My Club Sports Experience

Before committing to Carleton, I wanted to ensure that I would be able to continue playing tennis and hopefully pick up a new sport (or two!) I have found that club sports are an amazing outlet to take a break from the stress of classes, meet new friends, and even get off campus!

In my first term on campus I was able to join the Karls frisbee team, club tennis (affectionately called clennis), and climbing club. All of these teams are low commitment and a great way to meet new friends. I’m going to walk you through how each team works and my personal experience!

Karls Frisbee

Frisbee is a big deal at Carleton! During New Student Week everyone gets a frisbee and you will always see people playing catch on one of our many green spaces. We actually have six frisbee teams at Carleton, three teams in the men’s division and three teams in the womxn’s division. Every team goes to tournaments and we compete for National Championships every year.

I had never played frisbee before coming to Carleton but I was able to start during New Student Week and I haven’t looked back! I went from not being able to throw a frisbee to being confident at running plays. We practice around three times a week, working on various drills and scrimmaging, with a few team dinners throughout the week as well. I was able to join the leadership team at the end of the term and I’m super excited for what the next four years have in store. I did not imagine myself becoming a frisbee player before coming to Carleton but the team has been incredibly welcoming and the sport is addictive!

Club Tennis

Club tennis (clennis) was the first team I joined at Carleton and I instantly loved it! Last term, we had two weekend practices on the outdoor courts (when the weather cooperated) and indoor practices on Wednesday nights. The Wednesday night practices were typically a little more competitive, making them a perfect way to end the night before heading to my dorm. People from all abilities come to clennis and it’s truly a highlight of my week every practice.

Each practice follows a similar format, with some warm-up then splitting up into a couple fun mini-games and ending practice with King of the Court. The team also goes to a few tournaments each term. I was able to go to the tournament at Macalester and it was a blast to compete against the other schools! Talking to upperclassmen at clennis has been a great way for me to learn about the school and it’s great to see all the friendly clennis faces around campus!                              

Climbing Club

I joined the climbing club late in my first trimester and I’m so happy with my decision! The climbing club practices in a squash-court turned bouldering gym, there are so many routes it’s impossible to get bored! The team practices from 9:00 to 10:30 on Tuesday and Thursday nights, making it so there aren’t too many conflicts and it’s a great way to end the night! Some of the more experienced members of the team also go on outdoor bouldering trips and trips up to bigger gyms in the Twin Cities.

I’ve found bouldering to be super fun and it’s a great way to combine fitness with creativity and quick thinking. The best part of climbing is the satisfaction of getting a climb that you’ve been working on for weeks, absolutely unmatched!

George P. (he/him) is a first-year student interested in studying Geology, Religion, and Physics. George is a native of Western Massachusetts and can’t wait to explore everything Minnesota has to offer! George’s passions include Karls frisbee, indie music, flannels and root vegetables. George also loves to be around soil, volunteering on the Student Organic Farm and hopefully working on a farm in Maine next Summer! Meet the Other Bloggers!