Courtesy of Yale Club Running

Club sports and their tryouts have just begun for the 2024-25 school year, drawing in eager first years and returning upperclassmen. The variety of sports offer different levels of competition for students to reconnect with or try for the first time.

Yale offers 38 different sports across 48 club teams for students to compete in, ranging from those commonly played like basketball and swimming to more niche activities like martial arts and indoor climbing. Most tryouts are held in the first few weeks of September.

The competitive nature of the tryout process varies by sport.

When asked about her experience trying out for the club tennis team, Amelia Lee ’26 emphasized the high level of competition. 

“I think there were 106 people who tried out,” she said to the News. “I didn’t think I would make it — I didn’t come with my tennis shoes because I knew I wouldn’t make it,” she said. 

With the team being co-ed, tryouts were “intense” and practices have a similar environment. Now, as one of the team’s captains, Lee has made it a goal to ensure that everyone feels welcome at practices and events, regardless of gender or previous tennis experience.

Some teams don’t hold tryouts at all. For example, the Women’s Rugby Team welcomes players of all levels of experience to join. Many of the club sports teams share the same philosophy, which encourages students to step out of their comfort zone and try activities they have never done before. 

“The rugby girls were so enthusiastic,” said Katie Flemming ’28, a new member of the Yale Women’s Rugby Team, who was approached by the team at Bulldog Days. “They really, really cared about me specifically and getting me to play and they kept gushing about how much fun it was.”

Some sports, such as men’s and women’s soccer, running and polo, offer multiple teams at different skill and competition levels so students can compete at the one with which they are most comfortable. 

The Yale Club Running Team offers different pace groups, which welcomes beginners and well-versed marathon runners alike. 

“We want to get out the idea that Yale Club Running is supposed to be a welcoming space, and you don’t have to be a super fast runner to join,” said Chloe Edwards ’26, a captain of the team and a photography editor at the News. 

The team attends various competitions and runs in the northeast region, including the 47th annual Faxon Law New Haven Road Race over Labor Day weekend, where they met up with both new and returning members. 

Club sports that are less competitive can be an opportunity for students who share an interest in a sport to meet one another. In addition to multiple practice sessions per week, which members are never required to attend, they also share team meals and host team events, like watch parties and mixers. Beyond staying fit and finding a place for themselves on a team, these athletes also find lifelong friends. 

The Yale Rugby Team, the oldest club sport at Yale, was founded in 1875.