To kick off the start of the new school year, the UTRGV recreation centers are ready to welcome students with a bang.
University Recreation (UREC) and the Texas Southmost College Recreation Center will host their third annual Late Nite event that will feature a retro/techno theme. The event will start at 9 p.m. Sept. 7 on the Edinburg campus and 8 p.m. Sept. 14 on the Brownsville campus.
To enter, students will need a UTRGV student ID to participate in the event. Activities, such as dancing to live music from a DJ and a Basketball Hot Shot competition will be free to students, and food will be served. Stamps will be given out to students and those who cover their card from the different activities will receive prizes.
Annette Livas, associate director of the UREC in Edinburg, said they hope the campus community comes out to see the different opportunities the recreation centers provide students.
“We are really excited for Late Nite and our goal is to invite the entire campus community to come and check out our facilities, programs and services,” Livas said. “Let’s introduce you to what we are going to offer this semester.”
If you are competitive, active or just love playing sports, UTRGV’s recreation centers offer intramural sports that any student can play for fun. They are separated into two sessions—session one consists of 7-on-7 flag football, 4-on-4 beach volleyball, indoor soccer and spike ball. Session two consists of Ultimate Frisbee, 3-on-3 basketball and indoor volleyball. The centers also host tournaments throughout the year where tourney winners and league champions can win T-shirts.
If you are interested in a bigger challenge, another feature of the UREC is the Sport Clubs program. If you want to play softball, which the university does not have, the centers will help you build your own team by providing you with bats and other equipment. The only difference between the Sport Clubs and Intramural Sports is the Sport Clubs can compete with other schools in the state, while intramurals compete against other teams at UTRGV.
If sports aren’t your thing, do not worry! The recreation centers offer a variety of different activities to stay active, such as the popular group exercise classes. The classes take place at the UREC from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Monday through Friday and resume from 5:30 to 9:20 p.m. on the same days. They also offer women’s classes every day from 1:30 to 5 p.m. The newest activity is Outdoor Adventures, which vary from a day at South Padre Island to a small getaway weekend at any of the state parks.
If you have some free time on your hands and just feel like hanging out, the recreation centers could also be the place for you.
“It feels like home and it’s a good way to get away from your class and release some stress,” said Bryan Avitia, a daily UREC user.
The UREC features four basketball courts, two inside and two outside, and a volleyball court. Treadmills and aquatics are also on the list of activities, in addition to weights and indoor track. Not only do they provide you with all the equipment you need to work out, they can also provide you with a fitness assessment from their personal trainer for $15.
Graduate student Laura Van Tilburg and sophomore kinesiology major Brianna Pitre, who are also members of the UTRGV Women’s Basketball Team, are frequent visitors to the UREC. Both said they enjoy going to the UREC to hoop in their free time since it’s in walking distance.
“It’s fun to just come and play a game of basketball on our free time,” Van Tilburg said. “We love that it’s walking distance from the campus and we love that they have activities like their annual Late Nite.”
If you have any questions about University Recreation or the TSC Recreation Center, follow their Facebook page @UTRGVUREC.
