By Ben Wilner
Another year of athletics is under way at Raritan Valley Community College, but is anyone interested? “Where is everybody?” asks Mary Sullivan, executive director of student life at RVCC.
Sullivan is pleased, however, that the general interest in RVCC athletics has gained momentum, especially by word-of-mouth.
“People are often surprised that we have sports teams,” she says. Students generally become more interested when they first hear about the school’s sports offerings, especially if they were unaware of them at first. She also adds that “the new president has a great interest” in RVCC’s athletics.
The school’s intercollegiate teams are a part of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Teams play against other county and community colleges throughout the state. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, golf and soccer. Women’s sports include basketball, soccer and fast-pitch softball.
Sullivan says the school may add volleyball to its roster of intercollegiate sports. “The interest is there. Other member-colleges have volleyball teams.”
The school also offers intramural and club sports. According to the school’s web site, “intramurals follow rules similar to those of club sports, and their creation is due in large part to student interest.” Basketball, softball and volleyball are currently being offered as intramurals.
The Lion’s Den, an online homepage for students that every RVCC student has access to, has been helpful in disseminating information regarding goings on at the college. Information about the school’s sports programs is often posted on the Web site’s announcements section. Interested students are encouraged to stay informed using this site, especially about sports at RVCC. Signs are also posted all around the campus about sports and other activities.
But the number of students who know about the school’s athletics programs can, however, be increased. “I would like to get the word out more,” Sullivan says. “I’m looking for a better vehicle to tell students about things that we have on campus. People always tell me, ‘I wish I knew what’s going on.’”
Word of mouth has certainly helped, though. Student-athletes for the school’s teams have been pleased with the sports offerings and the way in which games and practices are scheduled and handled. “The coaches work around your schedule,” says Robert Stern, a sophomore who played for the school’s baseball team. “They’re very flexible,” he says.
More attention can certainly be paid, though.
The college’s Web site emphasizes that club sports are also up to the students, and that new suggestions are always welcome. The college says “Student Activities will sponsor and support any sport as long as there is student interest.”
Students are encouraged to use the sports and recreational facilities throughout the campus, such as the swimming pool, gymnasium, and fitness center in the physical education building, or the outdoor tennis courts, basketball courts, track, baseball fields, and soccer fields up near the arts building, which seem to lack student presence much of the time. Students with current ID cards can use the indoor facilities for free, and of course the outdoor facilities are free and open for all to use throughout the year.
For more information about athletics at RVCC, visit the athletics page in the drop-down menu at raritanval.edu. Mary Sullivan can be reached by e-mail at msulliva@raritanval.edu, or by calling (908) 526-1200 ext. 8868.
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