Mississippi State University has over 15 club sports. This semester, things will look a little different for the students involved in these clubs. Teams will not be able to travel or play games. However, starting on Aug. 24, the various teams will be able to start practicing. Teams will schedule times to practice to minimize the number of players on the fields at once.
Both the men and women’s soccer teams are looking forward to starting practices soon and getting prepared for what they hope is a spring season.
Ben Brock is a junior business administration major who serves as the president for the men’s club soccer team on campus. He shared some information about how the team is feeling both moving into this fall season of practice and looking ahead to a potential spring season.
“I think we all knew we weren’t going to get to play any games this semester but are happy that we get to practice.” Brock said. “We are hoping to have our season in the spring.”
Brock also said they are hoping to have tryouts soon and have been contacted by people interested in playing through Instagram, Facebook and email. The men’s club soccer team can be found on Instagram at @msuclubsoccer or on Facebook at Mississippi State Men’s Club Soccer. Brock’s email address can be found on the Facebook page as well.
Deme Courtney, a sophomore pre-vet major is the president of the women’s club soccer team and spoke similarly of fall practices and the hope of a spring season. They, like the men’s team, will be able to start practices this week in intervals in accordance with other teams.         
The women’s club soccer team will be hosting an interest meeting on Thursday, August 27 where they will discuss fees, a tryout date and practice schedules.
“We’re looking for people who can be as competitive as we can be,” Courtney said, “but also, we’re a really fun group of girls who get along really well.”
The women’s club soccer team can also be found on various social medias. They often make announcements, and you can get to see some of their past players on their Instagram at @msstatewclubsoccer. The link for the WebEx interest meeting for Thursday night can also be found in their bio.
The university is taking COVID-19 health and safety very seriously. Although the club teams do not get to participate in travel or play this fall, their practices will be held in a safe, conscious manner. Since soccer is a contact sport, the participants in practices will be required to wear gloves in addition to the masks they are already mandated to wear on campus.
MSU’s Health & Safety Return Plan emphasized personal responsibility in addition to any university requirements. 
“At this stage of the pandemic, we are all aware of the importance of taking personal responsibility for our own health AND understanding how our actions affect the health of our community,” the plan states.
More information about these club sports teams and others can be found on MSU’s University Recreation website.