Around the country, collegiettes are participating in sports we’ve never even heard of. From underwater hockey to varsity cricket, collegiettes are participating in a plethora of wacky, off the wall clubs we wish our universities offered!
Underwater Hockey, University of Florida
Registered as a sport in 10 colleges nationwide, underwater hockey involves two teams using a foot-long miniature hockey stick to get a lead puck – which doesn’t float – across the bottom of a swimming pool to their respective goal. While there isn’t a uniform per se, wearing a baggy bathing suit isn’t recommended because it slows you down. To be able to see and breathe while they’re playing, underwater hockey athletes wear a diving mask and snorkel.
Varsity Cricket, Haverford College
While there are a few colleges in the country that have Cricket teams, one of Haverford’s “claims to fame” is their Varsity team. The sport, which is most popular in India, is similar to baseball. It involves two 11-person teams who bat a ball in order to score runs.
Haverford sophomore Alisa Strayer, the first female on her school’s team, enjoys playing Cricket because it’s a low-key sport that has provided her another opportunity to meet people while doing something fun. “It attracts players that other sports don’t tend to,” she says. “The laidback attitude towards the game — at least at Haverford — allows for a wide range of people to join and still have fun while playing. The upside of playing a sport that old men play is that you don’t need to be in great shape.”
Broomball, University of Chicago
Running across the ice in sneakers seems like it’d be a recipe for disaster. Especially when chasing after a ball with a stick. But, for several colleges around the country, playing a hockey-esque game without skates is a sport. While the activity is more popular in Canada, it has crossed the border landing at places in colder areas of the country like Colby College and Carleton College.
Curling, University of Wisconsin
No, we don’t mean the tedious process of doing your hair in the morning. Curling is an ice-sport where players slide a large stone across the ice to a designated area. To guide the stone along, the athletes will sweep the ice next to it, increasing the friction. While, like broomball, the sport is more popular in Canada, there are several American colleges with curling teams, like Marquette University and several University of Wisconsin locations.
The magical world of wands and broomsticks has finally transcended into muggle territory. With almost 300 teams recognized by the “International Quidditch Association” (yup, that’s a real thing), the Harry Potter-inspired sport has become one of the most popular college sports since a couple Middlebury College students adapted the game in 2005. From casual games on college quads to an annual World Cup in New York City, there’s no denying J.K. Rowling’s impact on our generation.
In each match, two teams of players – chasers, beaters, keepers and seekers – run with broomsticks between their legs across the field to score points by throwing the quaffle in one of three goal hoops. When one of the seekers catches the “snitch,” a person running around who’s dressed in yellow, the game ends. “Quidditch has a certain innate appeal to anyone who loves the Harry Potter novels a little too much,” says Molly Hilberg, a junior at William & Mary who started her school’s Quidditch team last semester. “I always looked at fitness as That-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named. Now, I finally understand that it can be fun. You can jump through a hoop to score a goal or be silly-stringed by the snitch runner. With all of that, what’s not to love?”
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Bowling Team, Whichita State University
It’s just like the game you played at your fifth grade birthday party, but without the bumpers. This sport, which is recognized by the NCAA, matches up the best college bowlers from across the country to compete in tournaments throughout the year. For several years in a row, Whichita State University in Whichita, Kansas has become famous for winning the Intercollegiate Team Championships!
Disc Golf, University of Oregon
Unlike Tiger Woods’s favorite sport, disc golf doesn’t involve a putt, tee or ball. Instead, this activity – which collegiettes play at 70 U.S. colleges – involves an individual player trying to get a Frisbee-like object to a target in the fewest possible tosses. The game is scored similarly to standard golf, but it’s easier said than done. Each year the National Collegiate Disc Golf Union hosts National Championships to recognize the most talented players and teams across the country. Last year the University of Oregon won the championship by beating Augusta State who took home gold the year before.
Women’s Rugby, Brown University
For some collegiettes the idea of running at and tackling each other simply sounds like the girl-jungle scene Cady Heron narrated in Mean Girls. For other collegiettes, though, it’s the reality of many hours of games and sports practice.
“[In Rugby,] you are constantly running up and down the field for both 40 minute halves,” says Rebecca Lopez, a sophomore Rugby player at Mount Holyoke College. “You need to build up this stamina to maintain a constant speed. Your body needs to be able to handle the physical stress you’re putting on it.” While Lopez says there are negative stigmas about Rugby players that she doesn’t appreciate, to counter them she says “women hit just as hard as men do.”
Croquet, Bard College
A better-known sport in England, Croquet involves hitting a ball through designated areas. It’s like golf, but British! The United States Croquet Association recently established a league for college teams. While there are only a few of them to date, the USCA is hoping to increase the popularity of the sport in the States by fostering a foundation among college students.
Slacklining, Mount Holyoke College
Although it’s not a team sport, slacklining is an acrobatic activity based on an adaptation of tight rope walking. The hobby, which is most popular in west coast schools, involves walking across a narrow piece of material – often between two trees – while maintaining your balance. Depending on the height of the material from the ground, collegiettes can perform tricks while on the material because of its bouncy nature.