Colorado’s Clark Salamie shoots toward the net during a men’s club lacrosse game between Colorado and Utah, Saturday, April 12, 2014 at Folsom Field in Boulder. The Buffs won the MCLA championship last year. (Kai Casey/CU Independent)
The overwhelming reaction to mentioning a potential story on club baseball at the University of Colorado has been, “We have a baseball team?” Although not surprising, general ignorance surrounding club teams is not news. Why is that? Teams who play at the club level do not get much publicity, and CU has countless teams and clubs that no one seems to know exist. Unfortunately, that’s the name of the game — club teams simply do not draw the same fan numbers or coverage that Division I sports do.
Here are a few reasons why you should support club programs.
Fan support gets the teams hyped
Men’s lacrosse sophomore goalie Nick Lowary says general support and getting a crowd together at games provide a large boost for team morale.
“We have a small but really dedicated fan base,” he said. “A lot are friends and family of the team or graduated players. They always bring the noise and are absolutely awesome to play for.”
Lowary also mentioned that with success – men’s lacrosse won last year’s MCLA Championship – comes more support, and that has made all the difference.
The teams are competitive
Not all of the club teams have killer seasons, but to say that club teams aren’t worth watching because they aren’t competitive is simply erroneous. Last year, lacrosse claimed the Rocky Mountain League Conference Championship for the first time since 1993. As mentioned before, they went on to win the national championship by beating Arizona State. It was the first time in school history. The club freestyle ski, triathlon and swimming teams all won national championships last year, too.
It comes down to respect
The men and women who play on club teams aren’t scholarship athletes. They most likely aren’t going to play at a professional level. They play for the pure love of the game.
Let’s not forget about dues and requirements either. To be on the men’s hockey team, one must have a 2.0 minimum cumulative GPA, be taking 9 or more credit hours, be “in good standing at CU Boulder” and pay approximately $2,500 for team dues. All that for the love of the game.
If that doesn’t earn these men and women a tip of the cap, I’m not sure what will.
I challenge you, my fellow Buffs, to find a club team to be a fan of. Support them for their skill and for the black and gold they wear. Go Buffs!
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Justin Guerriero at justin.guerriero@colorado.edu.
