Athletic fun with freedom

The delicate balancing act that defines NCAA athletics, where students attend to the rigors of high-stakes competition and slave over repetitive schoolwork, serves as a contrast to the informal nature of club sports.

FGCU clubs such as fishing, volleyball and hockey provide an outlet for students to sustain their passions beyond the high school level, in a less binding environment.

Nowhere is this more apparent than with hockey club President Jason Almcrantz, a junior civil and environmental engineering major, and his teammates.

A member of the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association), the Division 2 and Division 3 teams lay claim to a No. 2 national ranking (2008-09), and a current No. 1 divisional ranking respectively, yet such feats come secondary.

"The difference between NCAA teams and us is that here it is more school-focused, with hockey coming after," Almcrantz said. Still, intensity, pedigree, and ambition are mainstays within both the D2 and D3 teams.

They follow a steady schedule, with practices twice a week and games on weekends. Missing practices can result in team fines, such as picking up loose pucks, and cleaning up water bottles.

Commitment shouldn't be an issue as most players have at least high school or Junior Hockey experience, with some even aiming to play beyond college.

"I'm sure there will be guys who go and player over in Europe, and there will be opportunities elsewhere. Not much separates ACHA from the NCAA talent-wise," Almcrantz said.

Fishing is a less publicized club, without the constant bubbling of Germain Arena admirers.

Instead, President Thomas Edwards IV, a sophomore environmental studies major, and his fellow anglers hone their skills in secluded local ponds and lakes.

Such detachment only extends to practice, however.

"We participate in fishing tournaments nationwide, facing the largest schools you can think of, such as UCF and Penn State, to the smallest," Edwards said.

Their journeys include stops in South Carolina, Texas, Arkansas and New York, all paid for out of pocket.

Competing on the national scale is exclusive, as generally only two or four anglers travel out of the overall 20 club members who attend team meetings on the first and third Mondays of every month.

Edwards explains the intricate details of elite fishing competition, an experience exotic to the common person "We have one fresh water and one salt water team competing in bass tournaments … there are certain species we look for, and between all of us there is a five or six fish limit for what we can catch. The team that brings in the heaviest fish wins," Edwards said.

Success hinges on many factors, depending on the person you ask, but Edwards looks for distinct traits in a quality angler.

"I want someone who is persistent, who's willing to put in time and effort," Edwards said.

If that mantra rubs off on the more raw club members, they have the best chance of finishing in the top quarter of a field of 150, quite the statement for a diminutive school.

"To get better at fishing you need to fish with people who are better than you…if that happens we can finish really well," Edwards said.

Another newer club looking to establish prominence in a lowkey atmosphere is volleyball.

After completing their first practice last Saturday night, President Robert Ritchie, a junior majoring in resort hospitality, laid out his mission statement.

"Our goal is to be very competitive, and make the club like a varsity sport…. we don't want it to be like it's a job, though, its not every day, all day," Ritchie said.

FGCU's women's volleyball coach Dave Nichols will tutor the team's 12-15 guys, most of whom have played semi-pro, possessing credentials that promote effort and intensity.

Nichols presence is partially responsible for the club's luring appeal to outsiders.

"People are transferring from other schools to play club here… there is no varsity men's volleyball in Florida, so we are the main option, "Ritchie said.

The transfers and whoever else wants a shot in the non discriminatory club setting will play 6 on 6, indoor tournaments are throughout the year, with Alico Arena serving as the home venue.

With the formalities in place, Ritchie hopes volleyball fits into the mold of the more established clubs such as fishing, hockey and countless others; where tension free, passionate play is the standard.