Unlocking opportunities: Embracing the Sports Scene at Ohlone College

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Okay, let’s face it. . . Alsion is not exactly known for its involvement in sports, but this doesn’t mean that we can’t participate in them at all!

Written by: Akshara Bachu

Being part of the Early College program comes with many unique opportunities, one of them is playing and competing in a sport at Ohlone College. 

To participate in most sports, you are required to be a full-time Ohlone College student and be available to attend practices and competitions. That means that once you are in 11th grade, you should be free to join an Ohlone sport! With some exceptions, you can even participate in 10th grade, though you may not get credit for it. Before signing up for a team sport, students usually attend a meeting with the trainers to agree to follow community college sports rules of sportsmanship. Students also need to submit a wellness report. Personally, I think that going through the paperwork is the hardest part of the experience. Once the paperwork is submitted, you can enroll in the class, which is usually 2-3 UC and CSU transferable credits. You can compete with a team for a maximum of two seasons. 

Most teams don’t require prior experience to play. The coaches are willing to teach and prepare athletes for competitions. As an Ohlone College athlete, you would have access to all their equipment and facilities for free, but you are welcome to bring your own. With your coach’s permission, you can also access the Ohlone gym in Building 9. 

I joined the Ohlone Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis team during the spring semester of my junior year. For most sports, competition season is in the spring, and training is in the fall. Competition entails competing with other community colleges in the Bay Area and traveling to other community colleges. It’s important to be prepared to spend more time when competing at a further location. My tennis team traveled together in a van to the competition sites, but it is possible to commute there individually. 

Joining an Ohlone sports team means you have priority registration for the semester after you enroll in the sport. This can come in handy when you want to join a particular class or take a specific professor that fills up quickly. Before I joined tennis, I wanted to enroll in a certain calculus class, but I wasn’t able to because all the spots were taken before the regular registration opened. If I had joined a sport, I wouldn’t have come across such issues.

Another perk is that after competitions, you can enjoy an Ohlone paid meal with your teammates! Being part of a team is truly an empowering experience and a great way to get involved in your school. I was fortunate to have an amazing team and the opportunity to meet individuals with different backgrounds. I recommend joining a sport with someone from Alsion, as you won’t have to explore this new territory on your own.

Ohlone College also offers sports in which you don’t need to be part of a team, for example, Ohlone’s kickboxing class. 

Here is Amrita’s experience taking the class: 

“Heyo! Amrita Guha tuning in with some advice on taking class sports at Ohlone. This means a graded class section rather than a team sport. I took kickboxing with Dr. Mellisa Bradley who also teaches pilates and yoga as well. It was surprisingly extremely difficult! I have done 13+ years of gymnastics and have never sweated that much in 1 hour. I recommend taking the class pass-fail, but I definitely will be taking more in the future. Highly recommend it!” 

Whether you want to work on your physical fitness, want to be part of a team, want competition experience, or want to try something new, playing a sport at Ohlone College is a great experience that I recommend trying.