel a little bit, too.” Club soccer is an excellent place for soccer players who enjoy the more intense practice and games, and love working to improve their game while still not having to spend the amount of time on their sport that a typical intercollegiate athlete would. “I think, just like getting all these people together,” Calhoun said when asked about his favorite part of club soccer, “because for a lot of people, once you get to college, the dream of playing soccer and having fun with it kind of ends unless you go and play at an NCAA level. So for these people to be able to come out here and express what they love without having to deal with all the commitment, it’s a way to keep the love for the sport going,”
While college marks the end of organized sports for many young athletes, at the University of Tulsa it does not have to. A student government committed to supporting organizations, a number of capable organization leaders and a strong sporting community in the student body ensures that athletes can pursue their favored games throughout their time at Tulsa.
