According to the BYU-Idaho Web site, on June 21, 2000, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Board of Trustees of Ricks College announced that Ricks College would change from a two-year college to a four-year university. Along with this change, came the news that BYU-Idaho would focus more on the academics and the athletics would be dissolved.
“BYU-Idaho has broken new ground in higher education with unique academic offerings, creative calendaring, and programs focused on the development of students. BYU-Idaho is truly rethinking education and our young people are always at the center of those efforts,” wrote BYU-Idaho President Kim B. Clark on the BYU-Idaho Web site.
However, even though this school is focusing more on developing the mind instead of the biceps, it still offers great opportunities to be involved in many sports. Through this new program, anyone can be a star athlete.
BYU-Idaho offers many opportunities for students to participate in outdoor activities along with recreational sports. BYU-Idaho students could still play the sports they love, just within the student body instead of with against other colleges.
This change enabled all students to participate rather than be an observer. It also enabled the school to include more diverse sports, such as: dodgeball, flag football, roller hockey (new this semester), racquetball, mixed soccer, coed softball, ultimate frisbee, grass volleyball and water polo (also new this semester). And these are just the recreational sports.
In competitive sports, students can compete in intense sports, such as: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, spirit team, swimming, tennis, track & field, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball and wrestling.
There are also many fun events that students can participate in throughout the semester. This semester, BYU-Idaho is offering: 3 on 3 Tournament, Golf Scramble, Mother’s Week 5K Challenge, Mixed Golf Scramble, Home Run Derby, Lawn Games and a Midnight 5k.
There are so many different opportunities for students to get involved in the sports programs. All you have to do is have the determination to do it.
Throughout this semester, I will focus this blog on the recreational sports department. I plan on posting the top 10 teams of each sport and hopefully focusing on a different game per week.
If any of you have any requests or ideas for this blog, feel free to let me know.
This is a picture of my reacreational soccer team. We won the leasure championship in Fall 2008. (Unfortunately I was in Kansas City for a journalism conference an missed the championship game) :-(
