What is Title IX and What Exactly are Club Sports in College?

College Mode answers some of your questions about Title IX and Club Sports, and why investing time and research now will help high school students shape their ideal college experience.

What is Title IX?

This past year Title IX, the federal law that brought gender equity in sports celebrated its 50th anniversary. According to the NCAA website, Title IX requires the equal treatment of female and male athletes. It does not require institutions to offer identical sports but an equal opportunity to play. This law even applies to club and intramural sports in college. Digging deeper into the history of Title IX's impact on women's sports, helps us better understand the growth in youth sports participation in the United States.

What are Club Sports?

Does your car have one of those “basketball-taxi” or “soccer-mom” stickers or are you the go-to parent who runs the Superbowl pool or tournament fundraiser for your kid’s team? You might even dream that your child will one day play Division I in college. Of all the various opportunities to continue to play sports in college, one choice that continues to drum up lots of questions for high school students and families is the often-misunderstood Club sport scene in college. 

More than 2 million college students participate in club sports. While the competitiveness of each team varies by college and university, college club sports are a great choice for a high school athlete who wants to play with experienced athletes but also wants time to explore other interests in college. Sarah Davis, a college freshman at Michigan State, who plays a power forward for the women’s club basketball team, shared that club sports have allowed her to stay fit and play a competitive sport that she loves, travel regionally, and compete with a group of friends, but it has also allowed her to balance her sport with her studies, work part-time in the Walker Lab and also attend all the Big Ten sporting events that take place on her campus every day. 

Who Runs Club Sports and How Much Does It Cost?

College club sports are usually overseen by a national organization for each sport but they are student-run and are usually funded by the students themselves. Some funding may be provided through the student association budget but most is usually funded through fees and fundraisers. Student fees usually cost anywhere from $50 for certain sports up to $1,500 a year for more expensive sports like hockey. Each sport elects leaders and is fully run by the students. Many teams have hired coaches and the most competitive set goals to attend nationals. As an example, the winner from each men’s and women's basketball regions will compete at Nationals in April this year. Every year over 5,000 athletes come from college volleyball clubs throughout the United States to compete at the National Club Volleyball Championship Tournament. Less common high school sports, like Ultimate Frisbee, Rugby, or Table Tennis, also have national oversight organizations that track competition and offer ranking and national championship tournaments. 

These national committees oversee eligibility for clubs, promote best practices, and are a valuable resource to young college students. Organizing practices, reserving space, entering tournaments, and raising money are just some of the leadership skills that develop through the years of playing club sports in college.

Sports are one valuable way for high school students to transition to college. Investing time researching what a student values and wants from their college years is vital. To eliminate the risk of attending a school that does not offer a good fit for a student requires an investment in a robust college research process. The Independent Educational Consultants at College Mode Consulting can help you find that fit. Go to CollegeModeConsulting.com or call 845-704-1650 to schedule a free consultation.