Shortly after freshmen find their fall quarter classes,
21-year-old friends and dorm room poster decor, they’ll start
looking for a way to fit in on the overwhelming campus that is
UCLA.
And unless they’re clad in Adidas apparel from head to
toe, that niche probably isn’t inside the athletic
department.
The UCLA Recreation Department, however, makes for a very
attractive substitute, and not just because it’s also
sponsored by Adidas. Boasting over 30 club teams and numerous other
groups clamoring for such status, the department is an
all-you-can-eat buffet that offers students an abundance of
selections ““ something its more renowned, but more limited,
counterpart can’t.
While the athletic department assembles the finest cuisine from
mainstream ingredients, the recreation department has a unique crop
of leftovers to choose from. Offering everything from archery to
Dragon Boat, the department has been successful by catering to the
curiosity and potential of athletes who don’t necessarily hit
home runs or score touchdowns.
In the fall of her freshman year, fourth-year Andrea Robertson
picked up a copy of the Rec Quarterly and was immediately drawn to
kayak polo. As its name suggests, the sport is a hybrid of kayaking
and water polo. Robertson had kayaked before coming to UCLA, but
never in a swimming pool with a yellow ball and two goals thrown
into the mix. Nevertheless, she’s enjoyed the twist on her
childhood hobby.
“We are a small club, so it’s a chance to get away
from school work and dorm life,” she said. “It’s
a totally different set of people than I’d normally be
hanging out with.”
Robertson was more experienced than many athletes who first join
club teams. Fourth-year Masha Kontorer, for instance, had never
played with swords before arriving on campus, but is now a team
captain on UCLA’s fencing team.
“One of my friends was doing it, so I just decided
I’d try it too,” she said.
While the intrigue of a new sport helps bring students into the
fold, flexible obligations and reasonable costs help keep them
engaged. Kayak polo participants pay just $3 a session for gear and
equipment rental, while fencers pay $45 a quarter for equipment,
lessons and tournaments.
In exchange, these students receive a fun way to stay in shape
and a chance to name-drop random road trips they’ve been on.
Both Robertson and Kontorer have traveled across the country for
tournaments, a perk that is often lost on varsity athletes who take
road trips to more undesirable locations.
“If I weren’t on the team, I wouldn’t be
seeing these places,” Robertson said, mentioning her trips to
New Hampshire and Texas the last two years for nationals.
It’s not just obscure sports players who land these kinds
of travel opportunities through the recreation department. In 2004,
the intramural tennis team flew to Daytona Beach for nationals, and
teams such as volleyball and water polo regularly travel up and
down the California coast for matches.
These traditional sports make up an equally integral part of the
recreational landscape. With most varsity teams competing for
national championships every year, there’s a healthy
contingent of competitive athletes left out of the mix. Instead of
packing on the pounds with tequila shots or Puzzles runs, these
students can keep improving their figure and their game. And in
some of these sports, the incentives for winning go beyond
self-satisfaction.
“It gets more competitive every time, especially when
there’s a spot on the club team on the line,” said Mark
Otten, who has been running the intramural tennis league the last
three years.
At UCLA, it’s easy for students to become spectators. The
recreation department is there for those who don’t want to
be.
E-mail Finley at afinley@media.ucla.edu if you’re still
holding your hopes up for an underwater field hockey team.