If you’re anything like me, you spent your summer lounging around as much as possible, enjoying the little bit of sun we get in the Pacific Northwest, sipping ice-cold Pacificos with fresh limes and watching baseball and tennis, or if you were lucky enough to have a satellite feed, Lance Armstrong embarrass the French, yet again, on their own turf.
And now that school is starting again, you’ll be spending even more time with a brew in your hand, no doubt, making that goal of looking like an Abercrombie model by spring break that much more distant.
But don’t fret! If you too wish there was some way to keep yourself in shape without spending countless hours staring at the same white wall while walking on a treadmill, I’ve got some good news for you.
With close to 30 different activities, ranging from competitive flag football to table tennis, the intramurals and club sports programs offer current part-time and full-time students a release for all that pent-up anger caused by those damned differential equations. So put down that pint, get out of the pub and do something good for yourself!
Intramurals
If you’re into more mainstream sports and have competitive side, or on the opposite end hate teeth-grinding competition, the intramurals program is just what you need.
There are five different sports to participate in through the intramurals program here at PSU. Both basketball and indoor soccer (the 5-on-5 variety) offer competitive, co-ed recreational and women-only leagues. Volleyball and flag football (the 7-on-7 variety) offer competitive and recreational leagues. And for those of you who wish you could recapture those glory days of third grade, there is also a recreational kickball league offered. I like mine just a little bouncy, got it?
If you like to play but don’t want to commit to a team, there are also open gym times for volleyball, basketball and badminton, and the option to sign up for leagues as a free agent.
Basketball is played in the main gym of the Peter W. Stott Center on Wednesday and Thursday nights from 7-10 p.m. The soccer leagues do their thing in the small gym on Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 6-10 p.m. Volleyballs will fly in the main gym on Mondays from 7-10 p.m.
Kickball games will be held on the community field from noon-2 p.m. on Saturdays, and the flag football league gets the field from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.
And for all you non-committal types, open gym times are as follows: Badminton will be in the small gym Mondays from 7-10 p.m.; basketball will be in the main gym Tuesdays from 7-10 p.m.; and volleyball will be in the small gym on Thursdays from 7-10 p.m.
All activities are scheduled to begin the second week of school, and in-person registration sessions are scheduled Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 24 and 25, respectively, from 6-9 p.m. in PSC, with another on Friday, Sept. 26, at the Party in the Park. Or you can get info and forms for registration online at www.intramurals.pdx.edu, or e-mail your questions to intramurals@mail.pdx.edu, or call 503-725-5647.
If you and a group of friends want to be on the same team, you can do so by filling out the necessary forms available from the Web site above and returning them to Room 102 in PSC, or by showing up to the registration sessions also listed above.
Since there is a limit to the number of teams that can participate in each league, there is a strict first-come, first-serve rule. The same goes for individuals. And if you sign up as a free agent, you’ll be used to fill in empty roster spots on pre-formed teams or be put with other free agents to make up a team.
Of course there is some fine print to deal with. All participants must sign a liability waiver, show current PSU identification, and pay a $5 participation fee. If you are forming a team, it is the captain’s responsibility to submit the completed roster and ensure all team members are apprised of the rules enforced by the intramurals program and have the necessary paperwork completed.
One last thing: If you are a member of the school’s intercollegiate team in a particular sport, you cannot participate in that same activity through the intramurals program. Also, participants are encouraged to carry their own medical insurance as well.
Club Sports
The club sports program offers 19 different activities to choose from, including badminton, chess, cricket, taekwondo and snowboarding. More information on these programs is available through the club sports Web site, www.clubsports.pdx.edu, where there are links to the clubs’ own Web sites.
One of the more popular of the clubs is kickboxing. More info can be found at www.kickboxing.pdx.edu or by e-mailing kickboxingpsu@hotmail.com. Students pay $25 a term and have two to three classes a week, including sparring sessions and advancement opportunities.
For all you masochists who don’t mind rising before the sun, PSU crew is always looking for some good rowers and coxswains. The first informational meeting is Monday, Oct. 6, at 6 a.m. in PSC. More info can be found at www.ess.pdx.edu/rowing.
If you like the idea of using nautical means to keep in shape but aren’t into the early morning thing, PSU also has a competitive sailing program constantly on the lookout for new talent. Though relatively young compared to its competition, the sailing program has fared exceptionally well.
The club has multiple boats docked in Portland at the Willamette Sailing Club, and they are available to members to use outside of club times. For more information on how to get involved, go to www.sailing.pdx.edu.