Before Mercyhurst’s relatively new sailing team could begin to compete, it not only had to build its numbers, but also secure access to boats and gain afliation with its conference, the Mid- Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association, coach Bob Green said. Gannon and Penn State Behrend have also launched sailing teams in recent years. When the three teams co-hosted the Battle of Lake Erie regatta in September, Mercyhurst’s eighth-place fnish ranked best among the local participants. Like skating, bowling, and other recently introduced teams, sailing both draws student-athletes looking to continue competition after high school and introduces other students to sports they can participate in long after graduation. “I have a couple of students who are incredibly experienced, and I have students who have been sailing instructors or actively sailed in high school,” Green said. “Some students have no experience. One of my top sailors right now came in with no experience. “I come at it from two ways: It’s a lot of fun, and it’s something that you can take with you when you leave college. I have friends who sail who are in their 80s.”
school. Mercyhurst’s club hockey program added a second men’s team in 2016 for this very purpose.
While club hockey’s Division I team vies for players from across the region against other schools in a competitive recruiting landscape, the “developmental” or DII team ofers more casual student- athletes a chance to play. “(Having two divisions) allows us to open the door to all skillsets,” he said. “We’re a program that can feld teams with the best of the best as well as have kids who want to continue competing after high school.” Mercyhurst is not alone in its renewed focus on club sports. Many schools have identifed them as a means of attracting prospective students and empowering non-varsity student-athletes. Halli Bidwell, who has served as equestrian coach since 2005, said she’s noticed a diference in the way club teams approach recruiting now compared to when she began 15 years ago — and students are taking note. “We’re sending out more recruiting letters,” Bidwell said. “A lot of the schools have (equestrian teams) and most of the kids who have ridden are coming out knowing which schools have teams, so it helps to reach out to them.”
For some, club sports represent an opportunity to continue athletic careers that would have otherwise concluded in high
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