For many students, being part of a club or intramural sports team can quickly become a highlight of college life.

“The social, physical, and mental benefits that one may receive from joining an intramural or club sports team is unlike none other,” Zach Sippel, the University Recreation coordinator of sports programs, wrote via email.

University Recreation has two types of sports programs: club and intramural sports. While both programs are available to all students and have a lot of common traits, there are several key differences between them.

Club Sports

Club sports are typically the more competitive of the two programs, because each team belongs to national governing bodies with the ability to allow them to compete in postseason national championships. Most club teams host try-outs to determine who the best players are, with the caveat that teams cannot cut prospective players.

According to Sippel, teams are student-run with elected officers and receive funding from the university, fundraisers and club dues. Dues vary from team to team, but they help pay for travel, jerseys, equipment and other necessities.

“Club Sports is the most similar experience to varsity sports that students could have, regarding the practice and competition schedules, and traveling to compete against other universities,” Sippel wrote.

Most teams practice two to three times a week and compete on the weekends. Compared to NCAA sports, club teams typically offer more flexible schedules, allowing students to balance athletics with academics and other campus involvements.

According to the UREC website, there are 26 recognized club sports teams: seven men’s, nine women’s and10 “co-rec” teams. Some of the teams available for students to join include men’s club baseball, women’s field hockey, “co-rec” cycling and more.

Intramural Sports

Intramural sports programs offer students opportunities to be active in a social and competitive environment without the same time commitment as club sports. Students are able to join multiple intramural sports teams and leagues and don’t have to pay membership fees to participate.

“Intramurals are free to play and offer friendly and competitive leagues to choose your competitive experience,” Sippel wrote.

Intramurals offer several different types of leagues for participants, each based on how intense the action is. While club sports are the most competitive, intramurals offer elite leagues designed for advanced players who want to experience the highest level of competition intramurals have to offer. There are also competitive and friendly leagues which tone down the intensity so that intermediate, beginner or casual players can still have fun.

Most intramural sports also have a variety of leagues and divisions, including men’s, women’s, open and student organizations.

“The Intramural Sports Program offers league sports which are played on a one game per week schedule, as well as tournaments throughout the semesters,” Sippel wrote.

The calendar of current and upcoming sports offerings, as well as registration to join a team or league, can be found on the “Intramural Sports” header of the UREC website.

Several popular intramural sports available in the fall include 2v2 pickleball, 7v7 flag football, spikeball, slow pitch softball, indoor soccer and indoor volleyball. Starting in the spring, Frisbee, 5v5 basketball, 5v5 NFL flag football and other sports will be available, Sippel wrote.

UREC also offers tournaments for billiards, cornhole, dodgeball and several others.

Ethan Miller, a sophomore building sciences major, and AJ Williams, a freshman electronic media broadcasting major, are two students who play men’s intramural basketball. Both gave glowing reviews of their time on the court competing with their friends.

“My experience was wonderful,” Miller wrote in an email. “Some games can be fun and not serious at all depending on the other team, but some games can bring back the ‘high school’ feeling of being very intense and coming down to the wire. The energy is high and the games are super competitive, but at the end of the day, we are there to have fun.”

Basketball has been a part of Williams’ life for a long time, and it was that connection to the sport that led him to start an intramural team and make life-long friendships.

“‘The love of the game’ would be a simple way to say why I wanted to join, and why I’m going to come back,” Williams wrote in an email. “Basketball has been there out of everything in my life, no matter what the situation is or was.”

Williams wrote he became best friends with his teammates, most of whom he didn’t know prior to competing with them. He wrote that by doing something as simple as playing a sport, you can make new connections.

At the core of their experiences is meeting new people and enjoying an active lifestyle, which Sippel echoed.

“It is a great chance for students to be involved in the App State community and meet new friends,” Sippel wrote. “It is a way to exercise and compete in your favorite sport, or learn a new sport.”

