Campus Recreation offers alternate sport leagues

In the fall of 1971, UM-St. Louis opened its new 3.5 million brick sports facility, called the Mark Twain Multi-Purpose Building. The building's opening signaled a new era in intramural and recreational activities, which has grown in participation throughout the years.

Today, the Mark Twain building is home to the Campus Recreation Office, which is the first place you see upon entering the building. The objective of Campus Recreation, according to its website, is to "enrich the academic mission of the University by supporting the total development and well-being of all members of our diverse UMSL community."

Last year over 4,000 people took part in activities such as traditional events like basketball and flag football, but also a variety of new events like Texas hold-em and 2-ball soccer. It is also worth noting that the intramural events are free of charge to participate in.

But there are a few 'eligibility' rules. Students, faculty, staff and their spouses are all able to compete in the intramurals. Also, Alumni and community members with a current recreation pass can enter for a small fee. However, student athletes cannot participate in their own particular sport while ex-varsity members are limited to one per team. These rules are designed to make the sports competitive but still remain lots of fun.

Campus Recreation also offers what are known as 'RecTreks,' which are off-campus activities providing low-cost fun to students. Events include paintball, a ski trip and demolition ball, which is a game involving bumper cars, a small target, a ball and small hand-held lacrosse like sticks. Mike Schaaf, a senior who played in last year's demolition ball event, said "it was so much fun and great value for money as there was a lot of food there. I'm definitely going to play again."

If you are interested in inproving your general health, then Campus Recreation also offers a variety of Wellness classes. These include spinning, yoga, and plenty of cardio workouts with different trainers. If these are not to your liking but you still want to work out, then personal trainers can be assigned to you.

Campus Recreation really does provide something for everyone and it is a great chance to meet lots of new people. Students, faculty, staff and alumni can enjoy the benefits of an active, healthy lifestyle that incorporates sport, fitness, and leisure activities.

Pam Steinmetz, coordinator of intramurals, said, "We're always looking for new ways to publicize these events to the students. There are a lot of notices on bulletin boards. We find that when people try an event for the first time, they have so much fun and we hope they come back with some friends." For more information, call (314) 516-5326 or visit www.umsl.edu/services/recsport.

Campus Recreation provides:

* Intramurals allow students to play certain individual, dual or team sports by joining their own league.

* RecTreks are off-campus outings where students can participate in paintball, horseback riding, ski trips and more.

* Wellness Classes offer students practice at spinning, yoga and cardiovascular workouts with different trainers.