Support Mason Recreation! Shop at Modells with our special 15% off coupon!
Use this coupon, or show your Mason ID, for a 15% discount at Modell’s Sporting Goods! Proceeds from your purchase will be contributed to the Mason Recreation Student Development fund!
Mason Trails
Did you know our Mason sidewalks and walkways are now multi -use fitness trails? Put them to use for your own fitness needs! Explore them at your own pace for a leisurely stroll, or use them to get a quick run in after class! There are also a few stopping points with bike racks throughout the trail for users who want to pause their ride and explore the area on foot. Our wellness survey results revealed that walking, running, and biking are the primary physical activities of choice for many of our students and surrounding community members.
There are 2 designated trails on campus:
- Yellow Birch Trail – 1.6 mile walking/running trail on the sidewalks around Patriot Circle
- Red Dogwood Trail – 1.3 mile multi-purpose trail along Campus Drive
Both of these trails are signed at major intersections, please remember to always use caution when crossing intersecting roadways while using these trails.
The City of Fairfax and Fairfax County also maintain signed trails and bike lanes that integrate with our Mason Trails.
Additional information on those trails and the Mason Trails can be found at the following link.
Changes in Hours of Operation
New Facility Hours beginning with the Fall Semester
The AFC and Skyline Fitness Center will be operating with new facility hours during the academic year, beginning Monday, August 28th! Please review the hours carefully and visit the AFC front desk with any questions.
AFC Facility Hours
Monday-Thursday 6am-10pm
Friday 6am-8pm
Saturday 8am-6pm
Sunday 8am-8pm
*The recreation pool will close 30 minutes prior to the facility closing.
AFC Competition Pool Hours
Monday-Thursday — 6am-8:30am, 11am-1pm and 5:30pm-9:30pm
Friday — 6am-8:30am, 11am-1pm and 5:30pm-7:30pm
Saturday – 10:30am-3pm
Sunday – 9am-1pm, 3:30pm-7:30pm
Skyline Fitness
Monday-Sunday – 12pm-12am (midnight)
Adjusted hours will be offered during student breaks and will posted in the facilities no less than 2 weeks in advance.
Changes Happening at the RAC
- Resurfaced Linn and RAC Gym in June!
- Converting two locker rooms into storage space for Club Sports and RHT
- Creating spacious Multi-Use Room for RSO’s, Club Sports, Training, and Professional Development Activities
- Updated spacing and layout of Cardio Equipment on first and second floor
- Added new sleek and state of the art vending machine – Vengo!
Timeline of events:
May 8th 2017 to May 26th 2017 – RAC Gym and Linn Gym floors refinished
June 1st 2017 – Cage Gym will go offline and construction will start on a new wood floor as well as renovations to the cardio gallery to add in an extra classroom / activity space
August 1st 2017 to August 25th 2017 – Linn Gym will go offline so a new divider curtain can be installed.
2017 Employee Award Winners
The recreation department gathered together for the annual end of the year cookout and awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 9th. In addition to an abundance amount of food and games played, the time is used to recognize our graduating seniors, area award winners and announce the departmental employee of the year recipient. Congratulations to all!
