About Sports Clubs

The Sport Club Department at Rutgers University consists of 57 student lead organizations for over 3,000 participants on all 5 New Brunswick campuses of the State University of New Jersey. The professional staff are responsible are responsible for the implementation of the program with the student officers of each Sport Club.

Mission

Develop high-level interscholastic sport organizations for students seeking the challenge of competition or an outlet to experience new sport through developing physical, social, and mental wellbeing.

Definition of a Sport Club

As of July 1, 2021, the definition of a Sport Club is a:

Non-Academic student organization that competes two or more times inter-collegiately sanctioned by a governing body or association excluding regional or national competitions.

Club Basics

Member Eligibility

All full-time enrolled students (under-graduate, graduate, professional and doctoral) on the Rutgers New Brunswick-Piscataway Campus paying the University Recreation Fee are eligible to participate in Sport Clubs. All faculty & staff with a recreation membership are eligible to participate.

All students must complete and be approved on Do Sports Easy to practice or compete. Do Sports Easy is the Sport Club departments administrative website to assist with risk management for Clubs and members.

Individual leagues and governing bodies may have different requirements for competing.

Satellite Campus Eligibility

Students at Rutgers- Camden or Rutgers- Newark are eligible to participate if the campus they attend classes on does not have an active Sport Club organization in their desired Sport.

Sport Club Transition Requirements

To be an active Club organization must complete the below requirements during officer transitions. The Sport Club office will contact the outgoing officers and incoming officers to complete these requirements. If requirements are not met, the Sport Club Office will hold a general membership meeting for the Club to ensure that the Club has had every opportunity to fulfill the Transition Requirements to remain active.

• Submit the Transition Form- Due in April
• Submit Budgets- Due in Spring for the upcoming year
• Submit Constitution- Due before the Fall Semester
• Complete all components of Required Officer Trainings- Completed in August/ September

New Sport Club Application Process

New Club Criteria

Students that wish to create a new Sport Club must apply to the Sport Club Office and should be aware of the below timelines and requirements. For an application to be considered a Club must meet the below criteria:

1. Meet Definition- Non-Academic student organization that competes two or more times inter-collegiately sanctioned by a governing body or association excluding regional or national competitions.
2. Student Interest- Have at least 15 interested students submitted on the application
3. Cannot be the same activity as an existing organization within Sport Clubs

Application Timeline

Application Process

For a more detailed outline of the New Sport Club Application process please consult the Sport Club Manual.

1. Meeting with Sport Club Staff Member
2. Application on Smartsheet 
3. Review Application
4. Presentation
5. Vote by Sport Club Staff and Sport Club Advisory Board

Decision

Decisions will be based on if the Club meets all criteria, the availability of resources by the Sport Club Department, the quality of the application and based on an assessment of the risk of the activity.

ARE THE SPORT CLUBS COMPETITIVE
Some clubs are competitive, and play other schools. As a member, you can still participate in the practices without competing.

WHO CAN JOIN A SPORT CLUB?
Rutgers Sport Clubs are open to all students, faculty, staff, and Rutgers College Recreation Members. Some clubs may compete in student-only leagues, but that doesn’t exclude non-students from joining in club practices and events.

HOW MUCH KNOWLEDGE AND/OR EXPERIENCE DO I NEED TO HAVE TO JOIN A CLUB?
You don’t need any previous knowledge or experience to join the clubs. Sports clubs are a great opportunity to learn something new and try out something different.

HOW DO I JOIN A CLUB?
To join a club, you just need to contact any club officer, and they’ll have you fill out the paperwork. You can get the contact information for club officers by clicking the “Current Sport Club Officers” tab.

CAN I JOIN ANYTIME?
Yes, you can sign up anytime- but the earlier in the semester you join, the more you’ll learn.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Membership dues vary from club to club. Clubs with higher operating costs have higher dues.

IS THERE AN INSTRUCTOR/COACH TO TEACH ME?
Some clubs have an instructor or coach which instruct the members, while other clubs are instructed by higher level club members with experience.

WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT?
Practice times vary by club. Most practices are 2–3 times a week, about an hour and a half to two hours per practice. Most clubs are flexible with the number of practices a member attends.

IS THERE ANY TRAVELING INVOLVED?
Competitive clubs will travel to other schools for tournaments, games, and other competitions.

For more information, call 732-445-0462.