By Brandon Davis
A common dilemma many students face when beginning their college careers out of high school is figuring out how to stay in shape while adjusting to a new schedule.
The Student Activities Center’s fitness center offers a variety of different activities to help keep students in shape, including an accessible weight room stocked with treadmills, free and machine weight systems and other cardiovascular equipment.
“In the Louisville Metropolitan area, this [SAC] is one of the best facilities around,” Ken Carey, gym employee, said. “The vast array of equipment and stuff that this facility has here along with the facilities at the Crawford and Humana, it can’t be beat.”
The SAC is open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and is free with an active student ID.
The SAC fitness center also provides five racquetball courts, two squash courts and complete locker room facilities along with four multi-purpose gym floors which are used for basketball, volleyball and badminton.
“It offers pretty much everything you want,” Greg Welsh, junior nursing major, said. “They have a gym, basketball courts, racquetball and they’re always open when you need them to be so it’s pretty convenient.”
For those looking to keep themselves occupied in some competitive form or just looking for a way to blow off some steam without all the sweat, the Cardinal Corner might be the answer. Also located in the SAC, the Cardinal Corner provides an assortment of free games for students to compete in, including pool, ping-pong, air hockey and foosball.
The Ralph Wright Natatorium, located on the corner of Warnock Ave. and Floyd St., is one for the newest facilities on campus and allows students a chance to swim in an Olympic-size pool. The Natatorium is also home to the U of L’s men’s and women’s swim teams and is complete with an eight-lane, 50 meter competition pool with depth ranging from four feet, six inches to 18 feet.
“It’s really a great facility,” Matt Blanford, graduate student and lifeguard, said. “It’s brand new and I think students are surprised when they find out that it’s even here and they’re allowed to use it for free.”
The Natatorium is open from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and is also open at various times on weekends.
The Humana Gym is another facility available for students looking to work out. Located on Bradley Ave. and Eastern Pkwy., the Humana Gym offers complete weight and cardiovascular rooms, dry heat saunas and gym floors are available when not used for club practices. Free for students, the Humana Gym is open from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
U of L also offers a variety of different sports clubs and intramural league sports which provide students looking for a more structured plan to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, a solid solution while satisfying their competitive juices.
With clubs like badminton, fencing, gymnastics and many others, students are given the opportunity to compete while receiving a chance to learn a new sport or continuing to play a familiar one. There are also many different intramural league sports students can play including football, basketball, and soccer.
With football season quickly approaching, reigning Big East Freshman of the Year Victor Anderson and last year's leading returning rusher in the Big East Noel Devine are not only looking to compete against each other for the Big East rushing title, but also to lead their respective teams to a BCS bowl game.
With only a couple more weeks left until I graduate, I've found myself reflecting quite often on my years at the University of Louisville. I've taken a large variety of classes and have met so many people along the way, yet the memories that stick out the most to me are the ones that involve U of L sports.
When students make their decisions about where to attend school, most of them know the basic principles of the school's sports teams. They know the school colors, know their school's biggest rival and most own a school shirt. But what happens when a student attends one school but supports another?
Two of the most intriguing games for the University of Louisville baseball team every season are the two games against the University of Kentucky. This season should be no different as the Cards take on the Cats in the first of two games this season tonight at 6 p.m. at Jim Patterson Stadium.
Though many University of Louisville fans probably watched last Monday's national championship game dreaming about what could have been; the excitement these Cards provided throughout the 2008-09 season should not be overlooked.
Now that we're a few weeks removed from initial feelings of disappointment after U of L fell to MSU in the Elite Eight, let's take a step back and review some of the highs and lows of the season.
Athletes are taught at a young age the importance of sportsmanship in sports. They are taught to help a player who falls down, to tell a teammate ‘good job," and to shake hands with their opponent – win or lose. Any true sports fan can tell you they hate seeing a player who intentionally attempts to hurt another in a game that is well out of reach. Yet, they love to see two players on opposing sides show each other respect with a post game hug and a few good words. To me though, athletes aren't the only ones who should practice sportsmanship. It's you too; yes, you the fans.
Four future University of Louisville basketball players got a chance to show their stuff in front of 13,111 people Saturday night at Freedom Hall in the Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic.
The Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invitational will be held be at 10 a.m. on Sat., April 18 at Cardinal Park. The event is the only regular season home event for the University of Louisville track and field team this year.
Named after two of the U of L's Athletic Hall-of-Famers, the Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invitational is a special event not only for U of L fans, but for the coaches and players as well.
All year-round the University of Louisville cheerleaders and Ladybirds can be found on the sideline cheering every sport on to victory, whether it's at a football game or a volleyball game. Last Friday, students, families, friends and student-athletes gathered into Cardinal Arena to show their support for the spirit groups by watching the teams show off their new routine for the NCA/NDA Collegiate National Championship.
All year-round the University of Louisville cheerleaders and Ladybirds can be found on the sideline cheering every sport on to victory, whether it's at a football game or a volleyball game. Last Friday, students, families, friends and student-athletes gathered into Cardinal Arena to show their support for the spirit groups by watching the teams show off their new routine for the NCA/NDA Collegiate National Championship.
