A groggy-headed Vanderbilt student drops out of bed, gathers her stuff and rifles through the fridge for something quick to eat before driving across town to Percy Priest Lake for rowing practice. She will repeat this routine as often as five times each week, year-round. These are not NCAA athletes, though that doesn't mean they're not every bit as competitive as their counterparts in scholarship sports. Although not all of the clubs practice at 5 a.m., travel, game time and fund-raising activities eat away at the rigorous schedules of most of the participants. Being involved requires a significant time commitment.
Sport clubs differ from the varsity sports in several ways.
For example, the clubs are open to all students, faculty and staff and do not cut participants. We love the game. And we want to offer the ability to other people to play a sport without having to make the commitment that a varsity sport requires. There's room for everyone to contribute, whether it be playing in games or leadership off the field. Some clubs have volunteer coaches, several whom are faculty or staff members of the University, according to Meuchel.