Separate from standard varsity athletics, Wayne State College’s athletic administration operates four elevated club sports: rugby, dance, cheer and esports. While these are not official Division II athletics, they are coach-led and more heavily run by administration than other club sports and activities.
John Schwarte, WSC Associate Athletic Director, is the primary figure responsible for the staff and recruitment for these programs. With the help of his work, WSC is able to distinguish these four programs from strictly student-led organizations and give more attention to their needs.
Schwarte said the ultimate goal of his position in the athletics department is to focus on recruiting more students and retaining them at the college. Aiming to recruit as many potential new students as possible, the athletic teams here at WSC are searching for new and improved ways to expand these club programs.
“We’re always looking for ways to push these programs forward,” Schwarte said. “It’s good for our institutions, keeps enrollment high, and keeps the opportunities flowing for all the different things that we offer.”
While Schwarte focuses on growing the programs overall, each elevated club sport operates a little differently. Rugby, dance, cheer, and esports all have their own needs and structures, which makes supporting them unique.
“As you can probably imagine rugby and esports are completely different programs than how they would operate,” Schwarte said.
Of the elevated sport programs, rugby is currently the most prominent, and the only one with a full-time head coach. Bryn Chivers is responsible for both the men’s and women’s rugby teams. Chivers just completed his third season working for WSC.
“There are various schools who, like us, have elevated programs,” Chivers said. “They meet various needs for each of those schools like diversity and enrollment.”
Chivers explained that having an elevated program for the WSC rugby teams allows them more room to grow while also sometimes making it difficult for the team to compete under the extra rules and regulations associated with the varsity athletic programs. Chivers said he feels the athletic administration here at WSC is glad to be working to keep these programs growing and maintain their elevated status moving forward.
“The school is committed to more resources to the elevated sports,” Chivers said.
Mary McKulsky, a current senior, has grown to love the rugby program throughout her time at WSC. Her story showcases some of the successes of the club sports.
“I chose Wayne State because of the environment that the college creates,” McKulsky said. “Walking on campus for my first tour felt super welcoming. I actually had no idea what rugby was during my time choosing a college.”
McKulsky’s experiences with the elevated club sport first began as a surprise during her freshman year, after she had already committed to WSC.
“I happened to go to the club fair freshman year, and the girls at the rugby table had super fun, encouraging energy that drew me to the team,” McKulsky said.
McKulsky is a success story, not only for herself after being named a National Collegiate Rugby All-American, but also for WSC with her love for the club sport programs. She proves that any student has the potential to fall in love with one of the elevated club sports, regardless of whether or not they expected to find the opportunity.
Elevated club sports fill an important space at Wayne State College. They are not quite varsity programs, but they also are not typical student-led clubs. With added support from administration and coaching, they offer students more structure while still keeping the welcoming environment that draws people in.
As WSC looks for new ways to recruit and support elevated club sports, the focus remains to give students a place to compete, connect, and succeed.
