Category: Facilities

Welcome Back Mason Nation!

George Mason Men's Basketball plays host to Davidson at the Patriot Center on George Mason University Fairfax Campus. Photo By Craig Bisacre/Creative Services/George Mason University

We Hope All Of Our Patriots Have A Fantastic New Year!

We held our Mason Recreation Staff Holiday Potluck in December, click our link below to check out some of our photos!

Mason Recreation’s Holiday Potluck Flickr Album

Employee of the Semester

Lauren Govoruhk is our “EOS” for Fall 2018. Thank you, Lauren, for all of your hard work! You are an integral piece to the Mason Rec team.

Welcome Jalen!

Mason Recreation has grown again, help us welcome Jalen Howard as our new Coordinator for Competitive Sports.

Spring ’19 Outdoor Adventures

The spring semester brings us into a new year, and a new OA Trip schedule! With trips to take you Camping, Skiing, Backpacking, Paddling and more, we have something EVERYONE will enjoy!

Check out our schedule here and mark your calendars!

New Year, New Goals!

Don’t get caught waiting in lines for machines in the AFC, RAC or Skyline after break! Our Spring Group fitness schedule is here and remember GOLD ACCESS class are FREE the first 2 weeks of the semester here!

Save the coupon below for a discount on training sessions!

POUND – Rockout Your Workout

Mason Recreation introduces POUND®! A full-body workout, using lightly weighted drumsticks, that combines cardio, conditioning, and strength training with yoga and pilates-inspired movements.

Check out when the next class is!

Group Fitness Wants YOU!

Group Fitness is hosting two Master Classes on January 28th and we need your input! Think of these classes as pilots, taught by class professionals and if you like them we’ll host trainings to let the student become the teacher. Freedom Barre® and BANG™ could be your next fitness class!

Freedom Barre

Freedom Barre® is a ballet-inspired strength, flexibility and balance workout.

BANG

BANG™ is a mixed fitness group exercise class with HIIT training and some serious attitude.

2019 Intramural Sports Season

Mason Intramurals is bringing back all your favorites this spring featuring Basketball, Volleyball and a NBA2K tournament.

Click here to view our schedule and join the FUN!

Club Sports Recap

Stay up-to-date on Mason Club Sports as they finished 2018 in style!

Club Football Accolades

Mason Football is home to five 1st Team All-Americans, five 2nd Team All-Americans and Offensive & Defensive Player of the Year!

Fitness Tip:

Keep it short and sweaty

No one has time for 3hrs in the gym, that’s why quality trumps quantity. Keeping your workouts short, intense and explosive is the best way to fast track results.

Check out our HIIT classes offered next spring!

Don’t Ignore This Ad

By showing your valid Mason ID at Modell’s in either Arlington, Potomac Mills, Reston or Springfield take an additional 15% off your total purchase!

Well-Being Corner

Focus on the process to your goals, not the end goal. Remember you are making progress since you’ve started because step by step is still progress. If you stay committed to yourself and your goals, success with flourish!

Employees of the Month December 2018

Ahmed Khalafalla – AFC, Lexi Firestone – RAC, Dino Salandro – Fitness, Analisse L’Etoile – West Campus, Kevin Walsh – Aquatics, Vanessa Frans – Marketing

Mason Rec Helps to Beat Finals Stress

Remember in December

This time of the year is all about appreciation and getting into the Holiday Spirit! Even when we face deadlines, travel plans, and year end stress, we all need to look back and remember the best parts of our semester as we head into our Winter Break!

Winter Break Hours

Make the most out of your break and be sure to check out our modified hours hours for

Skyline, The AFC, & The RAC!

View our Facility Schedule

De-Stress for Finals

From Monday, December 10th – Wednesday, December 19th we’re having a modified Group Exercise schedules for both Green & Gold Access Classes!

Our Gold Access classes will also be FREE for all members!

View Our Group Exercise Schedules Here

Donate to the Patriot Pantry

Get in touch with your giving side by donating items to your fellow Patriots on campus that need it most.

More About The Patriot Pantry

New Assistant Director of Fitness

Meet Kellie Hundemer, the newest member of our Mason Rec Family!

Learn More about Kellie

Fitness Tip

Join us for a quick tutorial with one of our Personal Trainers and add a few Zottman Bicep Curls to YOUR routine!

Ola shows us the ropes

Mason Intramural Champions

Sunday was the last day of the fall Mason Intramural season and we want to thank all of our teams for participating!

