Club sports get less medical support than NCAA sports. Why?

Collegiate club sport athletes experience the same, if not an even greater risk of exposure to injury compared with student-athletes who play an NCAA sport. Yet, collegiate club sport players are not provided with the same level of medical support and injury prevention services that student-athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) receive. There may be a couple of reasons that explain why.

Administrators might not be aware of the risks

One reason may be that since club sports are not played at the same level of intensity as an NCAA sport, college administrators may not realize that these athletes are still at significant risk of injury. As a result, university officials may not see the need to provide the level of funding necessary for club sport organizations to retain the injury remediation and prevention services that only a certified athletic trainer, who has extensive expertise in sports science and exercise physiology, can provide.

In addition, some officials in the higher education community may view club sports as primarily an avenue for developing a student’s teamwork and leadership skills rather than athletic abilities—a perspective reinforced by the fact that club sports are largely self-governed activities, organized and managed by the students themselves. The result is that university funding of athletic training services for collegiate club sports could take lower priority, particularly at a time when colleges—especially publicly funded state schools—are facing the challenge of doing more with less.

Club sports fall outside NCAA requirements for medical coverage

Because collegiate club sports are not regulated by NCAA rules, players are not entitled to the same injury prevention or treatment services that student-athletes in the NCAA are provided. If a club sport player is injured during a game, that individual will most likely not receive school-provided medical care beyond immediate emergency services. Depending on the severity of the injury sustained, a club sport player can miss valuable class or learning time while recovering. The physical and mental health benefits students derive from playing a club sport could be entirely negated by injury.

But, studies show significant rates of injury in club sports, often exceeding NCAA levels

Proponents of collegiate club sports say more needs to be done to reduce the risk of injury to these players and research studies are proving them right. One such study was conducted by researchers from Mason’s School of Kinesiology who examined injuries in 196 collegiate club sport athletes in six club sports including football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, quidditch, men’s ultimate frisbee, and women’s ultimate frisbee over a 16-week semester at a large, suburban university. The results of the study showed that 60 of 196 or 31% of the club sport players suffered injuries, with an overall injury rate of 15.8 per 1,000 athlete-exposures. Among those club sports which had high rates of injury were men’s and women’s soccer with levels of 19.5 and 14.3 per 1,000 athlete exposures, respectively. In contrast, a previous study cited by Mason researchers which examined injury rates for NCAA men’s and women’s soccer reported over a six-year period, found rates of 8.07 and 8.44 per 1,000 student-athlete exposures, respectively—a significant drop compared with men’s and women’s club soccer. Mason researchers concluded that these findings demonstrated a need for athletic training services to ensure the well-being of students who take part in collegiate club sport activities.

So, should club sports get as much medical support as NCAA sports?

Proponents of collegiate club sports believe funding for the services of an athletic trainer is a worthwhile investment justified by the benefits students derive from participating in these activities. Those benefits include improved physical and mental health, lowered stress levels, and making social connections with peers. Playing a club sport contributes to a healthy lifestyle and is an important part of the college experience. For many students, the availability of collegiate club sports is a key factor in choosing which college to apply to or in deciding whether to stay at a school once enrolled. Moreover, collegiate club sports embrace a culture of inclusiveness and are open to any member of the student body who has an interest. Given the benefits of collegiate club sports and the strong interest among current and prospective students in these activities, there will be more calls for policies and procedures within higher education institutions to provide athletic training and injury prevention/remediation services for these athletes.

Be sure to visit the Athletic Training program within Mason’s School of Kinesiology to learn more about our master’s degree offering.

To learn more about injury rates in collegiate club sports, read this article by School of Kinesiology faculty Joel Martin and Jatin Ambegaonkar. Mason’s School of Kinesiology offers degree programs that focus on the scientific study of human movement and its application in settings such as athletics, dance studios, and clinical practices. Please visit our website to learn more.