By Ben Peters
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]
Sports Illustrated’s rating of UCLA a few years ago as the
best sports school in the nation goes beyond the athletic program.
Because UCLA’s varsity sports perform and recruit at such a
high level, many accomplished athletes attend UCLA for its renowned
academics but are unable to play for and represent the school.
However, these individuals do not lose their hunger for
competition easily and many times the frustrations of school
compound the need for an outlet for their aggression. This is where
pickup games come into play.
While intramural sports are an effective and organized method of
competition, pickup games normally only occur once a week, and
students often seek a quick, spur-of-the-moment activity to
distract them from their studies. It does not matter what time of
day it is, and one is never alone in the quest.
Second-year student Brad Calkens attests to this.
“Often it would be 1 in the morning and I would be fed up
with my homework and go into the hall and find some other guys in
the same boat. We’d roll downstairs and shoot pool or
foosball to take our minds off school,” he said.
Students often can be really creative.
“We would play soccer in our hall with rolled up socks and
the ends of the hallways as goals,” said second-year Kedar
Abhyankar. “It seemed like half the floor would play. It
would actually get pretty hardcore. We stopped after a while
because some people hurt themselves and some intense rivalries
developed. Fun times though.”
Other than the games students invent on their floors, the hill
also provides more traditional activities. Though Hedrick Hall
poses the longest, most uphill climb, it also boasts the
bored-student trifecta of pool, ping-pong and foosball tables.
The equipment is definitely not the most well-kept; in fact,
playing pool resembles miniature golfing in the need to avoid the
scrapes and bumps of the surface. But, as long as the conditions
are even for both players, one can win bragging rights, a definite
indication of competition.
New students should definitely bring their high-tops because
unquestionably the most popular pickup game on campus is
basketball. The hill features three full courts next to Rieber Hall
and the newly opened Sunset Courts, which have six smaller full
courts.
No matter what time of day, the repetitive bounce of a ball can
be heard on the courts, and during the late afternoon and early
evening the courts fill up fast. One need not worry about bringing
teammates because games are always searching for one more, and
there is no easier way to connect with strangers than a pickup
basketball game.
Even though the major sport on the hill is basketball, other
sports are available. Volleyball pits are located in front of Saxon
Suites and at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center. Tennis courts stand
by the Sunset Canyon basketball courts and behind the tennis
stadium.
There is also an expansive grass field at Sunset Canyon perfect
for football or throwing around a baseball or Frisbee, though
students have been known to squeeze these activities into the tight
confines in front of their buildings.
The opportunities by no means end on the hill though, as a
virtual mecca of games exists on campus at the John Wooden
Center.
For the most serious hoopsters, the JWC offers the most
competitive games, often featuring former UCLA athletes and even
the NBA -roster-cut Master P.
Drop-in volleyball and badminton have specific times during the
week. Gymnastics equipment is offered to students who can prove to
the certified instructor their merit. Many college students learn
and start a passion for racquetball and squash, which combine
intense activity with the letting out of rage and the smashing of
balls.
Finally, lost in the action, ping-pong and chess are staples of
the JWC, each with its share of regulars.
While all students admitted to UCLA are obviously dedicated in
some way to their education, the many forms of instant fun
accessible to students is difficult for even the most studious to
refrain from.
“It is virtually impossible to concentrate on school when
it’s hot and the sun is shining, and the hard part is,
it’s like that for most of the year,” Calkens said.
“If you love studying, you should have gone to Berkeley
where it’s always cold and overcast,” he added.
At UCLA, to attend to their work, students must not only
overcome their reluctance to study, but also remain steadfast in
not participating in the random games going on all around.
No matter the time of day or night, there will always be someone
up looking for fun and tempting students to leave their desks.
Pickup games relieve stress and break up the process of class and
homework.
For as every new Bruin will quickly realize, some of the most
intense competition at the best sports school in the country is not
always between those wearing UCLA jerseys.