Club sports at The University of Alabama serve as a way for students to stay involved and continue to compete in sports they love. They allow students the competition they crave and allow them to form team bonds without the full-time commitment of a varsity sport.

For Julie Tanner, a junior majoring in management information systems, playing soccer was always a family affair, and she knew she wanted to play in college.

“I held off playing until my junior year because I felt like I was too busy,” Tanner said. “I joined the team because I missed soccer and the feeling of being on a team.”

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The women’s club soccer team has been a part of the University’s club sports program since the early 2000s. The team plays the majority of its games in the fall season but competes in the spring from February to April.

As a member of the Southeast Collegiate Soccer Alliance, the team competes against schools like Georgia Tech, South Carolina and North Carolina.

The women’s club soccer team has recently been a high-ranking, dominant force in its conference, winning the 2011 NIRSA Regional Soccer Quarterfinals. But this year, the team has had to focus on rebuilding its program.

“We have taken on some new players, so our game has been thrown off a little bit just because we are getting used to playing with new people, but I’m predicting we will move back up to third after the current season,” Tanner said.

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Along with focusing on building team chemistry, Tanner said her team is also working on shooting. With the time the team spends together improving technique, the athletes also get a chance to build friendships.

Tanner said one of her favorite things about being a part of the club team is the people.

“They have been amazing in every way,” Tanner said. “I know they always have my back, on and off the field, whenever I need anything, they are there. We are a true team.”

The next home game for the women’s club soccer team will be Sunday at 1 p.m. against Tennessee on the University Recreation fields.

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