Where Fun is the Name of the Game: The World of Choate’s Intramurals
By Mathilde Williams ‘07 and Synne Chapman ‘07
News Staff Reporters
During the winter term, Choate offers thirteen different intramural sports. Quite a selection for those not participating on a team this season! The wide variety includes: aerobics/Pilates, basketball, community service, dance, fitness and conditioning, weight training, senior strength training, strength training for girls, hockey, rock climbing, running, volleyball, and yoga.
Fitness and Conditioning
The most popular intramural sport each term is fitness and conditioning. Because of limited space and growing demand, it was necessary to divide the students into three different groups in order to accommodate the students. Fitness groups A and B meet three days a week for an hour and fifteen minutes a day and work towards achieving goals such as training for a spring sport, losing weight, or just getting in shape. Each class begins with stretching and warming up, but the students are then allowed to go through their own routine, which generally includes both cardiovascular and strength training using the machines and free weights located in the fitness center. The three coaches this term include: Mrs. Foster, Mr. Yanelli, and Mrs. Schade for Group A, Ms. Arnold, Mr. Bradford, and Mr. Irzyk for Group B. Mr. Olmo, Mr. Paradise, and Mr. Mannion also coach a class focused on weight training in which athletes are taught proper technique s in developing muscular strength.
Dance
Dance, taught by Ms. Loughlin, is offered at both the beginner and advanced levels. The beginner class, which meets four days a week for an hour, introduces students to different styles of dance such as ballet, jazz, and modern. The advanced class, which meets three days a week for an hour and a half, focuses entirely on a different dance each term. During the winter term the focus is ballet. More intense than the beginner class, the advanced ballet offers an additional focus on improving technique, but it is just as fun! These classes are not limited to the members enrolled. If you are free and would like to simply take a class for fun, Kate welcomes everyone to join for just a day or for the rest of the term!
Senior Weight Training
Mr. Holloway coaches the senior weight training class, which is modeled from program he teaches during the summer for athletes wanting to perform at the collegiate and/or professional levels. The intramural class focuses on further improving Choate student athletes’ natural athletic abilities through an intensely structured training program. For three days a week at an hour and a half each time, the athletes follow an organized training session of nervous enhancement, speed-work, mobility, as well as strength and power development. Mr. Holloway makes sure the athletes implement modern sport science training techniques, which will allow them to attain their goals and maintain the results achieved. Geared toward Choate’s most intense senior athletes, senior weight training is guaranteed to thoroughly develop the innate abilities apparent in the students.
Girls’ Strength Training
Strength training for girls is a new intramural this term offered by Mrs. Schade. The class is open to any girls who simply want to get in shape. The ladies in the class are encouraged to develop their own goals for the term, but they are all guaranteed to learn develop their athleticism through the introduction to new forms of working out. Held three days a week for an hour and fifteen minutes a session, strength training for girls combines weight training, yoga, ball workouts, aerobics, and kickboxing. The workouts promote a healthy athletic lifestyle that the girls are able to maintain after the class is over.
Morning Yoga
Early morning yoga is instructed by Ms. Loughlin, who teaches Hatha yoga in the Vinyasa style. This type of yoga aspires the athletes to attain enlightenment through strengthening the body and calming the mind through body poses and specific breath control. Vinyasa, in Sanskrit, denotes the thread-like motion of the breathing that connects the athletes to the Hatha movements. The continuity of the poses and the transfer of breath, very much like a string (“vina”), describe the style of yoga instructed. Although 6:30 a.m. may seem quite early for some of the Choate population, the members of the early morning yoga class enjoy the relaxation and tranquility that comes from each session. Developing mental focus as well as physical strength and balance, Ms. Loughlin can clearly see the improvement and progress of the athletes after every morning class.
Afternoon Yoga
Afternoon yoga is taught by Ms. Redmond and also occurs three days a week for an hour and fifteen minute sessions. Held in the chapel, the students enjoy the beautiful space where they can perform Ashtanga, or power, yoga. This yoga style begins with the same Vinyasa poses Ms. Loughlin uses, followed by both a standing and seated series. Additional poses are also implemented in order to focus on specific areas of the body.
Winter Running
Winter Running is coached by Ms. O’Donoghue, Mr. Danahy, and Mr. Strohl. The group consists of 40 runners of all levels, from varsity cross-country runners to first-time long-distance runners. The group meets Monday through Thursday and runs about three to four miles per day on various routes across Wallingford. Coach Fran even says that, “many of the local residents have come to know us along their route and will often come out to cheer us on, offer Gatorade, or perhaps even turn up the stereo for us as we run by. A few local bands have even taken to opening the garage door when they know we are running past.” Because of weather conditions, the group is often asked to try new varieties of winter running apparel, such as “high-tech wicking under-layer clothing or wind proof lightweight fleeces,” Coach Fran says. She views the runners as “a dedicated group of healthy, fit, good-spirited athletes,” while Coach Danahy says that “kids can just have fun and try a sport they might not have ordinarily tried,” referring to intramural sports in general.
Rock Climbing
Mr. Tisdale and Mr. Quarfoot are the rock climbing coaches this term. Rock climbing meets three times per week, for an hour and a half. Most of this time is actually spent climbing. Mr. Tisdale says, “The newer students to rock climbing must be belay tested so they can safely belay the climbers.” Besides that, the individual students have a lot of control over what they do each day. Once the students have mastered basic climbing, they can challenge themselves by climbing without using one of their hands or feet. Mr. Tisdale also says, “We want the students to learn about climbing and safety. [Rock climbing] is a nice release from the daily trials here at Choate.”
Senior Volleyball
This year, senior volleyball was combined with regular intramural volleyball. The athletics department had hoped senior volleyball would enjoy similar success as senior soccer. Unfortunately, without the prospect of beating Deerfield at the end of the term, senior volleyball did not gain as much of a following as senior soccer. The coaches, Mr. Dormandy, Mr. Youker, Mr. Mobley, Mr. Gritzer, and Mr. Yankus have plenty of experience coaching at the interscholastic levels in the fall. Mr. Dormandy, says the goal of intramural volleyball is to “teach an appreciation for this sometimes under appreciated sport”. Mr. Dormandy believes that, “Although the coaches do take the program seriously, we want the students to have fun while trying to play the sport the way it is meant to be played.”
Winter is usually the busiest time for intramurals, with the larger interscholastic seasons being in the fall and spring. All the options offered to Choate students allow them to try a new sport, such as intramural basketball and hockey, or simply just stay in shape for the upcoming season with fitness and conditioning and winter running. Intramurals are a great opportunity to have fun while playing a sport, and are excellent for those who like sports, but do not want to worry about the score.