Department Awards Recipients:
- Fall Employee of the Semester – KJ Walter (AFC/Skyline Operations)
- Spring Employee of the Semester – Matthew Mast (Aquatic Programming)
- Recreation Employee of the Year – Mike Morris (Aquatic Operations)
Area Awards:
AFC and Skyline Operations
- The Glue Stick Award – Lizzy Spooner
- The Green Submarine Award – Jay-r San Luis
- Most Improved – Holli Helm
- FISH Customer Service Award – Charlene Agustin
- Mighty Mentor – Andrew Trumpler
Aquatic Operations
- Rescue Randy Award – Taylor Rhinehart
- The Hoagie Award –
- DiCaprio Award – Jake McCusker
- FISH Customer Service Award – Gio Encarncion
- Aquatic – Mike Morris
Aquatic Programs
- Swim Instructor of the Year – Maya Stallings
- Safety Instructor of the Year – Mike Morris
The EDGE
- Most Likely to Lend a Helping Hand – Alex Butterfield
- Most Likely to Show Grace Under Pressure – Laura Wingfield
Fitness
- C’s Finest Award — Grant Gravette
- C’s Finest Award — Tara Esmaeili
- C’s Finest Award — Sean Kohler
- C’s Finest Award — Justin Sumblin
Intramurals
- Rookie of the Year – Hesler Reyes
- Golden Whistle – Alyssa Nacman
- MVP – Susan Murphy
Outdoor Adventures
- Rookie of the Year – Emily Cissell
- Grandma Gatewood Award – Emily Busch
RAC/Park Operations
- The “Key” to the RAC – Adrian Acuna
- Most Improved – Hailey Quigley
- FISH Customer Service Award – Kai’ulani Grebin
- Mighty Mentor – Gavi Siman Tov
Facilities
- “Bringing Home the Bacon” Award – Liz Vana
Congratulations to all of the award winners and thank you to the entire staff for making 2016-2017 an amazing year! Have a great summer!
GMU Women’s Club Lacrosse — Jiordan Carter
Before college, I had played lacrosse for about 11 years. I played from middle school up until I graduated high school. I was always extremely athletic. Some years I participated in a sport every season just to continuously stay active. However, after I graduated high school, I wanted to take some time away from sports because I had felt like sports had become more of a routine instead of an activity I truly enjoyed. I decided to use the time that was dedicated to playing sports to try and develop other hobbies I have always been interested in but just haven’t had the time to do. I spent my freshman year reflecting on who I was and what being an athlete meant to me. I wanted to find out how much of an impact sports actually had on my life, now that I completely had the choice to continue to compete or not.
After a whole year of not competing in sports, I realized how much I missed being a part of a team. I missed that feeling of excitement you get when you make an awesome play or win a big game. I wanted to experience that again, so I decided to join the GMU Women’s Club Lacrosse team. The club lacrosse team was a good way for me to be a part of an actual competition again without too much of a demanding commitment. The practices were necessary and insightful, but very fun and relaxed as well. We didn’t have a very long season but every game we played, everyone put their all into it. We all worked well as a team together and it felt great to enjoy playing a sport I loved. I felt that it was amazing to play a sport I loved without too much pressure about being the best or not making any mistakes. I could feel at ease while playing the game.
I realized how much I had been missing out on when I took that year off. To anyone who loves to play sports for the passion of the game but also wants to simply have fun without the games/practices being too much of a burden, I recommend joining a club team of your favorite sport. You will get to have fun representing Mason by playing a sport you love. Our lacrosse team ended with a record of 2-2, and I am extremely proud to be a part of the team and will continue to be a part of the team in the near future.
By: Jiordan Carter
How to Get Excited about Working Out
By: Destany Martin
Sometimes, it seems like working out is the absolute last thing you want to do. Not everyone genuinely likes working out (like myself), and often times we are very busy which can drain our energy and make us less likely to want to go to the gym. In moments like these, some kind of motivation is necessary. From personal experience, I have to get myself “in the mood” in order to work out otherwise I just will not go, or I won’t be as willing to put forth the necessary effort. I have found out that when I am feeling this way, I have to try different methods in order to get motivated to go work out.
If the thought of being at the gym for an hour of my day is too long and unrealistic for my energy level, I will set a smaller goal. For example, I will tell myself I will only be there for half an hour. This helps the workout seem easier and less intimidating. While sometimes I only have time for half an hour, or feel unbearably tired; most times I can trick myself into setting a smaller goal, and by exceeding it once I am then in the right headspace. Another thing that I have found to be really helpful is looking at inspirational posts on the internet or social media. Sometimes, I will go on Instagram and look at health and fitness pages that post inspiring quotes about healthy living and it really helps excite me about the benefits of working out. Sometimes I’ll even watch YouTube videos of weight-loss stories that help me stay motivated. I find that this is my most helpful method of getting workout ready, and also helps me stay motivated long-term within my own fitness journey. Lastly, I found that if I absolutely have to, I will have a pre-workout coffee or snack that provides energy. While I do not necessarily like doing this, caffeine definitely does the trick.