Starr says that people use the multipurpose room and deck for everything from yoga to just hanging out. \u201cStudents wanted an informal gathering space for group projects, studying, and celebrating. We heard what they wanted, and I think we\u2019ve provided that.\u201d<\/p>\n
With an average of 750 unique, unduplicated campus IDs being used to gain access to the fitness center at the beginning of most blocks, its popularity is impressive. \u201cThat number falls off a little toward the end of the blocks, naturally,\u201d says Starr, \u201cbut attendance is pretty steady.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mitch Gardzalla assumed the role of assistant director of the fitness center in 2016 after serving as an athletic trainer for club sports. In his second year in that position, Gardzalla takes time to interact with each student who comes in. \u201cMy job here is to enhance the student experience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The center offers both group and personal training opportunities, all for free. \u201cI like being an educator,\u201d Gardzalla says. \u201cThe meeting [with a student] that I just had, for instance, if I can get her functioning on her own, and get her to a position where she knows what\u2019s going to be good for her body, what\u2019ll be bad for her body, and how to develop those skills for the rest of her life \u2014 that\u2019s really what I like to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Group fitness training is completely student-driven. If the students want an activity, it is largely up to them to coordinate. \u201cThere are a couple of contracted coaches,\u201d explains Gardzalla, \u201cand Chris leads students through the process of getting those, but there are many students who come to the school with certifications such as yoga instructors, or various boot camp-style programs, and those classes are entirely student-led.\u201d<\/p>\n Students desiring to lead group fitness classes must meet with Starr beforehand to verify credentials and quality. Essentially, if students want a sport or activity, the center is there to help guide them through the requirements to set them up.<\/p>\n Student agency is part of what makes the facility so popular. The center is distinct from the varsity athletics facilities. Though all students, faculty, and staff are always welcome in the space for personal fitness, team use is kept to intramural and club sports.<\/p>\n \u201cIntramural sports are played in and among CC students,\u201d says Starr, \u201cwhile club sports are more competitive, and play other academic institutions. Some of our programs are really competitive, like our ultimate frisbee teams, and women\u2019s rugby. They compete on the national level.\u201d<\/p>\n Hayley Bates \u201918<\/b>, a member of the CC club cycling team, recently earned a spot on the podium at a national mountain biking competition. Even though she\u2019d suffered injuries during another competition that took place at the Air Force Academy, which left her unconscious on the side of the trail, she recuperated quickly, and went on to place in nationals.<\/p>\n \u201cThe difference between club sports and varsity is that the clubs are not part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association,\u201d Starr says.<\/p>\n Clubs can get team sponsors and they aren\u2019t regulated by the same set of rules that oversees varsity sports. For Bates, that means the ability to turn pro while still a student. Without NCAA restrictions, she has recently participated in professional races that would not have been possible had she been in a regular varsity setting.<\/p>\n Bates says she used the spin bikes upstairs at the fitness center for aerobic conditioning on wintery days, then went downstairs to the weight room for strength training. \u201cMitch helped with the weights, and I used the balance balls and rollers, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
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