Student’s View: Athletics and Fitness
Hey everyone!
Today marks the first of a new series of posts that will add something slightly different to the blog. These posts, which will appear on Fridays and be written by one of us, will take a glance at an aspect of campus life from a student’s perspective. Hopefully, they will help to infuse some more life into your ideas of Haverford and continue to raise your excitement level as we move ever closer to move-in day in just over two months.
Enjoy!
Josh and Tamar
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Without further ado, athletics and fitness on campus:
Haverford students are an active bunch and myriad options exist for those interested in playing sports or staying in shape. We have twenty-three varsity teams that consistently thrive against Centennial Conference competition. 2011-2012 was a great year for our teams, highlighted by conference titles by our Men’s Cross Country and Baseball teams and a remarkable Cinderella run to the Conference championship game by our Men’s soccer team. There is no doubt that success like this will carry forward, aided by some of you incoming student-athletes!
- The baseball team celebrates their Conference Championship
A particularly cool thing about Haverford is that even if you don’t have the athletic talent or time to devote to a varsity sport, you can still be involved as a member of “The Squirrel Squad” cheering on our teams, especially against rivals Swarthmore and Johns Hopkins . There are guaranteed to be athletes on every freshman hall and it is common for customs groups to root on their hall mates during their athletic endeavors.
Haverford students cheering on the basketball team against Swarthmore
For those interested in being on a team but unsure about the commitment of a varsity sport, Haverford has numerous club and intramural sports for students to enjoy. Intramural basketball is particularly popular with two levels of competition for experienced basketball players and novices as well as everyone in between.
A unique feature of Haverford is our plethora of mascots. Most teams go by the Fords or Black Squirrels; however, we also have the Goats (Men’s cross country and track), Bees (Women’s cross country and track), Haverhawks (Women’s Soccer), Lame Ducks (intramural ice hockey), Angry Young Newts (Men’s Rugby), Horned Toads (Women’s Rugby), Donkeys (Men’s ultimate), and Sneetches (Women’s ultimate). Regardless of the team name, they all represent Haverford proudly.
The Outside view of the GIAC
For athletes and non-athletes alike, the GIAC offers a state-of-the-art gym. The GIAC also provides many classes including aerobics, martial arts, dance, and yoga, which can be taken for Physical Education credit or fun. Along those lines, students must obtain six quarterly physical education credits, and all non-varsity athletes must take Intro to Fitness, which allows students to become acquainted with the facilities at the GIAC as well as get to know Haver-celeb and fitness center director Cory Walts.
The Fitness Center in the GIAC
For more information on everything Haverford sports, including a list of all of the varsity, club and intramural sports, go to www.haverfordathletics.com.