By Chris Cates/sports editor
Intramural sports and wellness programs can be extraordinarily beneficial to students of all ages.
Numerous activities on each campus allow students not only to have fun and get exercise at the same time, but to make new friends who are also interested in sports and fitness.
Only about 22 percent of American adults participate in regular and sustained physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Participating in the programs offered on each TCC campus will give students the opportunity to join the minority and improve their physical well-being—sometimes even dramatically.
As a relatively new student, I have yet to take part in these intramural and wellness programs. I do, however, play basketball on a daily basis, and the physical shape I’m in now is infinitely better than before I began playing. Staying active is an important part of life that only a small percentage of the population actually takes to heart, but doing so can improve your life across the board.
These programs don’t just improve your health, though. Exercising on a regular basis when you generally were doing nothing before makes you a happier person.
Experts say physical exercise is the antidote to stress. Almost everyone is stressed on some level, be it from school, work or life in general, and even a little exercise a week can do wonders.
Taking part in intramural sports and wellness programs also allows you to become a part of the TCC community. Many faculty and staff members have been known to participate, so students can get to know their instructors on a completely different level.
In becoming part of a group, students can earn a feeling of pride as they are a part of something. Not only will you meet new people and improve your health along the way, you will, in all likelihood, have fun. And in the grand scheme of things, isn’t having fun our ultimate goal? So why not take out three birds with one stone and join the tremendous intramural and wellness programs offered on every TCC campus.
NE Campus offers a basketball league and a flag football league. Northeast Wellness Games range from bowling to dodgeball to miniature golf, among many others, and in all cases anybody interested is free to join.
Similarly, South Campus has a pool tournament and plays host to basketball and coed games throughout the semester. NW and SE campuses will also hold a variety of these games and programs with dates to be announced.
The programs will be ongoing throughout the semester, so keep an eye out for dates and times and join the fun on your campus.