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Join the Club

by Amy Garland

Todd Robben (CSB ’06, Grad CSB ’14) didn’t play sports as a student at Saint Louis University. Now, as director of Campus Recreation and Wellness, he tells students not to follow his example.

“I ask incoming students, ‘How many of you played sports in elementary or high school?’ Pretty much every person raises their hand. ‘How many of you plan to continue to compete in athletics at the collegiate level?’ All the hands go down,” he said.

Members of SLU's rowing club practice on Creve Coeur Lake. Photo by Sarah Conroy

Robben knows that they’re missing a great chance to enhance their college experience — but acknowledges that not everyone is a Division I athlete. What about those who don’t compete in the arena but want to participate, nonetheless?

That’s what sport clubs offer: a way for anyone on campus to be a player.

At SLU, more than 900 students of all skill levels belong to nearly 30 sport clubs. The possibilities include individual and team sports and range from traditional (like baseball or volleyball) to not-so-traditional (ultimate Frisbee, wilderness and adventure, equestrian). Some only play with or against other SLU students; others travel to national competitions.

Robben highlights the benefits.

“There’s obviously the health component,” he said. “But from a student development standpoint, we understand that finding community on campus and having a sense of belonging, coupled with the learning that takes place outside of the classroom, are major contributors to student success.”

Sport clubs at SLU are considered student organizations and as such, operate under the same guidelines. They must register with the Student Government Association and the Department of Campus Recreation and Wellness. Once the club becomes chartered, they are eligible to receive funding from SGA but also can raise money independently through dues, ticket sales or fundraisers.

Like other kinds of student groups, sport clubs become what the students make of them. All aspects — tryouts, fundraising, competition, travel — can change from club to club, year to year.

Robben said the best sport club leaders rise to the occasion and, in the process, develop more than muscles from their activity.

“You’re developing life skills leading a club: organizational skills, communication skills, conflict management or conflict resolution, problem-solving,” he said.

Below, see just a small fraction of SLU’s sport clubs in action.

Members of SLU's rowing club out on the water when sun rises.

Members of SLU crew row in a sweep boat on Creve Coeur Lake, which is about a half-hour northwest of campus. From right to left (or stern to bow) are Estephania Diaz (DCHS ’24) as the coxswain, Dylan Barrett, Peter Blix, Jesse Sandhu, Welkin Huelsman, Kathryn Egelhoff, Claire Skelly, Shae Connolly and Hailey Gonzalez. Photo by Sarah Conroy

Crew

The rowing club meets in the evenings during the week and weekend mornings at both the lake and the Simon Recreation Center. Crew goes from August to November and from March to May. The team competes in regattas across the country.

Founded in 2001, SLU crew is open to all students, with no experience necessary. In fact, a majority of the team learned to row and then competed competitively within their first semester.

Two female lacrosse players take part in a game on the field on a sunny day.

Lauren Pollack (DCHS ’24) (left) maintains control of the ball while in attack and being marked by defender Ana Gegetchkori, a community college student. Photo by Sarah Conroy

Lacrosse (Women’s)

The women’s lacrosse club is looking to grow this year. The team competes in fall and spring semesters and is part of the West Conference of Division II of the Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse League. The club faces other teams in the area including Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis College of Pharmacy and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The team practices on the Laclede/Vandeventer Field, just west of the Village Apartments on campus.

SLU also has a men’s lacrosse club.

A male pickleball player hits the ball on a court.

Neuroscience major Nathan Sewell prepares to drive a ball down the center of the court while playing pickleball. Photo by Sarah Conroy

Pickleball

Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in America for several years, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. It was just a matter of time before pickleball came to campus.

Well, technically, to Tower Grove Park, a couple miles south of campus — where SLU’s pickleball club plays.

The club is open to players of all skill levels. More than 100 students were on the roster last year, with around 40 highly active members. The club competes at least once per semester against other schools’ clubs. The last competition was hosted by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and included participants from seven universities.

A kayaker nearly flips in their kayak while practicing in a SLU pool.

Louie Puder attempts a stern stall during kayak practice at the Simon Recreation Center pool. Photo by Sarah Conroy

Kayak

While this photo obviously was taken inside the Rec Center, the kayak club prides itself on getting outdoors. The club’s “home river” is the St. Francis River, a tributary of the Mississippi in Iron County, Missouri, and the team travels on weekends to paddle some of the best whitewater rivers in America.

Formed in 1995, the club team has paddled in Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. The club is non-competitive and open to any SLU student. Past members have gone on to tackle some of the most challenging rivers around the world.

A female ultimate frisbee team member throws the frisbee while practicing on a green field.

Neuroscience major Riya Sheth (A&S ’24) is ready to catch a disc during a drill called “Power Up” that helps the club work on its endzone. Photo by Sarah Conroy

Ultimate Frisbee (Women’s)

When the women’s ultimate club say that no experience is required to join, they mean it; most of the players did not even know how to properly throw a Frisbee at first.

The club has about 30 members, practices twice a week on campus and attends several weekend tournaments throughout each semester.

The University also has another ultimate club that is open to anyone, male or female.

A cricket batter hits the ball during a game on a cricket field.

Members of the Billikens cricket team practice on the Vandeventer Field. Photo by Sarah Conroy

Cricket

Like many activities on a college campus — where the population turns over every four years at least — sport clubs at SLU come and go, depending on student interest, initiative and energy. 

A few years ago, for example, a group of international graduate students started coalescing around the idea of a cricket club. 

Rama Kanth Reddy Gosula (S&E ’24), then a computer science graduate student, said he wanted a way to connect diverse students across nations, cultures and interests.

Gosula brought cricket to campus by organizing an exhibition match during international student orientation in August 2023. It was such a success that he then coordinated a tournament for eight teams the following month.

However, that wasn’t the first time cricket had been played at SLU. Todd Robben, director of Campus Recreation and Wellness, checked his archives and discovered that the University had an active cricket club in the early 2000s.

For now, cricket is played at the intramural level. Four five-week sessions are offered throughout the academic year, alternating between indoor and outdoor, based on the season. 

Gosula said there are more than 20 students and recent alumni who continue to play regularly on campus. 

More Ways to Play

There are close to 30 club teams at SLU. In addition to those pictured, here are the University’s other chartered clubs:

  • Badminton
  • Baseball
  • Basketball (Women’s)
  • Cycling
  • Equestrian
  • Fencing
  • Flag Football
  • Golf
  • Ice Hockey
  • Karate
  • Lacrosse (Men’s)
  • Rugby
  • Running
  • Soccer (Men’s)
  • Soccer (Women’s)
  • Softball
  • Spikeball
  • Swimming
  • Table Tennis
  • Taekwondo
  • Tennis
  • Ultimate Frisbee Open
  • Volleyball (Men’s)
  • Volleyball (Women’s)
  • Water Polo
  • Wilderness Adventure Club (hiking, rock climbing, canoeing, cliff jumping, snowboarding, caving and backpacking)