Recreation: Club Sports

A complete list of Club Sports can be found here.

The following policies are for Club Sports and other activity clubs that use the indoor and outdoor recreation facilities. Clubs must meet the following requirements before submitting a reservation request:

• Must be recognized as an official club by Center for Recreational Sports.
• Must be in good standing with Center for Recreational Sports (no holds).
• All liability waivers and recognition packets must be completed at the beginning of each school year and submitted on CampusGroups. Please visit the Club Sport Office Suite in the Student Life Center (Building 23) with any questions.

• All Club Sports are allotted two hours of reserved recreation time per week.
• Once a club has used their reservation quota, the facilities are available on a first come first served basis.
• A club must provide a start and end date for their reservation request.
• During peak hours, when a club does not have a reservation, they cannot monopolize space for more than one hour. This ensures that others have the opportunity to recreate as well.
• Clubs must have at least 10 participants in order to hold a reservation. If turnout is consistently low for a particular club, future reservations for the club will be cancelled.
• For special events (games/tournaments), clubs must request space at least 10 business days in advance via RIT Events.

Martial Arts / Fencing / Archery
These clubs are required to have an “Approved Safety Instructor” or club coach present during club reservations and activities. The “Approved Safety Instructor” status for archery is equivalent to USA Archery (Level 1 or 2) certification.

Martial arts or fencing participants using recreational space on a first come first served basis, must be accompanied by the “Approved Safety Instructor” or club coach, who will need to provide their approved ID card to building management prior to using the space.

To obtain “Approved Safety Instructor” status, a student must submit a resume of experience in their particular club sport and two reference letters from previous instructors or coaches to the Center for Recreational Sports for consideration. All club sport coaches are approved by Campus Life.

In order to submit a reservation request, club members must be on their club’s E-Board. Access is granted by Campus Life.

Weekly Club Sport Practices

• To request space at the Gordon Field House & Activities Center, Hale-Andrews Student Life Center, Outdoor Fields, or George H. Clark Gymnasium, visit RIT Events and select “Request Student Org Meeting/Event Space.”

Special Events

• To request space at the Hale-Andrews Student Life Center, Outdoor Fields, or George H. Clark Gymnasium, visit RIT Events and select “Request Student Org Meeting/Event Space.”
• To request space at the Gordon Field House & Activities Center, visit RIT Events and select “Request University Arenas Space.”

If a sport is played at both the intramural and club level, no more than two club members are allowed on an intramural team.

Club Sports Special Events
Students from other colleges or universities who participate in RIT Club Sports events (such as volleyball tournaments, swing dances, etc.) would not be required to pay the guest fee. However, the event must be approved by the Center for Recreational Sports. Also, an RIT member of the club would need to monitor the facility/field entrance in order to verify who is participating in the event and collect all event fees.

Club Sports: Advisors / Instructors / Coaches
We are happy to grant a complimentary recreation membership to advisors, instructors, or coaches who are not affiliated with RIT, but are volunteering their time to help improve the function of these clubs. The Center for Recreational Sports must approve these individuals in advance and inform the SLC Main Office of the agreement. The free membership is only valid during the semester they are actively participating with the club.

The RIT Center for Recreational Sports and Center for Campus Life support and value an individual’s right to access and utilize recreation facilities, programs, and services in accordance with their gender identity. We are committed to fostering a culture of open-mindedness, compassion, and inclusiveness among individuals and groups. All participants and staff are expected to uphold the rights of others and to be civil, respectful citizens of the RIT community.

Intramural and Recreational Club Sport Tenets

• All participants are expected to embrace an open-minded and respectful attitude toward individual differences of all players.
• Teammates, coaches, and other participants shall refer to people by the preferred names and pronouns, provided to them by participants.
• All eligible intramural players can participate in any sports activity that is in accordance with their gender identity.
• Transgender and non-binary individuals may play on the team that most closely aligns with their gender identity.
• Player eligibility will be based on the gender identified on the team roster via the “IM Leagues” registration process.
• A participant’s gender identity is applied when there are gender-specific rules or player ratio requirements in Co-Ed leagues.
• Any matters that may arise in regards to gender identity with Intramural participation can be subject to review by the Recreational Sports Review Board (RSRB) on a case-by-case basis.
• Verbal and non-verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, violence, bullying or other forms of harassment towards participants or staff will not be tolerated and are grounds for immediate removal from the game.
• Derogatory remarks around a person’s race, ethnicity, culture, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, national origin, social economic class, religion, or other intimidating actions directed at participants or staff will not be tolerated and are grounds for immediate removal from the game and/or team.
• Any hostile act or uncivil behavior will be handled immediately and the offending person may be referred to the Center for Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution and/or Public Safety.

The Student’s Responsibility

• The Center for Recreational Sports expects that participation is based on one’s self-identified gender and that it is done in good faith and is consistent with a player’s expressed gender identity.

The Center for Recreational Sports and Center for Campus Life Responsibilities

• If a challenge to a transgender student’s participation is made by an individual or team on the grounds of an opponent misrepresenting their gender identity to gain a competitive advantage, it should be handled with sensitivity and student privacy in mind.
• Under no circumstances should a participant’s identity as a transgender person be disclosed without the student’s express permission.
• For Intramural sports challenges, The Assistant Director of Intramurals will collect the information and consult with the RSRB.
• For Club Sports challenges, the Senior Associate Director of Campus Life will collect the information and consult with the RSRB.
• If the student’s request to participate is approved by the RSRB, education and Safe Zone training is available upon request.
• If the student’s request is denied by the RSRB, the student may submit an appeal to the Director Health Promotion (or designee of Senior Vice President of Student Affairs) and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, who will review the case and make a final decision.

Competitive Club Sports Transgender Inclusion Policy

Guidelines for Competitive Club Sports

A student should be allowed to participate in any sports activity that is in accordance with their gender identity. However, students should be aware of the National Governing Body (NGB) transgender inclusion policies for their sport that may affect their qualification for participation. In the event of a conflict between this policy and the NGB, the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs will address the conflict in a manner consistent with applicable RIT policies.

An opposing team or school may only challenge a transgender student’s approved eligibility through the accepted formal appeal process of the NGB.

Recreational Sports Review Board (RSRB) Members

Christopher Hinesley Assistant Director Q Center	Jennifer Lewis Associate Director, Recreation Facilities Center for Recreational Sports
Shawna Lusk Senior Associate Director, Student Engagement Campus Life	Dave Stevens Director Center for Recreational Sports
Amy Reed Senior Woman Administrator Head Women’s Basketball Coach Intercollegiate Athletics

Policy established November 2017