In terms of getting involved in athletics and recreation, there are four different streams that students can enter. The first and most obvious is intramural sports. There is an assortment of different levels of competition and sports themselves, offering something for students of all skill levels. Examples of the different sports that are available to students include: soccer, hockey, basketball, volleyball, softball, dodgeball and more. Wilfrid Laurier University Athletics & Recreation Coordinator Greg Stewart comments on the benefits that come with joining an intramural team.

“It’s a great way to meet some of your closest friends and establish a social network with a lot of different people,” Stewart says. “Join with your floormates to form better friendships or join an existing team to meet new ones.”

The second stream of the department is the fitness core. The university offers many different fitness courses, which are essential to healthy living. He also discussed the importance of these fitness courses when school starts getting tough.

“It’s strange [but] a lot of people stop showing up to fitness courses when school starts getting tougher,” says Stewart, “It should be the opposite. It helps you reduce stress and get your mind off the books.”

Stewart says the Wilkes House fitness centre has added new machines to ensure that students can enjoy a complete workout, no matter what they are focusing on.

“There will be some surprises when students enter the gym now, with the new machines,” Stewart says. “We’re at capacity now for our area, so we’ve just got to become experts at what we have.”

The third stream features the many different sports clubs that students will have the opportunity to join this year. These clubs will offer great learning experiences and help teach students new talents that they may not have been able to work on before. Hoping to keep some of the new clubs’ secrets, Stewart named off a few not-so-clandestine options which include ski & snowboard, equestrian and tennis.

Lastly, Athletics & Recreation offers many different events that students can be involved in on a short-term basis. These include Relay for Life, the Laurier Homecoming festivities, and extramural sports. Stewart says that students can expect great expansion in this department, as well. Finally, students can also get involved in athletics and recreation through employment. With over 50 student positions, the department is one of the largest employers on campus. Students can gain work experience behind the Hawk Desk, helping set-up different courses, or refereeing intramurals. These are just some examples of positions available within the Athletics & Recreation department.

For more information on what Athletics & Recreation can do for you, check out the “Rec Guide”, or visit the website at http://brantford.mylaurier.ca/athletics/info/home.htm.