Most students imagine similar things when talking about sports on campus: football, tennis, swim, basketball. However, there are certain clubs dedicated to sports not offered by Northwood’s athletics program, many of which practice weekly after school and foster passion amongst their members without receiving as much recognition.

Northwood’s Sports Analytics club aims to expose members to a wide variety of different perspectives of sport-related topics. President sophomore Ryan Abaye joined when he was just a freshman, realizing his passion and quickly getting more involved with the club. 

“I’ve been a sports fan for my whole life, so I decided to 

check it out,” Abaye said. While we will dive into more advanced analytics-based projects later in the year, our current meetings have a more laid back feel that I really like.”

Northwood’s Birds of a Feather helps promote badminton on campus and welcomes students of all experience levels to train competitively. President senior Sharon Leo has been working to secure an area to resume practices, hosting skill clinics and tournament-style scrimmages in the face of strict COVID-19 regulations over indoor gym usage.

“Badminton isn’t as popular as other sports like football or basketball, so part of our aim was to introduce it to those who didn’t know much about it,” Leo said. “Now that we’re back in person this year, we’re looking forward to being back in the gym and enjoying playing on the courts again.”

Meanwhile, spicing up the campus with hammerhead throws and lofty backhands is the Ultimate Frisbee Club, who had their first informational meeting this year in adviser Steve Sellwood’s room. The club practices throwing discs and hosts scrimmages to help their members enjoy a traditionally less-played sport. 

Many remember playing ultimate frisbee from earlier years, and having an outlet on campus for students can rekindle their interest and help relieve stress. 

“I used to play ultimate frisbee with my friends over the summer, and I joined because I thought it would be cool if I could continue during the school year,” junior Matthew Lim said.

Altogether, these clubs do their best to promote students’ passions and help them explore their interests in areas that are not taught by traditional school curriculum. Their presence on campus helps students feel validated through creating a community that celebrates their sport, fostering an inclusive environment and contributing to Northwood’s diverse student life.