For students who want more of a traditional athletic experience, Club Sports offers men’s baseball, men’s and women’s boxing, coed figure skating, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s rugby, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.
A unique feature of Club Sports at Western is a council powered by students that runs, improves and promotes the program. Club Sports Council (CSC) President Mackenzie Bode explained what CSC does.
“We strive to provide students with the opportunity for student engagement and development through competitive opportunity,” Bode said. “Our main goal is to support club presidents with administrative and management responsibilities such as departmental strategic planning, marketing and media, programming and fundraising coordination, general Club Sports participant engagement, Gunnison community involvement, youth clinics and the general engagement, oversight and development of Club Sports participants and clubs.”
CSC is a way for students to gain leadership abilities along with participating in sports. Bode explained how she became involved with the organization.
“When I came to Western as a freshman, my goal was to try as many new activities as possible, which is not a hard thing to do around here,” Bode said. “I was approached by another student who was passionate about figure skating and bringing it to Western and the Gunnison Valley.”
CSC is still relatively new on campus so there is still a lot to learn and do.
“(CSC) is a young program, still developing and forming efficient systems,” said Bode. “We meet once a week on Thursdays at 6 p.m. for about an hour. Our objective as a group is to assist the campus recreation director and club team presidents with marketing, community outreach, youth development, recruitment and fundraising.”
CSC makes sure that, in addition to community outreach, youth development, recruitment and fundraising, rosters are correct, dues are paid and risk is managed.
As the president, Bode is responsible for how CSC operates and interacts within the department and community.
“I have never felt so much purpose in getting things done, impacting people, growing, learning and experiencing what it is like to be a leader in this community,” Bode said.
“My involvement with Club Sports and the Council fell into my lap and is by far one of the best opportunities that I have had at Western, to not only develop and grow myself but also to be a part of the Club Sports’ community and make a difference in the department and on campus.”
Story by Caitlin Gleason.
