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When Teague DiNicola 鈥�24 takes the mound this spring, the hard-throwing pitcher for Syracuse Club Baseball will celebrate a campus tradition that鈥檚 more than 150 years old.

鈥淏aseball has been at Syracuse almost since Day One,鈥� he says, adding that the University has fielded an intercollegiate team on and off since 1873. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 part of something special.鈥�

Syracuse Club Baseball is one of 45 on campus. Since its inception in 1979, the current iteration of the baseball program has dominated the National Club Baseball Association鈥檚 hypercompetitive New England-West Conference. The team also won two division titles during a recent stint in the Colonial Club Baseball Association.

The high competition level is what drew DiNicola to Syracuse Club Baseball in the first place. 鈥淪ome of the athletes are good enough to play Division I or II sports,鈥� says the Philadelphia native, who was recruited by the University鈥檚 club team while in high school.

DiNicola appreciates the comradery that comes with the sport. He also considers the team鈥攁nd Competitive Club Sports, in general鈥攁n extension of the classroom. 鈥淚t鈥檚 preparing me for life.鈥�

Fielding a Holistic Experience

Ever since football and baseball were first played on the present-day site of Shaw Quadrangle in the 1870s, organized sports have been integral to the Syracuse experience.

Today, the University offers an array of sporting opportunities that not only promote school spirit, but also cultivate practical life skills. Chief among them are Competitive Club Sports, which is a standalone unit in the , and , housed in .

鈥淐ompetitive Club Sports is intercollegiate, meaning that athletes are subject to eligibility requirements. They also travel to other institutions to play,鈥� says Pete Way, director of Competitive Club Sports. 鈥淏ecause their skill level is high, our athletes can help draw attention to their varsity sport counterparts.鈥�

People who play Intramural Sports, on the other hand, are more diverse, ranging from a seasoned competitor to someone lacing up for the first time, explains Jasmine Holmes, associate director of sports programs. 鈥淭he activities are more welcoming to all, regardless of one鈥檚 skill level or previous experience.鈥�

Braeden Cheverie-Leonard 鈥�26, who has coached intramural basketball and officiated intramural volleyball, agrees. 鈥淚ntramural Sports provides a fun and supportive environment where teammates are your friends and opponents become your friends. This kind of social interaction is just as important as physical activity,鈥� he says.

Building a Better Athlete鈥攁nd Person

Way describes Competitive Club Sports as 鈥渟teeped in tradition but built for the future.鈥� Hence, the unit offers a range of individual and dual sports as well as outdoor and indoor team activities. Some programs, like baseball and men鈥檚 rugby, are decades old; others, such as esports, which encompasses organized gaming competitions, are relatively new.

鈥淲e鈥檝e evolved from a pick-up team to a national contender,鈥� says Brock Alvers 鈥�25 of (SUMH), which has notched six regular-season and eight playoff championships since its establishment in 1959.

Although Syracuse has sponsored organized hockey since 1903, SUMH鈥檚 recent success reflects the sport鈥檚 growing popularity among students. In fact, SUMH鈥檚 Hall of Fame Alumni Weekend, now in its sixth year, is one of the program鈥檚 biggest draws.

鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 do it without our volunteer coaches, some of whom drive more than two hours for games and practices, and our team managers who perform many important but unglamorous activities,鈥� says Alvers, a fixture at the on South Campus.

Other success stories include men鈥檚 basketball and synchronized skating, both of which went undefeated last season, and women鈥檚 volleyball, a two-time league runner-up. Meanwhile, the University has partnered with to provide world-class coaching and training expertise to the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 rugby programs.

鈥淐ompetitive Club Sports pushes you to become a better athlete and person,鈥� says Gabriel Fatade 鈥�26, who plays men鈥檚 club soccer. 鈥淏ecause we have strict rules about sportsmanship, everybody has fun. The positive environment encourages us to do our best.鈥�

Bringing Cultures Together

Intramural Sports is equally impactful. According to Holmes, more than 6,000 people from Syracuse and the annually compete in some 30 sports and tournaments on or near main campus. Participants aren鈥檛 just students; they鈥檙e also staff and faculty members of all ages and backgrounds. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a wide range of agility, speed, balance and coordination,鈥� she says.

Opportunities range from traditional sports like basketball, flag football and hockey to emerging activities like pickleball and wiffleball. Intramural Sports also offers community-building activities such as futsal (a variant of soccer) and kickball.

Because the skill level is so varied, there鈥檚 something for everyone almost every night of the week, explains India native Juhi Idnani 鈥�27, who referees soccer, football and volleyball. 鈥淚ntramural Sports is the perfect mix of fun and low-stakes competition.鈥�

Officiating enables students like Idnani to develop personal and interpersonal skills. Learning how to think on your feet鈥攎aking instantaneous decisions, resolving conflicts, and dealing with stress and pressure鈥攖ranslates into academic and professional success, she explains.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the toughest jobs on campus,鈥� says Holmes of officiating one鈥檚 peers. 鈥淭he skills needed to practice leadership, adaptability and sound problem-solving are vital to any career path.鈥�

At the same time, Competitive Club Sports and Intramural Sports are all about community, connection and socialization. By enhancing the student experience through organized games and activities, they foster an engaged and inclusive community.

鈥淪ports should be inclusive and accessible, so that everyone can participate,鈥� says Will Shick 鈥�24, president of the . 鈥淭hey promote physical and mental health by exercising the body and mind.鈥