Steven Nguy came to the second annual Department of Recreational Sports open house to sign up for club tennis and Frisbee. But he wound up signing up for break dancing and Tae Kwon Do as well.
"I got involved in breakdancing over the summer," said the freshman pre-pharmacy major. "But I didn't know that there was any way to get involved with it up here. This event was great because I got to see everything Rec Sports has."
The Broward Outdoor Recreation Complex was converted into a carnival of sports with colorful information tents, a sailboat, snow cones, a rock wall and a horse right next to the skateboard park.
"It's important to expose students to the great variety of clubs and facilities we have for them to participate in," said David Bowles, Rec Sports director. "We have such a diversity of students who can participate in a diversity of activities."
Students gathered to watch the break-dancing club "battle" against one another in a showcase of break-dancing moves while emcees freestyled on the loudspeakers. The fencing club jabbed and parried in a demonstration of foiled swordplay. The boot camp class, their shirts soaked with sweat, hauled tires across the sand volleyball court. The men's and women's club volleyball teams played several pickup games with interested students, and intramurals hosted several basketball shooting games.
"We really made an effort to ask the clubs, intramurals and Rec sports to engage the students," said Eric Ascher, sports clubs coordinator. "They've done a great job."
Students flocked to the event, and clubs signed up plenty of potential new members.
"This is the biggest recruiting opportunity of the season because everyone knows about it and comes out," said Allison Walford, a captain of the Florida's Ultimate Elite Ladies Frisbee team. "We had about 30 girls sign up today. The event is great. We had a good turnout with really high interest in the club."
