Whether you are a fitness junkie or not, sports are something that can help keep students in shape, distract them from in-class stresses that often plague university students and allow them to meet new people.
At UCR, the sports scene knows no bounds. The UCR Athletics program has every sport competing on the Division I (DI) level on a weekly basis, and tickets are free for students with a school ID. The time and date of NCAA sports games depends on the quarter; for example, fall sports include cross country, soccer, volleyball, golf and the beginning of the basketball season, but during spring quarter the main sports will be softball, baseball and tennis. The schedule for UCR’s NCAA sports teams can be found at gohighlanders.com.
There are also a number of sports opportunities that students can get directly involved in, including club teams and intramural sports.
The club teams available to join offer a variety of options ranging from soccer and tennis to fencing and Filipino martial arts. Club sports differ from intramural sports in that they compete against other schools whereas intramurals are UCR-based. Club sports also typically meet multiple times a week and travel to compete in tournaments throughout the year. Students can find a full list of the club teams you can join at the student recreation center website, as well as spotlights The Highlander has done on the Women’s Club Water Polo team, the Kendo Club at UCR and the Highlander Gloves Club here.
Intramural sports is another option available to students that is more UCR-focused. In order to qualify to participate in intramurals, the potential competitor must have a membership at the Student Recreation Center. This restriction limits the participants of intramurals largely to UCR students, faculty, staff and in some cases, community members.
When signing up, the participant will be able to choose between a more competitive league and the recreational league, which is less competitive. This is also when the participant can choose what day and time they would like to play, although options are limited. Intramural games take place once a week during the regular season. Once the playoffs start, the days and times usually change to finish up the season. Most sports also offer a women’s or co-rec option. There are over 20 intramural sports and tournament options offered at UCR, which you can find at recreation.ucr.edu.
