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<\/a>The drop-in sports are free, and run on Tuesday and Thursday nights out of Lansdowne Middle School\u2019s gymnasium and field, across the street from the Lansdowne campus. While some people may worry about their skill level coming into the gym, drop-in sports are about the love of the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s open to beginners all the way through to experts,\u201d says Jones. \u201cWe\u2019re really just there to have fun… It\u2019s a really positive, welcoming, and warm energy. Everyone tends to interact with lots of other people. If you\u2019re new to something, people will help you out and show you how to play. It\u2019s just a great, great vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fact, the most lasting effect of these nights isn\u2019t necessarily physical fitness\u2014it could be the friendships that come out of spending time together.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople start by coming down and maybe they don\u2019t know anyone, by the end of the night, they\u2019ve got a couple friends,\u201d says Jones. \u201cYou started seeing people come in groups later in the year and they\u2019ve got friend groups on campus and that\u2019s really great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Students of differing abilities are welcome: the building is accessible, and so is the mentality of the other players.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe facilities are accessible and I think everyone would be happy to engage in modified versions of the games,\u201d says Jones. \u201cSo if someone\u2019s got accessibility issues, we\u2019d be happy to tailor the events to things that they can participate in. And it\u2019s certainly welcome to all members of the Camosun community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Badminton, volleyball, soccer, and basketball might not be of interest to all students, however. To these people, Jones says that special events happen all the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudents can watch out for special pop-up events that happen throughout the semester,\u201d he says. \u201cFor example, in the future, we\u2019re going to have an indoor soccer night as well as a dodgeball night. So in addition to our regular sports, there are special-feature nights that may be really cool for people to attend, as well.\u201d (Announcements for such events can be found on the Camosun Fitness Recreation Instagram page or through the Facebook group Camosun College Drop In Sports Club.)<\/p>\n
Jones says that community is a truly necessary part of the college experience. The sports are fun, but the connections are what really matter in spaces like these, and they are what truly enrich our time in school.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe friendships that we make outside of the classrooms are probably the most important part of college,\u201d he says. \u201cThe academics are really important and can help us going forward in life, but certainly the friendships we make and the good times we have are maybe even more impactful. I think this program is a fantastic way for students to have some of those experiences. I think it\u2019s integral to a quality experience in post-secondary education.\u201d<\/p>\n