OBU Launches Eight New Club Sports

OBU recently launched eight club sports teams on its campus in Shawnee. These sports include basketball (men's and women's), soccer (men's and women's), volleyball (men's and women's), shotgun, archery, ultimate Frisbee, disc golf and rock climbing. All sports aside from basketball, soccer and volleyball are coed.

The purpose of club sports at OBU is to provide students with the opportunity to represent Oklahoma Baptist University through competition in intercollegiate athletics as an alternative to varsity athletic competition. These sports allow athletes to compete at a high level while earning their degree. Membership in a club sport is open to all full-time undergraduate students of OBU. Students have the opportunity to compete in their sport of choice against other colleges including NCAA Division I and II schools.

Tim Thomsen, coordinator of club sports at OBU, is excited to start these teams on campus. "My vision for club sports is to provide a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional sports in which students are able to represent OBU at an intercollegiate level," he said. "We are building these programs as areas of interest for students to continue competing in their respective sports or to learn a new one."

Thomsen, a native of Midwest City, Oklahoma, graduated from Carl Albert High School and then from OBU, where he played varsity soccer and ran track. "I've always enjoyed sports. From organized soccer to street hockey to rock climbing, I like learning new sports and then trying to improve my skills in them. I want to help students find their place in whatever they enjoy doing. Connecting people through various activities, especially sports, is a great way to build a stronger community. This is why I came to be the coordinator of club sports at OBU. It's a combination of sports and connecting students here at my alma mater."

The club sports experience provides students unique leadership opportunities in managing and leading an athletic team. They offer co-curricular learning experiences for participants through athletic competition, skill development, scheduling, fundraising, organization, administration and budgeting.

Competition and practice schedules vary between clubs. Student leadership and the team coach/sponsor develop the schedules for their club. Open try-outs take place at the beginning of the fall semester.