by Alina Ferguson
COVID-19 disturbed, disrupted, and delayed many lives and events over the past few years. Club sports at Cal Poly Humboldt were no exception. Sport clubs that have been around since the 90s had to be put on hold, as none of their members could meet in person. Some clubs had to completely cancel competitions, events and all club activities. Now that it is once again safe to gather, club sports are making a comeback. Various clubs on campus are seeking to grow their numbers, and are once again practicing and competing as a group.
Archery
The Archery club has a team that travels for competitions. This club is reliant on frequent practices, which was difficult to do away from the field. This year, with the participation of new freshmen, club membership is finally growing.
“To join you need no experience or gear,” club president Zachary Gaydosh said. “Our practices [are] at the Student Recreation Center next to the football field on Saturdays 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. [and on] Thursdays 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.”
Disc Golf
President of the Disc Golf Club Malcolm Silva said he is looking for new members. Club membership was negatively impacted by COVID, as members could no longer meet together. Also, at the start of the pandemic, many of the players that had been on the team were in their final years at Humboldt and have since graduated. While the club as an organization was affected, Silva thinks the restrictions on activities during the pandemic were to the benefit of the solitary sport in some ways. When there was nothing else to do, many people just went out and practiced playing the game. The club itself could not partake in any competitions.
“That really gave us the time to hone our craft and get a lot better at it,” said Edwards Silva.
Silva said that they are losing a good chunk of their team this semester and he definitely wants to get more people in the Disc Golf Club this year.
“We do Redwood Bowl every Sunday and on Wednesdays we do putting practice, that’s just where you throw the target at the basket,” said Edwards Silva.
Slacklining
If readers are interested in walking amongst the trees, so to speak, Slackjacks is the club for that. Slacklining is very popular among both students and locals.
Slackjacks is for all levels, including beginners. Most common slacklines are 1 inch or 2 inches in width; beginners would most likely start on a 2 inch.
Aang Younger, a club member, said the real secret to walking on a slack line is mental.
Club President Joseph Aguilar mentioned the club was really born in 2018, but then had to take a hiatus during COVID. It has been difficult recruiting new members.
This club not only teaches you to slackline, but it is also about community. Many people get together to jam, hangout, or even study for tests.
“We always have people who come and play guitar,” Sterling said.
Sterling also said they bring spirit cards, snacks, and circus props.
“It’s just a bunch of kids playing,” Sterling said.
The Slack Jacks typically meet at the Mad River Pump Station on Sundays, known as Slack Sunday by its members. They have a loosely set time of 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Cycling
Humboldt’s Cycling Club formed between the years of 2008-2009.
Club president Ian Bowden says he feels that the pandemic definitely impacted this club; the season they were about to embark on in 2020 was completely canceled.
“As a team we were struggling to find a way to organize any meetings and schedule COVID-safe group rides,” Bowden said. “During the 2020 season if we were to see people riding in the forest at the same time we would only wave before going down and continuing to ride alone.”
This kind of isolation impacted club morale and only a few people showed up to races in 2021.
Bowden said this season is gearing up to be one of their best yet. He feels they are back to nearly full membership. They are excited about their growing membership of 25 cyclists.
“I personally have made great efforts to unite people and recruit riders to join the club, personally asking people when I see them riding in the forest if they go to the college,” Bowden said. “I love the cycling community in Humboldt and foresee a definite increase in interested people as the years keep coming.”
The cycling club does both mountain and road racing. The club season opening on the 24th and 25th was hosted by Bowden.
“I am extremely excited for this race, as it is the first one that I have organized,” Bowden said, prior to the event. “I think we will have a good turnout from the schools in the division.”
Trash Pandas Soccer
The Trash Pandas is a co-ed soccer team that welcomes players of all levels. They are technically not a club in the eyes of the university, though they do hold similar activities. They meet for practice every day on the field behind College Creek, and played their first game on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. at the indoor soccer field.
This group is for those who enjoy playing soccer, but may want less commitment than being on a university team.
“It’s cool to see the people who didn’t know how to play a couple weeks ago, are playing against the Division 2 soccer team,” said Zach Meyer.
How do I join?The Club Sports section of the Recreational Sports page on the University’s website illustrates more options, including fencing, Ultimate Frisbee, and men’s crew. Follow the Archery club’s activities @humboldtarchery on Instagram, and keep up with the Slack Jacks @humboldt_slackjacks.
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