By Kurt Weiss
The campus recreation activities and intramural sports provided Loyalist College with another successful year, according to participants, students and coordinators.
Apart from a few minor kinks, the activities and sports were successful, said Coordinator of Campus Recreation and Fitness Facilities Cory Mestre. It started in September, and based on the restructured schedule with two study breaks, things wrapped up by the end of March.
“Overall, this year was a success. There were a few activities that didn’t get quite the participation I had hoped for. In contrast, we had other activities that – in years past have flailed a little bit – but this year they were absolutely huge, and had a massive turnout,” said Coordinator of Campus Recreation and Fitness Facilities Cory Mestre.
Sports and activities did not only take place on campus. Other than the gymnasium and the sports dome, various ice surfaces in Belleville were used for hockey. Other locations such as Kingston, Mont Tremblant and the deep interior of Algonquin Park were also included in various activities such as rock climbing, hiking, and visiting museums.
The outdoor education program was huge this year.
“Our canoe trips, our mountain hiking trip, our ski trip to Mont Tremblant, they were all huge hits,” Mestre said.
And even with bumps in the road in terms of planning, such as the Memorial Arena shutting down in ice hockey’s case, the coordinator said things still turned out great.
Christian Castillo, a second-year Business Administration student, said his time playing soccer in the sports dome was well worth it, despite a few minor issues.
“There were a couple times actual disputes almost happened and where it got very competitive. I stopped a few from happening myself. And in some instances, having players not show up was difficult because adding players from other teams counts as a forfeit.”
However, he said there is really only one main thing that needs to be changed.
“If there’s that one person who is actually regulating and let’s say handing out cards, the game would be a little cleaner. Having officiating could also improve participation as well, but overall, [the college] should keep up the good work.”
Castillo had one unforgettable moment when he scored his first goal after not playing the sport for two years. It was a huge relief for him, and probably the best highlight of his year.
As for unforgettable moments, first-year Accounting student Connor Hamilton experienced a shootout winner in an intramural ice hockey game.
“That shootout we had, which was just for fun, obviously, but everyone else missed before, and when the game was on the line, it was epic to see my teammate win the game,” he explained.
Minor improvements Hamilton would make also include officiating and participation. He said there was only ever one referee on the ice at a time, so it was a bit difficult at times for them to get a hold of the game. Also, his team only had about seven players show up on average for a game. He suggested the bonding fee could perhaps include a minimum amount of games played or minutes played in a game.
Hamilton said the issues were nothing major, however, and he was very impressed with the intramural system at the college. Participating again next year is highly likely for him.
Kyle Joy, a first-year accounting student, suggested including something simple like standings and statistics would add a bit more competitiveness and make people more involved in the sports.
“If you see it, you think about it. If you don’t see it, it’s not on top of our mind,” Joy explained.
Even individuals, who do not currently attend the college as a student, are interested. Tenzin Nylosang, who works at Global Med Inc. in Belleville, comes to the college to be with his friends and also to help them out with videos in their media courses.
“I was thinking about coming here next year. It has such a friendly atmosphere, and ever since I’ve come here to be with my friends, it feels like I’m a part of it. I want to be a part of it now,” he said.
Mestre added the main goal of the sports and activities is absolutely for the students.
“The whole mandate for the campus recreation is to provide opportunities for students to be physically active as a means of alleviating stress, and to have those activities be of interest to them. It also develops a sense of community here at the college,” he said. “You’re here as a student first and foremost, but your college experience is more than just that. Campus recreation is a huge part of providing memories for students when they leave.”
Mestre said he is currently looking at a few different things for next year, but he is not showing those cards just yet.