Join the Club: Playing Club Sports at UM

One of the best ways to quench that thirst for adventure is to team up with other Griz and join one of UM’s club sports teams. From Ultimate Frisbee to soccer to spikeball, UM has a den-full of teams open to student players of all skill levels.  

What’s it Like to Join Club Sports? 

Like Goldilocks, club sports might appeal to students looking for a nice, “just right” middle ground between UM’s more casual intramural sports and the high pressure of competing for Grizzly Athletics. Some club sports have try-outs and require paying dues, others you simply walk on – it all depends on the team. The time commitment also varies but expect to spend between five to 10 hours a week with your team.  

Joining a club sport means working up a sweat while improving on a skill you love or maybe learning a new one altogether, all while becoming part of a community of active, team-oriented students from every corner of campus.  

We love our Griz Football, but club sports ranging from lacrosse to the Woodsman’s Team to hurling and more also carry the spirit of UM. Take the Griz Hockey team, whose fandom rapidly swelled after a seven-year hiatus. Now, the team attracts upward of 1,000 rowdy fans to Glacier Ice Rink, cramming into standing-room-only spots to watch the action play out.  

Scroll to see a few more reasons club sports might be the right UM community for you: 

Find Friends and Community in Griz Country  

Club sports are a perfect way to broaden your UM network beyond the groups of people you’d typically meet in your classes or residence halls. An undergraduate theater junkie launching a winning pass to a graduate biochemistry buff? It happens all the time. There’s nothing like working toward a common goal (literally) and reveling in team success to build friendships that will stick like pine sap long after your college days are through.  

Spark Wellness by Activating Your Body and Mind  

Lots of students find that being physically and socially active helps happiness bloom amid the often stressful environment created by earning a degree. Club sports encourage activity in both the body and mind, contributing to overall wellness.  

Playing a sport you’ve loved for years? Spread your passion by mentoring newer players and watching them improve from your sage wisdom. Brand new to a sport or dusting off the cobwebs? You’ll get that oh-so-satisfying dopamine hit each time you dive, duck, dip and dodge your way into leveling up your skills and meeting your goals.  

“I went to my first practice and they showed me what the sport was and a week later I was flying with them to Denver to go to our regional tournament,” said environmental science student and hurling team member Caitlyn Sena. “I got thrown in the deep end, but it was great. I never had so much fun.” 

Travel Near and Far 

It’s difficult, nay impossible, to imagine getting bored of UM’s Missoula home, but sometimes you have to miss something to really appreciate it. Playing club sports allows you to travel to different places and compete for Griz victory on (fren)enemy turf while exploring new towns throughout Montana and beyond with your family of teammates.  

Show Off Your Griz Pride Outside of Academics 

While UM’s academic laurels speak for themselves, club sports are a perfect way to represent the University and display your UM pride in a nonacademic setting.  

“The way Griz Hockey has touched the community is one of the coolest things I’ve seen,” said UM alumnus Tucker Sargent, the hockey team’s general manager and coach of UM’s club lacrosse team. “Kids are lining up to fist bump the players, and they are looking at these players like they are true heroes.” 

We all know how refreshing it is to forget for a bit about the upcoming tests and papers looming on the calendar. Do just that with your fellow Griz while still engaging with a campus community that has your back both on the court and in the classroom.  

To learn more about UM’s club sports, visit the Associated Students of the University of Montana website. Don’t see your favorite sport? There’s also information about how to start your own team.