A great way for students to learn more about club sports and join a team is by visiting Club Expo on Aug. 17 in Holmes Convocation Center. For students interested in joining intramurals, they can create a team with their friends on IMLeagues or, if they don’t have enough people to make a team, can mark that they are interested in free agents to join.

Additionally, students can attend the Welcome to App Week events on Sanford Mall during the first week of classes to get additional information about the sports programs offered at App State.

Students interested in employment opportunities connected to club and intramural sports can apply to become an intramural official or a supervisor for club sports and intramurals. Administrative positions that oversee the teams are also available. Information about how to apply can be found on the “Sports Positions” tab of the UREC website.

Students looking to get involved in club and intramural sports, whether it be playing or working, can explore the UREC website or contact Sippel with any questions.

Baseball and gymnastics: Two sports that couldn’t be more different. Yet both sports have recently seen a similar trend in how the effects of relying on human judgement can impact competitive outcomes and fan frustrations.

NCAA women’s gymnastics is perhaps the sport that’s benefitted the most from the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy change that now allows collegiate athletes to profit from endorsements and sponsorships. Unlike in baseball where players have the potential to make money for a decade or more, the window of opportunity for gymnasts to earn money doing their sport is significantly smaller. Previously, the top gymnasts in the country typically competed for the national team at world championships or the Olympics between the ages of 16-19, and often had to make the difficult decision to relinquish their NCAA eligibility in favor of signing sponsorship deals. With the change to the NIL policy, those elite gymnasts no longer have to make a choice.

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While correlation does not equate to causation, this influx of top international competitors also aligned with a widespread tendency towards inconsistent judging and leniency for certain schools and athletes. In the same way that an established All Star pitcher like Zack Wheeler might benefit from a slightly larger strike zone compared to a rookie, a former world championship or Olympic team member might get fewer deductions based on their reputation alone. This culminated in programs with multiple former national members seeming to get undeservedly high team scores and preferential treatment from judges.

Regardless of if the change in consistency was an unconscious attempt to reward those athletes and programs perceived as “better,” or even just a coincidence entirely, it led to an outcry from fans for the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) to address the obvious issues with judging very similar to how baseball fans are now begging MLB to address its umpiring issue.

Whether baseball or gymnastics, it’s important to recognize that no judge or umpire is perfect and that human error will always play a factor in sports competitions, especially those with subjective components to them. But when blatant errors and inconsistent leniency are left unaddressed and allowed to continuously impact games and competitions, it becomes a fundamental flaw in the system.

Here’s how the WCGA has started to address that flaw:

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Ahead of the 2024-2025 collegiate season, the WCGA announced new changes to the gymnastics scoring system and process. Among the changes included a new eight-person panel that evaluates the accuracy of each individual judge’s scores– essentially, a group of judges who judge the judges. Each individual gets scored against an “ideal” and is rewarded points for their accuracy, while also being deducted points for egregious errors. These points are then used to rank the judges, with the highest rated individuals favored to receive future postseason assignments. The evaluations are also used to provide targeted education to all judges regarding common errors and other issues.

It would definitely be possible for Major League Baseball to adopt this type of checks-and-balances system to oversee its umpiring. Similar to the WCGA’s system, a team of officials could be tasked with reviewing individual performances by umpires and rating their accuracy. Top performers could be rewarded with postseason assignments, while poor performers could be required to attend additional training or even face demotion to the minors. With actual rewards and consequences at stake, this could be a first step towards holding umpires accountable for their performance.

There are, of course, challenges to this type of system. With almost 400 meets in the collegiate gymnastics season, that equates to approximately 20,000 routines to be reviewed. And with an average of about 300 pitches thrown in each of the 2,430 MLB games per regular season, that comes out to nearly 800,000 pitches – and that’s just for the home plate umpire, that doesn’t even take into consideration calls made in the field. Creating a system to sample a database that large and provide accurate feedback for as many umpires as possible would not be an easy task. But, it wouldn’t be impossible.