A BIG Congratulations goes to all of our Intramural Champions!

Check out our IM Albums on Flickr Here!

Club Ice Hockey Scores for Charity

12/2/18 – The Mason Recreation Club Ice Hockey team played its annual charity game vs. Penn State Altoona.

Our Patriots won 3-2 and raised over $14,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, DC!

Score and Donate

Outdoor Adventures

Rock climbing, paddleboarding, camping and more! Check out some Patriot highlights of our Fall Outdoor Adventure trips and view our 2019 Spring Adventures!

**Do you have The EDGE?**

Mason Recreations most hands-on and innovative programs (The EDGE) has hosted more than 4,500 participants in Fall 2018 alone!

Find out how The EDGE can help YOUR team grow!

Meet Our Employees of the Month for November!

Adam Derstine – Outdoor Adventure

Jaylen Simmons – Intramural Sports

Jeremy Hayword – Aquatics

Kaan Ertan – Fitness

Cathy Holt – The EDGE

Mickayla Turner – RAC Facilities

Rolando Garcia – AFC / Skyline Facilities

Sabrina Huffman – Marketing

Tori Lopez – Outdoor Supervisors

Well-Being Corner

Love yourself first. Without loving yourself it is impossible to love another. Take a few minutes to reflect and value all you have accomplished this semester!

~Namaste~

Good luck with Finals Mason Nation!

Make sure to get rest, drink water and take care of yourself as we head towards the finish line of Fall 2018!

Mason Official at Regional Flag Football Championships

If you never thought you could go far with Flag Football with Mason Recreation Intramurals, just ask junior Jacob Hurt. Hurt currently is a referee and supervisor for Mason Recreation Intramurals, as well as a recent official in the NIRSA Region I Regional Flag Football Championships at the University of Maryland from November 9 – 11. With Region I extending from Maryland all the way up to Maine, it wasn’t just players filing in from within these states, but also selected officials that have proven track records of sound officiating. We were able to catch up with Jacob following Regionals to give us some insight being one of few selected to referee at Maryland:

Q: Were you nervous going into this weekend and what things did you do to prepare?

J: I am always nervous because it’s a competitive atmosphere. I prepared last weekend by reviewing the NIRSA rulebook for flag football. The rules and regulations at the tournament are slightly different than rules and regulations on campus.

Q: What was the best part of the UMD Regional Flag Football Championships?

J: The best part of the tournament at UMD was actually officiating the games. There is a lot of preparation and hype around it but that is the main reason for us to be there and it was enjoyable.

Jacob started refereeing basketball when he was a freshman in high school. That experience helped him begin refereeing for Mason Intramurals in the spring of 2017. Currently, Jacob plans to referee throughout his years here at Mason and see what the future holds for a potential career in officiating. Luckily, Jacob can use his supervisor Merrissa Vault, Coordinator for Competitive Sports, Camps and Special Events, for any career questions because she too came from an officiating background in her undergrad. We recently sat down with Merrissa to get her view of officiating:

Q: What characteristics do you think are necessary to be a great official?

M: Communication, Leadership and Management are essential skills to being a great official. Being a ref, you have to keep not just yourself, but all of the players and coaches level headed with your communication and management of the game.

Q: Do you have any recommendations for up-and-coming student’s / refs on how they can improve their skill?

M: The best way to improve on all of these characteristics is to get reps and that’s why our Intramural program is perfect for developing officials. Our officials can manage games at different levels from recreation to competitive, they have access to trainings and just like Jacob, and opportunities to officiate tournaments regionally and nationally will present themselves.

Clearly, Jacob has taken hold of these recommendations by getting reps via Mason Intramurals and managing flag football games efficiently enough to get recognized and be able to ref at a Regional high level competition. Jacob also touched on the characteristics he thinks it takes to be a great official with:

J: “Patience is key to officiating. Having a patient whistle, especially in flag football, helps us to get our calls right. Also, patience in the long-term is also a must. Nobody is a very good official when first starting out. It’s going to take time and practice. The key is to learn from mistakes and focus on 1 or 2 things you can improve on every game. Nobody can be a great official overnight.”

We’re sure over the course of the Regional Tournament, Jacob was able to focus on a few things and continue to build his skill. While some might think refereeing serves one purpose, building upon officiating skills can also translate to skills outside of the playing field:

J: “Working as an official has helped thicken my skin. It’s not all about making calls. Presence and communication are huge. Building strong relationships with players and coaches help people respect you more as an official, as well as your calls. I constantly have to face criticism from others. Sometimes it is justified and other times it is not. The point is I have learned to move on when being placed in stressful situations.”

