The New Haven Chargers are the athletic teams that represent the University of New Haven, located in West Haven, Connecticut, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Chargers' 17 athletics teams, 7 for men and 10 for women, compete as members of the Northeast-10 Conference. New Haven has been a member of the NE10 since 2008. In 2016-2017, the women's volleyball and baseball team won Northeast-10 Conference championships. Overall 12-of-16 teams qualified for postseason play, while six teams advanced to the NCAA Championships. Six Chargers were named All-Americans following their respective seasons; Zach Voytek, Tyler Condit, Kendall Cietek, Nicole Belanger, Hannah Johnson and Robert Petrillo. Off the fields, courts and tracks, the Chargers 300-plus student-athletes combined for a 3.01 grade point average in the Spring of 2017, the 18th straight season with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Additionally, 343 Chargers received NE10 Commissioner's Honor Roll accolades, while 163 were named to the New Haven Dean's List.
Varsity teams
2016–17 Northeast-10 Conference champions
Volleyball
The Chargers secured their fifth NE10 Conference Championship with a four-set win over Adelphi on November 19. 2016. With the victory, New Haven secured its 31st berth in the NCAA Division II Championship tournament. In the NE10 final, New Haven was led by NE10 Championship Most Outstanding Player who finished with a triple double, her third in as many games in the NE10 Championship. Overall, she finished with 10 kills, 20 assists and 15 digs in the title match. Joining her on the All-Tournament team was senior outside hitter Meghan Kennelly who finished the title match with a team-high 15 kills. Junior Caroline Martins and freshman Mallory Nowicki rounded out the leading hitters for New Haven, finishing with 14 and 11 kills, respectively.
Baseball
The New Haven baseball team swept a doubleheader from Franklin Pierce to secure its second Northeast-10 Conference Championship. Junior pitcher David Palmer was named the NE10 Championship Most Outstanding Player. In addition to Palmer, senior Nick Perelli and freshman Devon DiMascio were each named to the All-Championship Team. With the victories, New Haven earned its 29th berth to the NCAA Division II East Regional, hosted by Southern New Hampshire.
Campus Recreation
Campus Recreation at the University of New Haven offers various programs including; group exercise classes, personal training, massage therapy, intramural sports, club sports, hiking trips, CPR/AED/FA classes, special events, and a comprehensive student employment program. On campus, Campus Recreation is commonly referred to as ChargerREC.
The home of most campus recreation programs is the Beckerman Recreation Center, named after David A. Beckerman, founder of Starter Clothing Line. The $15.5 million Beckerman Center at the University of New Haven is a comprehensive 56,500 square-foot Student Recreation Center consisting of:
There are 11 recognized Club Sports at the University of New Haven. Club Sports are recreation or athletics student-led organizations who compete with other universities and colleges. Each club is a University of New Haven recognized student organization and member of a regional or national governing association. Participation and individual dues vary by club.
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Baseball
Rugby
Ultimate Frisbee
Field Hockey
Tennis
Soccer
Wrestling
Volleyball
RECSports (Intramural Sports)
RECSports is an extensive intramural sport program, which provides participants the opportunity to compete and socialize through organized sports leagues, one-day tournament, special events and online programs. Over 50 team and individual sport programs are offered throughout the academic year. Access to all RECSports programs is free and open to all University of New Haven students.
Fitness & Wellness
GroupX classes are drop-in fitness classes designed for participants of all levels. A diverse range of classes is highlighted by Spinning, Meditation, Yoga, Cardio/Strength, Core, Zumba, and High Intensity based formats. Over 25 classes are offered each week during the academic year. Access to all GroupX classes is free and open to all University of New Haven students.
Massage Therapy offers participants an opportunity for relaxation and stress relief. Massage therapists will work with participants to develop and individualized session focusing in their stress reduction needs.
Personal Training offers participants and opportunity for 1-on-1 or small group fitness training. Personal trainers will work with participants to develop an individualized program to meet their personal fitness goals.
Other programs
TeamREC is an experiential based employment program, where student employees are challenged to manage the programs of ChargerREC and the operations of the Beckerman Recreation Center. ChargerREC is the largest employer on campus, employing over 100 students each year.
OutdoorREC are hiking trips which offer participants the opportunity to explore scenic trails throughout the state of Connecticut and surrounding area.