The social media account “Umpire Scorecards” has already developed a way to determine strike zone accuracy and consistency, and identify impactful missed calls. Take the scorecard from this past Monday’s game against the Reds for example. Of the 125 called balls and strikes (256 pitches total) this system identified 15 that were inaccurate, giving home plate umpire Alfonso Márquez an 88% accuracy rating and an overall bias of +0.25 runs in favor of the Phillies. If each game produced an average of even double that at 30 calls for review, that would come out to about 73,000 reviews per season. That’s a far more reasonable task, especially for an organization with the resources to hire the required personnel.

It’s not a perfect system, by far. But what WCGA has implemented at least shows a willingness to take that first step in addressing the flaws of a human-based judging system. With a similar issue facing them, MLB should take notes.

The NCAA and Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that matches children facing serious illnesses or disabilities with college sports teams, today announced a strategic collaboration that will foster long-term relationships between collegiate student-athletes and youths to inspire and promote belonging, empowerment and resilience. 

The collaboration will expand Team IMPACT’s reach, bringing its life-changing model to more families and NCAA student-athletes in all three divisions, while helping each child feel supported and allowing every team to discover a greater purpose. The NCAA and Team IMPACT will expand opportunities for children who will be matched with college sports teams at various NCAA championships to support the children’s well-being and enrich the lives, community activism and leadership of student-athletes. 

Team IMPACT’s program is built on a clinical foundation, creating a personalized game plan for each child’s therapeutic journey and social-emotional development. In addition, the organization equips student-athlete leaders with resources throughout the experience, which educates them about the program and what to expect from the experience. The joint effort with the NCAA will offer strength, connection and hope to children and student-athletes alike.

“This collaboration reflects the very best of college sports — using athletics and community to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the children, their families and student-athletes,”  NCAA President Charlie Baker said. “Team IMPACT’s work changes the outlook for the children and transforms the student-athletes who welcome them. I have been fortunate enough to meet with coaches and student-athletes alike who are involved in the program, and the feedback is incredible. Student-athletes are learning about empathy, civic duty and a different type of resilience while giving back in their communities. We are incredibly proud to support this mission and help bring it to more teams across the country.”

“This collaboration with the NCAA is a powerful validation of Team IMPACT’s model and the work we have been doing for over a decade to leverage the power of team to change lives,” said Krissie Kelleher, CEO of Team IMPACT. “Together, we will be able to reach more families and children who need hope, connection and strength, while giving student-athlete leaders a profound purpose beyond the game. We believe that every child navigating serious health challenges deserves a team and, with the NCAA as our teammate, we are closer to making that vision a reality.”

The NCAA community engagement unit will coordinate the efforts with Team IMPACT. NCAA and Team IMPACT staff have had the opportunity to meet and strategically align both brands in an effort to create a positive experience for everyone involved. 

“We look forward to working with the staff at Team IMPACT in this new NCAA community engagement collaboration to create meaningful, life-changing experiences for the participating children and college teams at NCAA championships and events,” said Felicia Martin, NCAA senior vice president of inclusion, education and community engagement. “We believe this relationship with Team IMPACT will further the personal growth and leadership of our NCAA student-athletes, who are role models on their campuses and in their communities.” 

With over 1,100 current NCAA teams now partnered with Team IMPACT, this collaboration presents an enhanced platform to significantly broaden outreach, engage diverse audiences and foster opportunities to positively influence families and college communities across the nation. Notably, Team IMPACT’s influence extends beyond the numbers, as surveys of participating student-athletes reveal that their involvement with these children has notably enhanced their mental health and overall well-being. In an era where mental health awareness is increasingly pivotal within collegiate athletics, this initiative underscores a proactive approach to addressing this pressing concern.