Finally, we here at Mason Recreation want to congratulate Jacob on his accomplishment this past weekend, as well as representing #MasonNation. To those who are currently officiating in our Mason Intramural programs, keep working at building your skills because just like Jacob opportunities will present themselves. And to those who are and are not currently officiating, use Mason Intramurals as a foundation and resource because you will develop skills that will translate into multiple realms of life, in addition to receiving the best view of every sport competition 🙂

Winter Break Facility Hours

Snow begins to fall on the Mason Statue at the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Alexis Glenn/Creative Services/George Mason University

Winter Break is coming sooner than you think, as well as your next workout with Mason Recreation! Stay up-to-date on our facility hours because the worst workouts are the ones that never happen!

AFC

Thursday, Dec. 20 – Friday, Dec. 21: 6:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Recreation Pool will close 30 minutes before the facility closes
- Please check the lane charts and Aquatics Page for Competition Pool hours
Saturday, Dec. 22 – Sunday, Jan. 6:
- Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Saturday – Sunday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Wednesday, Dec. 26: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
- Recreation Pool will close 30 minutes before the facility
- Please check the lane charts and Aquatics Page for Competition Pool hours
- Dec. 24, 25, 31, Jan. 1 : CLOSED
Monday, Jan. 7 – Saturday, Jan. 19:
- Monday – Friday: 6:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Saturday – Sunday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Recreation Pool will close 30 minutes before the facility
- Please check the lane charts and Aquatics Page for Competition Pool hours
Sunday, Jan. 20: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- Recreation Pool & Competition Pool CLOSED for training

RAC

Sunday, Dec. 16 : 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Monday, Dec. 17: 6:00 am – 10:00 pm
Tuesday, Dec. 18: 6:00 am – 8:00 pm
Wednesday, Dec. 19: 6:00 am – 8:00 pm
Thursday, Dec. 20 – Saturday, Jan. 19: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- Dec. 24, 25, 26, 31, Jan. 1: CLOSED
Sunday, Jan. 20: 12:00 pm – Midnight

Skyline

Saturday, Dec. 15: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Sunday, Dec. 16: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Monday, Dec. 17: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Tuesday, Dec. 18: 12:00 pm -3:00 pm
Wednesday, Dec 19 – Sunday, Jan. 20: CLOSED
Monday, Jan. 21: 3:00 pm – Midnight

November Newsletter

November Recreation Happenings

Thanksgiving Break Hours

Around the Holiday season, people and travel plans are all over the place. Luckily, you can rely on Mason Recreation and our facilities to keep you in shape and to get away from Holiday stress.

AFC

Wednesday, November 21st: 6:00am – 7:00pm

Thursday, November 22nd: CLOSED

Friday, November 23rd: CLOSED

Saturday, November 24th: 10:00am – 6:00pm

RAC

Wednesday, November 21st: 6:00am – 7:00pm

Thursday, November 22nd: CLOSED

Friday, November 23rd: CLOSED

Saturday, November 24th: 12:00pm – 8:00pm

SKYLINE

Wednesday, November 21st – Saturday, November 24th: CLOSED

Sunday, November 25th: 3:00pm – Midnight

Certification Courses

Stay up-to-date on all of your certifications and highlight these on your resume!

Click on here for more details on the class and schedule!

Lifeguard Recertification: Saturday, November 3rd – 9:00am – 7:00pm.

Member: $85 / Non-Member:$110

CPR / AED/ First Aid: Monday, November 5th – 5:30pm – 8:30pm. *No First Aid included*

Member: $55 / Non-Member: $65

Saturday, November 10th – 9:00am – 3:30pm

Member: $65 / Non-Member: $75

First Aid: Thursday, November 8th – 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Member: $40 / Non-Member: $50

Top Trainer Award

And if you were hesitant on signing up for a training, just know you are in good hands! In 2017 George Mason was a Top Training Provider for the American Red Cross. As a recreation center we certified 437 unique lifeguards. So click here to see the certification schedule!

Outdoor Adventure Hikes

Even though the temperature outside is dropping, our Outdoor Adventures continue to climb! Click here to read more about the upcoming trips in November!

