Attending the University of Oklahoma was an easy choice for Hana Penney—after all, she was following a long legacy of OU family members. But the chance to wield a sword may have been the tipping point in her decision.

Penney, a competitive fencer, is one of hundreds of students participating in OU Sport Clubs. Nearly two dozen sports are represented, ranging from power lifting to climbing, sailing to clay shooting and even ice skating. 

“Club teams are a great spot for students who might have been active in high school or club athletics but won’t go on to play at the NCAA level,” says Garry Armstrong, associate director of OU Fitness and Recreation. Armstrong oversees the sport clubs, which are registered student organizations.

Sport clubs are different from intramurals, Armstong says. Athletes travel to compete with other universities and wear club uniforms featuring official OU logos, much like NCAA athletes. Each team has a coach and an adviser who ensures that athletes are following OU Student Life policies and maintaining a minimum 2.0 GPA. Though any OU student can participate in a club team’s practices and activities, coaches select rosters for competition.

“Being part of a team has a lot of benefits—social, mental and even spiritual,” Armstrong says. “Being involved in a sport club becomes part of a student’s identity and their memories. Studies also show that students who participate in regular physical activity see an increase in their GPA.”

Penney, a sophomore finance major from Edmond, Okla., competed in fencing on the club level in high school. Being able to join the OU Fencing Club cemented her choice to come to Norman. 

“Fencing has always been a wonderful outlet for my energy; it blends strategy and physical challenge in a way I’d never felt before,” she says. “Fencing is very rare in Oklahoma and I’m proud that OU gives us the space to keep it alive.”

Likewise, the OU Men’s Hockey Club has helped keep its sport alive since 2003 in a landlocked state where even indoor ice is a rarity.

Peter Arvanitis has coached the group of some 30 players for more than a decade and helped it become one of OU’s most successful clubs. Last year, the OU Hockey Club was among two dozen to qualify for their national tournament in an 84-member league. OU’s club members also maintained a collective 3.35 GPA. 

Arvanitis, who played professionally for Central Hockey League teams in Oklahoma City and Nashville, says he recruits players from Oklahoma, Texas and points as far away as California and New York. Some of his future players had been recruited to play for small, NCAA Division III teams offering partial scholarships. 

Though OU club sports don’t provide scholarships, Arvanitis says he sells future players on the university’s many other benefits.

 “I tell them, ‘You’re coming to a very good academic institution and a beautiful campus. You can continue playing a sport you love competitively,’ ” he says. “ ‘I’m offering you the college experience that I think you want and deserve.’ ”

But Arvanitis says his focus goes far beyond the ice. “The one thing that gives me the greatest satisfaction is when Commencement comes around and I see these kids graduate. Having a degree from the University of Oklahoma carries weight and sets students up for the next 50 years of their lives.”

OU Men’s Ultimate Frisbee co-captain Grey Lashbrook is working toward that same goal while balancing a job, classes and evening team practices at least three times per week. Frisbee competitions pit OU’s club against other universities in sanctioned tournaments and regional sectionals throughout the year.

Lashbrook, an OU health and exercise science junior from Norman, admits his schedule leaves him with very little free time. But he says joining the OU Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Club was one of the best decisions he’s made.

“After class and work, being able to go out and throw a frisbee is a great stress reliever,” Lashbrook says. “I have so much fun. These are the people I consider my best friends.”

Penney says she also has made vital connections through OU Sport Clubs but adds that some of her best fencing moments take place outside of practice or competition—even among those who have never picked up a foil, epee or sabre. 

“Whenever I tell somebody that I fence, I normally get a very shocked reaction,” she says. “Then I hand them a sword. Being in the OU Fencing Club is something I’m very proud of, and bringing new people into the sport is one of my favorite parts.” 

Anne Barajas Harp is editor of Sooner Magazine.

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