Since its inception in 2011, Team IMPACT has facilitated over 4,000 matches between children and teams across more than 800 colleges and universities. While the organization has previously partnered with individual schools, this expanded collaboration across all NCAA divisions marks a pivotal step forward, aimed at enhancing and broadening supportive team environments nationwide. Beginning in the 2025–26 academic year, Team IMPACT and the NCAA will launch coordinated initiatives and engagement strategies to further amplify their impact and reach within college communities.

Rebeca Andrade will extend her break from gymnastics competition through this October’s World Championships, according to media in her native Brazil.

“I’m resting,” Andrade said in a video interview with Globo, according to a translation. “It’s been really important to me. It was something I’ve wanted for a long time, but I understood my priorities. So I ended up pushing it forward. But today is wonderful for me.”

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Andrade, 26, won four medals in Paris, including floor exercise gold, to reach six career Olympic medals, the most by a Brazilian in any sport.

She is expected to return to competition in 2026.

“The whole team felt it wasn’t the best time to take her off this cruise ship we’re on, and she’s doing very well,” her coach, Francisco Porath Neto, said in a Globo video interview, according to a translation. “Then, in 2026, we have very important commitments. Olympic qualification starts to count.”

Andrade’s absence means that none of the 2024 Olympic women’s all-around medalists will compete this season.

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Andrade, who won all-around silver in Paris, has repeated over the last year that she doesn’t plan to continue competing in the all-around when she does return, eschewing floor but keeping the other three events.

Gold medalist Simone Biles and bronze medalist Suni Lee are on indefinite breaks from competition and have not announced whether they plan to return for an LA 2028 bid.

This October’s worlds in Jakarta, Indonesia, include individual events only, as is typical in the year after the Olympics.

The four U.S. women who will compete at worlds will be named at a selection competition in early autumn. The all-around winner at that event automatically gets a spot.

Hezly Rivera adds U.S. all-around gymnastics title to her Olympic gold medal

Hezly Rivera, the youngest 2024 U.S. Olympian, is the youngest U.S. all-around champion since 2017.

She was a national champion on balance beam as an Oklahoma Sooner. She has been a force in recruiting and training as the associate head coach of the Arizona GymCats. Now, Taylor Spears is looking for the next challenge.

“Wearing the Block A and representing this university has meant so much to me,” Spears wrote in her social media posts. “After much consideration, I have decided to step away from college athletics to pursue other personal goals in life.”

Spears announced her departure from Arizona on Wednesday afternoon. She has been on the staff of head coach John Court since the 2019 season and was elevated to associate head coach after the 2022 season. She joined the staff for Court’s first full season as the GymCats’ head coach.

“Taylor has made incredible contributions to our program over the past seven years,” Court said. “She has helped with our competitive growth, has coached the team to record-breaking performances, has experienced coaching in the postseason, and helped all of our gymnasts graduate in her seven years with Arizona. I will miss her and will support her anyway I can as she writes her next chapter.”

Spears joined fellow assistants Kylie Kratchwell and Shelby Martinez as the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association’s Regional Assistant Coaches of the Year for the South Central Region after the 2025 season. It was the second time Spears had received WCGA recognition as part of the Arizona coaching staff.

Kratchwell joined Spears with the title of associate head coach after last season’s great showing, which had Arizona reach the regional finals for the first time since the postseason format changed in 2019. The program went 5-1 in its first Big 12 season and finished second at the Big 12 Gymnastics Championships. It also produced the Big 12 co-Specialist of the Year and the Big 12 Coach of the Year. Spears joined Kratchwell as the primary event coaches of conference specialist of the year Elena Deets, who competed on bars and beam.

Court plans to conduct a national search for the third assistant position, but he’s comfortable with the current staff handling training until he finds the right person.

“Arizona is a special place and we have an amazing program with great people,” Court said. “It has to be the right fit.”

Martinez will take over as the primary coach of balance beam, at least until the third assistant position is filled. The 2014 Pac-12 co-champion on vault during her time as a GymCat was the primary vault coach last season. Court was the primary vault coach before Martinez joined the staff last year.