William & Mary Athletics: Non-Varsity Edition

Like almost everybody, I was an avid athlete in high school, playing as many as three sports a year. When I came to college I also came with the illusion that my athletic career was behind me. Man, was I wrong. The College has incredible opportunities for students that aren’t varsity athletes to get involved in athletics.

The first of these opportunities exists in intramural (IM) sports. Simply put, IM sports are awesome for everybody. So many people play that we have the luxury of having multiple leagues in each sport. So if you’ve never played a certain sport, you don’t have to play against the students who have been playing since they could walk. Last year, I played IM flag football, floor hockey, basketball and soccer. For me, it was the perfect balance between being competitive and just having fun. Plus, it’s always fun to brag that my fraternity won the IM cup last year.

The Tribe ice hockey team after defeating The Citadel in the BRHC championship game.

My other athletic outlet is club sports. Remember those kids that have been playing sports since they could walk? Well, that’s me with ice hockey. Now, I’m from Vermont, and its cold there, really cold, for a long time. In Vermont, Ice Hockey is one of the most attended high school sports (if your team is good). When I chose to go to school in Virginia, I figured my hockey days were behind me. So I was pleasantly surprised by what I found at the student activities fair—a serious club ice hockey team. I immediately signed up and have loved playing ever since. We practice twice a week at a rink about twenty minutes away, and have games all over Virginia either once or twice a weekend. At times, it can be a time drain but it is completely worth it to keep doing something that I’ve always loved. The surprising thing about our team: we’re actually really good. Last year we won the Blue Ridge Hockey Conference championship.

So far it’s been great to represent the Tribe in athletics, even if it’s non-varsity status. And opportunities like this are countless at William & Mary. I have friends that play club basketball, rugby, lacrosse, swimming, soccer and several other sports. Bottom line, if you want to be athletic but you’re not a varsity athlete, you’ll have plenty of opportunities at William & Mary.

Alma Mater Hail,

Danny