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Written by Nathaniel Hutton, Facilities Coordinator

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the entire world. Communities across the globe are picking up on this popular new sport and has become a hit. People of all ages are grabbing a paddle and heading to the court to have a great time with friends and family. You can be next!
What is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a fun new sport that combines many elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong.  Pickleball can be played both indoors and outdoors on a badminton-sized court and a slightly modified tennis net.  Certain rules are in place that are specific to the sport, like not being allowed to step inside a zone seven feet on either side of the net.  Don’t let the rules distract from how fun and exciting the game is. Pickleball was invented in 1965 near Seattle, Washington, but has recently gained much attraction.  The key to pickleball is that it is accessible to all age and skill brackets. It has a fun, social, and friendly vibe with rules that are simple for beginners to learn but can develop into a fast-paced competitive game for the more experienced players. Pickleball can be played with two players … Read More

Written by Kailey Bandara, Intramural Sports Coordinator

In the Intramural Sports department, we hand out surveys at the conclusion of every tournament and league because we truly want to hear feedback from the participants. We try to provide the best possible service every year, and it is only by hearing from the students that we can make effective changes. While some that have competed may have been annoyed by having to take these surveys, they might not be complaining when they see the changes or additions we make from semester to semester.
Increased Interest in Pickleball
While we wish we could offer any sport you could think of, realistically that is just not possible. However, when we continued to see on our surveys that students were asking for pickleball, we were shocked due to it having the stereotype of being a “senior sport” only. Much to our surprise, pickleball is USA’s fastest-growing sport. In fact, in the last two-year period, it has seen a growth rate of 39.3% while the number of players playing pickleball has nearly doubled in the last seven years. In addition to all of that, perhaps the most relevant statistic is that 27.8% of players are in the age … Read More

Written by Kailey Bandara, Intramural Sports Coordinator

As an extremely competitive person involved in sports my whole life, I can say firsthand that I, personally, do not like doing activities I am not good at. I believe you play to win, and I always stuck to what I was good at and never branched out. But how do you get good at something you have never done? By trying something new. According to sports research, constantly introducing new and different strategies for physical activity and life skills can allow individuals to have more ‘tools’ in their toolbox to handle general life stressors. When it comes to Intramurals, trying a new sport that you have never done before could be just the thing you need this year!
Areas of Increased Interest
Two of the sports that we offer have seen a huge increase in numbers and overall interest because students have decided to get their hall on a team and try them out. The first sport is broomball. Have you ever even heard of what broomball is? It is essentially ice hockey but with a ball instead of a puck and you wear regular closed-toed shoes instead of skates! Trying not to slip while getting … Read More

Written by Heather Salvia, Associate Director of Programs and Fitness

When you think of fitness — what comes to mind? Maybe it’s big muscles, marathon runners, CrossFit athletes, or any of the like. You’re not wrong, but as we approach another new year, maybe we can look at fitness in a new way. Here’s my definition for fitness in 2022:
Fitness is how well your body functions and responds to stress to help you thrive physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Many of us are stressed out, depleted, and burnt-out day in and day out. We may not be able to control the stress of our circumstances and schedule each day but finding true fitness can help your body become resilient to stress in the days to come. Here are a few ways to do this.
Intuitive Exercise
Exercise can be a great asset to health and fitness or its greatest foe. Here is how you can use intuitive exercise to keep stress down:
Use the Two R’s

Ask yourself before your workout, “Am I rested? Am I replenished?”. When you sleep well and feed yourself well, your workouts will glean greater gains than beating it when it’s down.

Assess Your Stress

If you have a workout program that requires you to … Read More

Written by Tabitha Earwood, Personal Training Manager

As a personal trainer, I hear women say these two phrases all the time: “Lifting weights will make you bulky,” and “I don’t want to be bulky—I just want to be toned!” Nothing is more frustrating for me than these two misconceptions. Since our perceptions shape what we do, believing something that isn’t rooted in fact can lead us to avoid the very practices that could help us grow. One of my passions is helping women understand their body’s physiology so they can be empowered to make educated choices.
I Promise, You Won’t Look Like a Man
Female physiology just doesn’t allow us to gain a masculine physique. Because males have more testosterone than females, women aren’t able to gain muscle at the same rate or size as men. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends similar general guidelines for both men and women, including strength training 2-3 days per week.
Carbs Can Equal Curves
Strength training can introduce you to a whole new world of understanding about your body’s physiology. Most people don’t realize that building muscle is one of the only effective ways to speed up your metabolism. The only two places that your body stores carbs as … Read More