The 91¸£Àûµ¼º½ Athletics Department announced on May 6 the addition of three new sports: men’s volleyball, women’s STUNT, and women’s triathlon, beginning in 2024-2025. 

Athletic Director Warren Keller, ’11, states that “Gallaudet is always committed to investing our resources to aim for equality in opportunities. We have sought to give our female students more sport sponsorship for a while. However there have not been offerings in the NCAA Division III level that would have been a viable option for us either in infrastructure or recruiting until now. In addition to multiple female sports, we are excited that there has been strong interest to resume men’s volleyball once again.” 

 

STUNT is a NCAA Emerging Sport for Women that was passed in January 2024. This spring sport incorporates skills derived from cheerleading and features teams going head-to-head to perform and execute skills-based routines in categories such as partner stunts, jumps and tumbling, pyramids and tosses and team routines. Gallaudet must compete in a minimum of six meets. Celine Dazé, ’13, has been named STUNT head coach. 

 

Women’s triathlon is another NCAA Emerging Sport for Women. According to USA Triathlon, 42 schools currently have women’s triathlon teams.  This fall sport is currently a recognized varsity sport at all three NCAA divisions. Teams of at least three student-athletes will compete in four to six meets in a sprint format consisting of 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bicycle ride, and 5-kilometer run. 

Gallaudet reinstates the men’s volleyball program for the first time since 2013. The 2011-12 season was a club year followed by one varsity season (2012-13). Gallaudet had a championship caliber program back in the 1970s when they won four straight Potomac Intercollegiate Conference championships (1974-1977). Men’s volleyball is a spring sport, played indoors, in a 6v6 format. 

In addition to the NCAA sports teams, Gallaudet Athletics is also announcing the addition of club teams and recreational programs next year. Women’s flag football will be offered as a club team. Last year, disc golf, pickleball, and the MotionZ majorette team were established as student organizations. Athletics will now maintain those recreational programs. Athletics wants to thank Student Engagement and Leadership for supporting them last year. 

Women’s flag football is currently entering an exploratory period for future NCAA Sport Sponsorship with many higher education institutions sponsoring a club. Over 400 institutions have expressed an interest in sponsoring over the last two months following this news. This is a spring sport done in a 7v7 format. 

Offerings for recreational and competitive club disc golf and pickleball have rapidly grown as of late.  Gallaudet will support these programs in their growth organically as a recreational program at this time, with an eye to becoming competitive programs in the near future. 

Keller added, “There are so many deaf children out there who are athletes. By making this investment in more club sports and recreational programs, we will provide more opportunities for students outside traditional sports. We want to get ahead of the game and partake in some of the fastest-growing activities out there.” 

Gallaudet will now have 17 NCAA Division III Sport Sponsorship offerings (eight men’s, nine women’s) and six club sports or recreational programs (four coeducational, two women’s). 

Read about the closure of baseball and women’s soccer. 

More information about program head coaches and schedules will be announced soon. Until then, interested players and recruits may contact Athletics Admissions Liaison Shelby Bean.