Not every college student is able to commit to Division I athletics, but roughly 6,500 students at UNC have connected through club and intramural sports.
UNC Campus Recreation has 51 offerings, ranging from quadball to ballroom dance. Assistant Director for Sports Programs Justin Ford oversees an umbrella of activities — both relaxed intramural and competitive club initiatives — that curate athletic and personal growth for participating members.
“The benefit of being involved in intramural and club [sports], it just provides a sense of community,” Ford said. “We look at what we do and what we provide and try to foster the student development, leadership, teamwork, [and] conflict management involved with that.”
While Campus Recreation provides the space and equipment, Ford notes that the wellness goals of each organization — especially traveling club sports — are formed from within.
“What we tried to do and make sure is providing those resources for every single club to be successful, but also not to put the pressure on those clubs to say like, ‘OK, you have to compete here and there and travel and do all this stuff,’” Ford said. He later added, “We just want students to just to be well and to provide those opportunities for them to seek out their own wellness, in a sense.”
Junior Daniel Xie, vice president and treasurer of club table tennis, said he appreciates the convenience of tables for a quick pressure-relieving outlet.
“Here at UNC, the tables are always available,” he said. “If you ever feel like playing, you can always go. That helps provide a hobby of mine whenever I’m stressed.”
Xie also said the flexibility of practice schedules has been a major draw. Junior teammate Jai Hyeon Lee shared this sentiment, viewing intra-club play as an opportunity to find equilibrium.
“Balanced life is really crucial,” Lee said. “Not just studying, but socializing and playing sports.”
