Recreation

The intramural athletics program at Harding University is designed to give all students an opportunity to participate in a variety of recreational activities, many of which they can carry over into later life.

Our program exists for the beginner, the expert and every level of skill in between. In fact, we encourage those who have the desire to do so to sign up for an activity they have never played and to learn while doing.

Our Mission

The intramural athletics program is dedicated to the ideal that one who participates should be a better Christian for having done so. When we fail in this, we have failed to accomplish a major objective of the program. We believe the essence of wholesome recreation is found in one's relationship to teammates, opponents, officials and spectators. It is good to develop skill and stamina for an activity; it is better to develop social attributes inherent in the activity.

Awards

T-shirts are given to the champions of each sport.

All students currently active in a social club are eligible for participation in this program. Clubs have the opportunity to field teams as deemed fitting for each tournament. Athletic Directors for each club will be responsible for creating the teams.

Officials for games will be provided by the Recreation Director.

Awards and Scheduling

An All-Sports award will be given at the 1st through 4th division levels for both Large and Small Clubs based on points accumulated through the school year. Point values for places will be determined at the start of the academic year by the Recreation Director.

All club sports are scheduled and administered using the website www.imleagues.com/harding.

All club members are required to register on the site using their Harding email.

Travel Club Sports gives students a chance to compete against other institutions or individuals in a variety of activities. Harding’s Travel Club Sports program currently contains 9 different sports, and potentially will be looking to add more in the future. For general questions about our program, please contact TravelClubSports@harding.edu.

Active Travel Clubs

• Disc Golf: Harding’s Disc Golf Club was founded in 2021. We have a course on campus beside the intramural fields. We have some athletes who have competed on a regional level, but we welcome all skill levels to come out and enjoy the sport. For more information, contact TravelClubSports@harding.edu
• Esports: A competitive gaming opportunity for interested students. Currently competing in League of Legends, Overwatch and Rocket League. Don’t see your favorite game listed? Reach out, as yours may be something we considering going forward. For more information, contact Paiton VanWinkle at pvanwink@harding.edu.
• Fishing: The fishing club at Harding has competed on a regional level since it was founded in 2010. If you have a passion and/or experience in bass fishing, we would love to have you join us. For more information, contact TravelClubSports@harding.edu.
• Pickleball: Harding’s Pickleball Travel Club will compete in league play and will also look to compete against other institutions regionally. The club welcomes players of any skill level who are interested in having fun playing the growing sport. For more information, please contact TravelClubSports@harding.edu
• Roundnet (Spikeball): Co-Ed competitive roundnet team. For more information, contact TravelClubSports@harding.edu
• Shooting Sports: Co-Ed competitive shooting team. For more information, contact TravelClubSports@harding.edu 
• Swimming and Diving: Harding's Swimming and Diving club was established in 2020 and compete on a regional level. Swimmers and divers of all abilities are welcome to join, whether your goal is to compete or to just have fun. For more information, please contact Kevin Webb at kwebb7@harding.edu.
• Men's Ultimate: The longest-running active travel club, Harding Men's ultimate frisbee team Apocalypse, has competed on a regional and national level dating back to 2003. If you have interest in joining Harding’s ultimate team, or just want to come out and throw, don’t hesitate to reach out. For more information, please contact Whit Jordan at wrjordan@harding.edu.
• Women's Ultimate: The Women's Ultimate Frisbee team is called the Sky Bisons. For more information, contact TravelClubSports@harding.edu 
• Volleyball: The Men’s Volleyball Travel Club is a competitive level club sport. They compete regionally against other volleyball clubs. If you are interested in playing competitive volleyball after high school, we are the club for you. For more information, please contact Matthew Schmitz at HU-MensVB@harding.edu.

• Begin slowly and gradually warm up your muscles and heart (3-5 minutes)
• Exercise within your target heart rate zone, or monitor your intensity using the “talk test”. You should be able to talk with some difficulty while exercising. If it is easy to carry on a conversation, your intensity is too low. If it is impossible to talk, your intensity is too high.
• Cardio workouts should be 30-45 minutes, 3-5 times each week
• Strength training should be 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times a week on alternate days
• Intervals (training using high intensity bursts interspersed with lower intensity) are a great way to supercharge your workout, increase speed and endurance
• Cool down and stretch at the end of every workout

For more information about weight training and exercise.

For women, a healthy diet includes:

• At least three, 1 oz servings of whole grains such as whole-grain bread, cereal, pasta, brown rice or oats.
• 3 servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products such as low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt or cheese.
• 5 to 6 oz of protein such as lean meat, chicken, turkey, fish, beans, lentils or peas.
• 2 cups of fruit such as apples, blueberries, melon, oranges, bananas and pears.
• 2 ½ cups of vegetables such as leafy greens, pumpkin, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, mushrooms and carrots.
• More healthy eating tips specifically for women
  

For men, a healthy diet includes

• At least 2 cups of fruits and 2 ½ cups of vegetables each day. At least once a week, eat tomatoes or something made from tomatoes, like pasta sauce. The antioxidant lycopene found in tomato products is good for prostate health.
• At least five, 1 oz servings of whole grains each day. Replace refined grains with whole-grain bread, cereal, pasta, brown rice or oats.
• At least two to three servings of fish per week.
• At least 38 grams of fiber a day
• Unsaturated fats like oils, nuts and salad dressings in place of saturated fats like full-fat dairy foods, butter and high-fat sweets.
• 4,700 milligrams a day of potassium from fruits, vegetables, fish and milk.
• More healthy eating tips specifically for men

Saving Calories

The key to saving calories is to identify small changes you can make in your eating and activity habits and commit to them. Small lifestyle changes are more likely to last compared to large drastic ones. Extreme diets and intensive exercise regimens may show results at first, but are difficult to maintain long term.

• Healthy weight is all about balancing food intake with physical activity. Saving 100 calories each day can make a big difference over time.
• Lighten up your favorite coffee by using non-fat milk, fat-free creamer or sugar-free syrup.
• Trim all visible fat from beef, pork and chicken. Remove the skin from poultry.
• Substitute low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt or slow-churned, reduced-fat ice cream for regular.
• Enjoy raw vegetables with salsa or fat-free dressing instead of chips and croutons.

Looking for convenient routes to walk or jog on campus? See our Harding Walking Trails pdf.

Contact Us

	Tom Ritchie Director of Recreation Programs 501-279-4972 tritchie@harding.edu
	Katie Jones Assistant Director of Recreation Programs kstaten@harding.edu
	Derek Jones Ganus Activities Complex Manager 501-279-5647 djones13@harding.edu