When thinking about the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, many picture the College’s varsity sports teams. However, the HAARC also hosts Colby Recreation, a program that is meant for all members of the College community to get active and involved.
Colby Rec has many programs for students to enjoy. They run both club and intramural sports as well as exercise programs, such as Learn to Skate and spin classes.
Marc Roy, Associate Director of Recreation Services, sat down with The Colby Echo.
“I would say our most underutilized programs are our group fitness classes. We offer a wide variety of group fitness classes from various instructors, and it’s very easy to sign up and get involved. A lot of people understand the physical benefits of exercise, but many people don’t understand that exercise in this group setting is extremely beneficial for the mental health and overall well-being of its participants. There is a sense of community formed in these group fitness sections and it makes exercising all the more fun,” Roy said.
Colby Rec is focused not only on the physical benefits of exercise but also on the mental ones. It has an active social media presence with weekly posts like Motivational Monday and Wellness Wednesday. It also posts all schedules and events on its social media page as well as in the ColbyNow email.
“The most important thing I would hope people learn about Colby Rec is that our main purpose is to teach ways for everyone in the Colby Community to live a holistic life of well-being. We are all about offering programs and events that bring people together to ease the stress of their everyday life so we are always open to suggestions and opportunities to make this possible,” Roy said.
Parth `25 has loved participating in Colby Rec’s badminton program.
“It’s been amazing so far. The programs they run accommodate for all levels of experience and they’re good at community building.”
Bella Hogan `25 agreed with Parth.
“I appreciate that Colby Rec hosts different weekly fall fitness activities and pop-up events. It’s made getting active a lot easier!”
Colby Rec has been trying to step up its program and outreach, especially as winter approaches and it becomes harder to do things.
“With the winter months coming our way we are focusing on our collaboration with the Outdoor Recreation office along with the Colby Outing Club to provide outdoor recreation programming. This is coming in the form of Learn to Skate Classes out on Johnson Pond, Learn to Nordic Ski Classes, and Ski Trips,” Roy said. “We are also closing in on forming our Club Sports Council, which is designed to create camaraderie, support, and collaboration amongst our student-led club sports teams.”
Rachel Hatheway `24 has been participating in Learn to Skate throughout her time at the College and has had a great experience.
“Last year, and second semester of my [first] year, I went to Learn to Skate twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s so nice to be able to do a little program that isn’t academic. There are no stakes and you don’t have to be good at it,” she said.
The Colby Rec office is run by students and is open every day. It allows students to check out equipment for free. Along with yoga mats and ice skates, the office also has more underutilized items like squash and tennis rackets, jump ropes, various sports balls, and resistance bands.
“I had never skated before and did not have my skates, but I would go to the little rec office and get my skates every time and they have some fancy ones. I wouldn’t have done Learn to Skate if I had to buy skates, so it was great that you can get whatever gear you need at the athletic center,” Hatheway said.
“My experience with Colby Rec has been great so far. I’ve been able to rent out equipment for Pickleball, ice skating, and more, which has been super convenient,” Hogan said.
Colby Rec is a great way to get involved with the community and get active. It puts on free events every week.
“The easiest way for people to get involved would be to follow us on our Instagram page [@colbyrec] or to go to our website and view all of the different events and programs. Another way to get involved is to simply reach out! We can connect interested parties with any of the different competent areas we offer,” Roy said.
If you are interested in joining a group fitness class, learning about a new sport, or borrowing some equipment to blow off some steam, Colby Rec has you covered.
~ Mairead Levitt `25
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