For the Sports Fanatic

If you’re like me, you love a good sports game. I don’t care as much about what category of sport it is, as long as I’m entertained and get to enjoy the experience with friends. Players tackling each other, the adrenaline of rooting for an underdog, or sitting back and mindlessly watching a ball thrown around at high velocities instead of worrying about a paper I have due at 11:59 p.m. There are many possibilities around Asbury to keep only competition on your mind.

IMAGINE YOURSELF…

In a tough situation. You have a five-page paper due, but it’s the weekend and you’re in college. You need to have fun sometimes! Even though there’s an inner conscience that almost sounds like your mother saying do your work, you must unwind for just a little bit and a high intensity sports game seems like it will do the trick.

Lucky for you, you’ll be overflowing with options. If you don’t feel like traveling off campus for a game, many weekends are packed with Asbury soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, and softball games. Attendance is free for Asbury students and there is a concession stand, so bring your friends and some food money! Other than scheduled games, many students play intramurals of any sports and are seen running around all over campus. Watch out for the flying frisbees and overly-enthusiastic roundnet players. Plus, Asbury has competitive club teams!

My go-to weekend sports activity with my friend group is traveling to Rupp Arena to catch a University of Kentucky basketball game. Tickets are a moderately damaging price, and the arena is only 25 minutes from campus, so you should at least go to one game during your time at Asbury.

Or, Louisville is just over an hour away and boasts the Louisville City Football Club and other opportunities such as the Racing Louisville National Women’s Soccer League and the Louisville Bats minor league baseball team.

The surrounding areas of Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Nashville offer The Great American Ballpark, the Reds baseball team’s home field, or the Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis Colts), Paycor Stadium (Cincinnati Bengals), Nissan Stadium (Tennessee Titans). While there, you can make a fun day trip sight-seeing, shopping, riding scooters around the city, or trying some new food before your game. Out of state sports-centric trips are easy to accomplish from Wilmore.

Once in a while, many Asbury students attend midnight hockey at Lexington Ice Center, only 20 minutes from campus. There, UK and other collegiate teams play while you get to fall asleep with a soft pretzel in your hand. I’m envious of the people who go, not because it looks like a blast (which it does), but that they have the wherewithal to stay up past 9:30 p.m. It’s a big hit at Asbury, and honestly, a rite of passage.

If participation in sports is your jam, kudos! Asbury’s intramural and club sports scene is top notch. Also, the central Kentucky area is teeming with sporting opportunities like 5K races or half marathons for the ambitious weekend warrior or the well-trained athlete… take your pick and try to convince some friends to go compete with you.