Whether you are a new student at Binghamton University or want to get involved on campus, clubs are a great way to make connections. As some of the biggest organizations on campus, club sports are a popular way for students to remain active while making new friends. With many options to choose from, students can find an organization that fits their interests. While club sports offer classic sports like basketball and soccer, here are some of the more unique clubs that BU has to offer.

Kickline

Kickline is a dance group that performs at BU’s athletics games and other campus events. The 60-member organization performs Rockette-style kicklines, as well as styles in jazz, pom and hip hop. Kickline practices two days a week with one to two performances each week. As well as performing at halftime, Kickline cheers at soccer, basketball and lacrosse games, as they are the only club team of the Athletic Spirit Squads.

Outdoors

Binghamton Outdoors provides a space where students can enjoy exploring the world around them. The club engages in many outdoor activities including hiking, caving, camping and kayaking. Outdoors offers smaller and larger activities to support the needs of their different members.

Ava Zuckerman, the vice president of the Outdoors Club and a junior double-majoring in theatre and environmental studies, explained how being a part of the organization has impacted her relationships.

“I met some of my best friends through the Outdoors Club on a camping trip my freshman year,” Zuckerman wrote in an email. “This club has also introduced me to a wide circle of people I would not have had the opportunity to meet elsewhere. I found that being disconnected from our devices and going on a hike with complete strangers is one of the best and most genuine ways to get to know someone new.”

Aikido 

This group practices a purely defensive form of martial arts that focuses on redirecting the opponent’s energy. Aikido promotes itself as being for everyone since it relies on using the opponent’s movement, as opposed to physical strength. The club provides an easy, low-risk start for those interested in learning a new skill but progresses through more complex techniques as the year progresses.

Equestrian

Based off campus, Equestrian allows former and aspiring riders to develop their skills. Lessons are taught under the guidance of an experienced competitor and trainer, who helps members reach their goals and stay safe. The team competes throughout New York state against other collegiate club teams and promotes lessons, shows, fundraising and club participation as the cornerstones of being a great team member.

Rowing

Rowing is a competitive and co-ed sport that allows students to continue rowing or foster a new love for the sport. Like many other club sports, Rowing offers a space for students to improve their skills while making new friends.

Gael Hong, the club’s head of public relations and a senior double-majoring in geography and Asian and Asian American Studies, described how being a part of the crew has strengthened their skills in and out of the boat.

“The trust you need to have in your squad cannot be overstated,” Hong wrote in an email. “More than that, though, is the grace you must grant one another. When we place during a regatta, it’s pretty easy to feel united and strong! However, being with my boat when we don’t perform as well has been more valuable; since joining the crew, I have grown more patient, understanding, and open. I learned to admit my wrongs while keeping my head up and shifting conversations from blame to how we can improve.”

Triathlon 

Triathlon promotes itself as a way for members to learn and improve the components of a triathlon — swim, bike and run. Along with practicing one to two days a week for each discipline, the team also completes in multiple triathlons and trial triathlons throughout the year. While one of the smaller club sports on campus, triathlon prides itself on supporting its members in reaching their athletic goals.

Club sports at BU provide many students with the opportunity to stay active, regardless of experience levels. The popularity of the organization as a whole can be attributed to the student leadership that brings everything from early morning practices to travel games to life.

“Athletes are dedicated to building community and collabing with other club sports,” Zuckerman wrote. “This creates a broader encouraging environment amongst students, making an active lifestyle also a social one.”