For the Love of the Game

Photo: Teddy Estrada, BRSN

Soccer. Football. The Beautiful Game. The World’s Game.

There are almost as many ways to enjoy it as there are names to describe it. From Berman Field to Jessup, North Turf to Cass Park, the game is enjoyed at innumerable levels across even the little slice of the world that is Ithaca, New York. What better microcosm is there for the peerless realm of the world’s most popular sport than Cornell’s club soccer scene?

The scope of what officially defines ‘club’ soccer on campus is decidedly ambiguous. A cursory glance at the CampusGroups website lumps everyone from national competitors littered with former varsity talent to intramural squads designed as an offshoot of larger campus organizations under the same general moniker. So perhaps it’s less appropriate to define club soccer under one official interpretation, but instead as a diverse group encompassing competitive soccer organizations across campus.

At the top of the ladder sit Cornell’s dedicated, but still student-run club soccer organizations, who compete each fall against equivalent teams from colleges throughout the Finger Lakes region. On the men’s side, both Cornell Mundial and Cornell United compete in the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Region 1 championship, while Cornell Women’s Club Soccer competes in the equivalent NIRSA Women’s Region 1 championship. 

 Photo: Teddy Estrada, BRSN

Mundial’s Jacob Calka rallies the troops

Teams in this tier are fiercely competitive; annual tryouts regularly welcome upwards of 100 prospective players fighting for a mere handful of spots. On the men’s side in particular, the competition became even more tight after the recent merger between Santos and Cornell Academy to form United ahead of the 2023-24 academic year. Every August, North Turf becomes a sea of elite soccer talent, some just years removed from holding spots on Cornell’s Division I varsity roster. Some of the most determined players have even begun to sow the seeds of association months in advance.

“We have guys sending us highlight reels over the summer and sending us paragraphs calling me Coach Calka,” said Mundial president Jacob Calka ‘25. “You laugh in the moment… but [that’s] what we’ve built.” 

The results are clear to see – both Mundial and Women’s Club Soccer qualified for the NIRSA National Soccer Championship tournament in Austin, Texas last year, and advanced to the knockout round following successful performances in the group stage.

There, they met some of the mightiest talent in the nation. Some universities, such as perennial men’s contender Brigham Young University (BYU), don’t sponsor a varsity-level men’s soccer program. As a result, club teams present de-facto varsity outfits, offering stiff competition for student-run clubs such as those fielded by Cornell. 

“We’re always punching above our weight,” said Calka. “I think BYU’s won it six years in a row. They have like five coaches, three trainers, walk out with kids… to beat teams like that is very special for us.” 

BYU won their NIRSA region this fall with an unblemished record, averaging five goals a game and concluding with a goal differential of 51 through 10 games. Their next closest competitor in the Utah conference, Utah Valley, finished on half of BYU’s 30 points with a goal differential of -3. 

Despite the level of competition, every team still creates plenty of time for recreation. Between practices and classes, athletes make time for team dinners, weekend barbecues, games of FIFA at club houses, and time to relax on Cayuga Lake. 

“Club soccer was one of the main things [that defined my freshman year],” said Riley McGuire ‘27, a member of the Women’s Club Soccer team. “Knowing that I have that team to come back and look forward to, it’s been a major part of my experience here at Cornell.”

Image Courtesy of Cornell Women’s Club Soccer

Women’s club soccer during a recent tournament

Other organizations present a hybrid approach between the travel and competition of NIRSA and the team-building camaraderie of campus intramural divisions. Cornell Dragon Soccer Club (CDSC) represents the Chinese Student and Scholar Association (CSSA), fielding teams both on and off campus. 

“We have a first team that goes and travels for competitions,” said CDSC vice-president David Ma ‘27. “But then we also have a big group chat with like 300 people that are just there for pickup soccer games.” 

CDSC’s first team competes against other Chinese Student Organization teams from regional universities in competitions such as the Upstate Cup and Ivy Cup. Throughout the fall, you can also find representatives from CDSC competing in the Recreation Department’s intramural soccer league as well. These teams in particular, however, are always united by more than just sport. 

“One thing in the Chinese culture that brings people together is having a meal,” said Ma. “That’s how Chinese people actually get to know each other, and that helped a lot with the team bonding this year.”

Graphic: Jack Forcey, BRSN

Breaking down the levels of club soccer

Despite the abundance of groups on campus, all with differing goals, training schedules, and outlooks on the game, the challenges of being student-run affect them all the same.

“Our budget is really, really tight,” said United captain Clemens Sommerer ‘25. Between funding referees for games, procuring jerseys and training materials to run practices, putting together funding for tournament travel, and ensuring that fields are properly rented for games to go ahead, it’s a lot for a student organization to bear. 

Earlier this year, Mundial was forced to postpone a match after they were unable to source enough referees. United schedules as many games as possible away from home to minimize field rental costs. Additionally, players are occasionally forced to dip into their own pockets to handle travel costs and gear. 

“We always make sure to accommodate people financially for those who can’t afford it,” said McGuire. “But [funding] definitely does fall on the players. We all really want to play but it does come with that burden.”

Being student-run, clubs have to secure a dedicated e-board each year, which can be challenging when a large percentage of the team graduates in a single season. A particularly sizable graduating class forced CDSC to downsize from two intramural teams to one for this year’s fall season.

Despite these challenges, clubs strive to make the best of it. Women’s Club Soccer raised money this year through bake sales and the annual Giving Day festivities, while Mundial utilized a GoFundMe to help subsidize their trip to Texas for Nationals. 

All-in-all, while the hurdles remain great, club soccer organizations are more than capable of rising to the challenge. Interest is always high, and the clubs are united by their fervent love of the game.

“[Our club] originated from, really, just the love of the sport,” said Sommerer. “Being this really strong club with a strong foundation, that’s been really competitive over the past few years, is something I’m really proud of.”

And frankly, that’s exactly what a club is. A group of people gathered together by a mutual interest, a shared pastime, a rich passion from which so much joy can be derived. A club always strives to reach out and champion the interest which they represent, and these teams aren’t exceptions to the rule.

Because soccer is, truly, everyone’s game.