Fear the Freshman Fifteen No More
Written by Emma McCormick
Hillsdale College and the town of Hillsdale offer a wide range of sports and activities. Now all that’s left to ward off the freshman fifteen is to take advantage of them!
The Roche Sports Complex
The Roche Sports Complex houses a competition pool, workout machines, dance studio, cycling studio, weight room, racquet ball courts, two basketball courts, and a game court.
Hours: 6am-11pm Monday – Friday, 9am-8pm Saturday, 12pm-10pm Sunday
Hayden Park is the (unintentionally) best kept secret on campus.
It’s a haven for outdoor activities all year round. Two beach volleyball courts are lighted for night games. A 5K race course winds through fields and woods. You can borrow a mountain bike to explore eight miles of paths. In the winter, cross country ski or snowshoe the same routes. In addition to equipment for these activities, you can also check out golf balls and whiffle balls.
Club House Hours: Monday-Friday, 5-9 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, 12-5 p.m.
If you have no idea how to start your exercise routine, join a fitness class!
Weekly classes include total body pilates, YoChi (Yoga/Tai Chi), cardio kickbox and core, cycling, zumba, Insanity Max, and a running club. You have options for every day of the week.
Don’t let your studies make you climb the walls—climb the rock wall instead.
Multiple routes lead to the top for varying levels of challenge. Come for a workout or just to have fun. You can even learn how to belay from a student attendant.
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7-9 p.m., Friday, 7-10 p.m., Saturday, 12-4 p.m., Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
If you just want playing space, we’ve got you covered.
Next to the sports complex, there are soccer fields, a softball field, and a baseball field. The football field is circled by the track. Eight brand-new lighted tennis courts were just completed this fall. The Biermann Center houses a two hundred meter indoor track.
Amble in the Arb to soak in fresh air and beauty.
Perhaps one of the most beautiful places on campus, Slayton Arboretum contains a pond, waterfall, amphitheater, paths, and benches. It’s a relaxing place to take a walk or study outdoors.
Bike all the way to Walmart or the lake on Baw Beese Trail.
The Baw Beese Lake and trail system is an eighteen-mile network of paths following the train tracks and main roads through the woods. Entrances are just two blocks from the center of campus. Going south, it crosses streams, winds through trees, and ends at Baw Beese Lake. Going north, it eventually runs parallel to MI-12, passes Walmart, and enters Jonesville. The path is a pretty place to walk, run, or bike.
What’s the difference between intramural and club sports? Intramural sports are for everyone, club sports are not.
In the fall and the spring, there are a variety of IM sports. Flag football and Ultimate Frisbee are popular in the fall. Volleyball starts in late fall, basketball in the winter, and indoor soccer in the spring. IM sports are the most casual yet organized sports you can play, and you compete with other Hillsdale teams. Club sports are a big step up from IM teams, but not quite varsity. Club teams are fun and competitive, and a greater time commitment. They play other schools in the college club league, and teams travel for away games.
Emma McCormick, ’19, is from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and plans on majoring in economics. It is still too early to call her a full-fledged member, but she participates in mock trial and the firearms club, and volunteers at Mary Randall Preschool.