Coquitlam campus to host soccer, volleyball, and basketball
By Chandler Walter, Assistant Editor
School is starting up again, which means new and returning students will soon be looking for a way to get their minds off of the piles of homework and ever creeping deadlines.
Intramural sports at Douglas College aim to do just that, and more. The Coquitlam campus will be hosting basketball, soccer, and volleyball for any Douglas College student who wishes to get their sweat on, or to forget about school work for a game or three.
Anna Schachner, the Recreation and Wellness Coordinator in the Student Engagement Department, said that intramurals are not just good for staying in shape, but that other positives could come from dropping in as well.
“The benefits they’ll get from meeting new students, feeling good, staying fit, and just having fun with their peers, I think it’s really important, and a lot of places you just don’t get the opportunity to do that,” she said.
The college also organizes tournaments throughout the school year, giving students the opportunity to form teams and play a little more competitively.
One tournament that is a hit with students, said Schachner, is the Royal’s Rumble, a multi-sport tournament that measures not just athletic skill, but team spirit as well.
“It’s not just based on your athleticism, it’s also spirit points: your team sportsmanship, your team outfit, your team name, so that there’s other ways to get some points,” she said. “It brings a lot of new students together.”
One such student is Eric Osmond, a Criminology student at Douglas College and Student Ambassador for the Office of New Students. He decided to drop in for basketball intramurals back in 2014, and said that it was a large influence on his current social life.
“I didn’t actually have a team or anything, I just signed up as an individual and they put me on a team,” he said, “but then my teammates became my good friends, just because we hung out outside of playing basketball, and built good relationships together.”
Osmond said that he would encourage students to try it out, as it is welcoming to all skill levels. “I would just recommend anybody to try it out and see how it goes,” he said. “It’s free, so you might as well get involved.”
Intramurals start up at the Coquitlam Campus on September 20, with soccer on Tuesdays, and volleyball and basketball on Thursdays. Students can either register online, or simply drop in on the day of. However, Schachner said, it is worth registering online, because students who do so will be notified of any cancellations via email. Students can find more information and register online at: http://www.douglascollege.ca/student-life/get-healthy/intramurals
