<p>could somebody please explain the difference between club sports and varsity sports? (ie. training frequency, intensity.)</p>
<p>are you asking about a specific sport? Are you intrested in D1 or D3 sports v club?
Club sports are les competitive if there is a varsity sport at that school. Some schools only have club sports for a particular sport (NYU girls lacrosse). In these cases, the best payers at the school would be playing club.</p>
<p>Club sports do travel, they do practice. Practice is usually less times a week.
Club athletes are not recruited. Tryouts are usually each school year, for each season.</p>
<p>The intensity of play may be the same, the quality may be pretty good. The time committment is less. There are less practices.</p>
<p>This is all pretty general. More information wold be needed like which sport, which school, committment of athlete?</p>
<p>hmm.. thinking of crew specifically. i'm applying to notre dame, boston college, and holy cross next year. the first two are div 1 i believe..</p>
<p>I've been looking at that too -- I think with crew doing it as a club sport actually means a lot more work because the university gives it much less funding. We have using our dock 2 local college teams; one is D1 and one is club and for a while the club team was keeping their boats in stretchers in someone's back yard, wet-docking every day, and doing A LOT of fundraising while the D1 has a gorgeous boathouse and all expenses paid for.</p>
<p>Varsity- Hired coaches,recruited players, practice facilities, equipment etc. If you play D1 or D2, it takes up most of your life, it interferes w/ your afternoon classes, an you're constantly travelling. Plus there are strict rules on drug and alcohol use.</p>
<p>Club- more laid back, but the competition and intensity can be just as high. Not funded by the school. More student-run. Still compete against other colleges in the area. </p>
<p>If you haven't been recruited at all, by any school, I suggest club sports, unless you want to walk on to a lesser program.</p>
<p>Club - you pay to play...</p>