For some of the students on campus invested in parkour, the sport is as serious as training daily and as relaxed as an excuse to jump off of things.

“Parkour legitimizes being a child again and using every obstacle as your playground,” laughed geological sciences senior Ryen Keenan.

Since the MSU Parkour and Freerunning Club  officially became a registered student organization this year, it has taken on a newer and deeper meaning for parkour athletes.

Keenan, who has been doing parkour for about six years, said before the club was formed, he and his friends trained on their own.

“My friend Matt and I sort of had an informal club,” Keenan said. “We would train every Sunday at 2, and then people would just meet up when they could...”

Training wherever with whomever was enough for the group. Keenan said as a senior, this method of training had always worked for him, though newer members who are just starting might feel differently.

“For me, I’m okay with whatever,” said Keenan. “I just want to train with a bunch of people and have fun.”

Initially, Keenan and other members didn’t mind that their parkour club was unofficial. Then Keenan realized not everyone is like that.

“People want more structure. People need, you know, to see that it’s legit or more accessible. It is good because it seems more official,” Keenan said.

Before the club became an RSO, congregating a group of parkour lovers came from word of mouth, Facebook posts, and the need to train and share a common interest with others. The only difference in the group’s past and present is new members, more structure, and the ability to call themselves members of the MSU Parkour and Freerunning Club.

During weekly meetings, new members can train with more skilled and experienced members like Keenan and club president and junior anthropology major Sam Bigley, who provide coaching to the intimidated newbies. Bigley said he has a background in teaching with experience as a tutor for Student-Athlete Support Services and a peer educator for the Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Prevention Program.

“I have a background in teaching and that’s kind of what I want to do,” said Bigley. “I just think it’s awesome that I’m teaching these people new techniques whether they get it right away or not. You just explain it in a different way and try to be open with them.”

New members like chemical engineering freshman Ryan Croke  said that the hardest thing to learn is how to do a safety roll.

“You try to go for distance and then you roll out so that you don’t break your feet or anything,” said Croke. “If you don’t know what you are doing, that can really hurt.”

Bigley said he understands the concerns of new members, although he hasn’t experienced parkour from their point of view for a while.

“It’s definitely difficult doing it for three or four years and trying to go back to the mindset of a beginner, right?” said Bigley.