Family Weekend Family Hike – Saturday, November 10

Appalachian Trail Day Hike – Sunday, November 11

Surprise Day Hike – Saturday, November 17

Competitive Sports

NBA 2K Tournament

Most would say the Golden State Warriors are the favorite to win the NBA Championship this year, but we want to know who is going to win the NBA 2K Tournament this year?!? On November 10, this single elimination tournament has a new spin for match-ups...click here to find out see who will be crowned campus champion!

The Ultimate Ultimate Tournament

If November isn’t the ultimate Fall month, now it is because we have not one but two Ultimate Tournaments! The Women start off November by hosting a tournament November 3rd and 4th on Field 3, as the Men host their own tournament the following weekend November 11th and 12th on Field 3. Come out and support Mason Nation and these Ultimate Tournaments!

Fitness – GOLD Access Membership 50% OFF

We know student budgets are always tight, so we want to give you every opportunity to experience everything Mason Recreation offers. Now until the end of the semester, our GOLD Access Membership is 50% OFF so now you can experience all of our Yoga, Pilates, and Martial Arts & Defense classes! Click here to find out more!

Facility Feature – Treadwall

This month’s facility feature is the Treadwall located in the Skyline Fitness Center! The Treadwall is exactly what it sounds like, a hybrid of a treadmill and a rockwall, but offers more! This machine takes the weather out of rock climbing, while you’re building your climbing skills and strength. How long can you last on the Treadwall?!

October Recap

As November brings colder weather and that holiday season feeling, let us recap a month that brought us championships, decorations and the start of pumpkin season

HALLOWEEN

Good news! Our Halloween decorations and costumes didn’t scare anyone away!

Fitness

Fall 2018 Power Meet

The Mason Fall 2018 Power Meet took place this past Saturday on October 27 involving squat, bench and deadlift maxes. The male pound for pound champion was Cameron Hair with a total of 1,160lbs, while the female champion was Alexandria Tyler with a total of 735lbs. If you missed out on this competition, don’t stop training because we will have a Spring 2019 Power Meet!

Halloween Zumbathon

Zumba is a combination of interval training and dancing, but it’s also a great way to test out the durability of a Halloween Costume. Safe to say is was a bad night to be a calorie and candy afterwards, so click here to see more of our Group Exercise Schedule!

Aquatics

Key Log Rolling Champion

Derrick Lemmon is one of our Key Log Rolling instructors, as well as the 2018 East Coast Key Log Rolling Champion in the Collegiate Men’s Division! Key Log Rolling is a niche sport that is gaining momentum across the country and Derrick is currently working on starting a Key Log Rolling Club here at Mason. Click here to read more about his championship campaign or attend his Key Log Rolling Class every Tuesday in the AFC at 8pm!

Intramural Sports

The Boston Red Sox weren’t the only recently crowned champions, Season 1 Intramural Sports Champions include: Rogue Squad, Pike A and Sniper Gang for Basketball and Apple Sinnamon Pi and Taylor F.C. for Soccer.

FIFA Tournament

Mason Intramurals hosting their first E-Gaming tournament featuring FIFA ’19. F. Neefjus (left) took home the championship bragging rights defeating N. Merkling (right) 2-1 using Juventus over Inter Milan. E-Gaming is starting to make its presence on campus so click here to follow @GMUIntramurals about their next upcoming tournaments.

Club Sports

While the year’s end is in sight, Mason Club Sports just keep on rolling!

Field Hockey Fights Breast Cancer

Mason Club Field Hockey hosted their annual Play for a Cure Game on October 14 to raise money against breast cancer. The biggest take-a-way was despite not finding the back of the goal in the game, Field Hockey reached their goal of fundraising $500 to help fund breast cancer research! Click here to continue their fight!

Club Hockey Continues to Grow

Mason Hockey is currently on a 4-game winning streak as they go into this weekend facing Loyola and Stockton. Sophomore forward Cameron Smith has been lighting it up for the Patriots this season (21 points in 6 games), in addition to the United States of America. Smith played on the ACHA D3 Select Team that traveled to Russia to play European and Russian Student Hockey teams. Mason Hockey is turning heads not only within the U.S. but also internationally. Click here to follow their schedule and learn how to stream their games!

GMU Invitational

Swim Club made a splash when they hosted their first meet of the season on October 27. Bringing in competition from University of Delaware, George Washington and Duke to the AFC was the easy part, but your Patriots made quite the showing defending their home waters. Both the Men and Women placed 1st in the 200M Freestyle Relay and are on their way to their first ever Regional Meet this weekend at Rutgers University. Click here for more Club Sports updates!

Edge on Wheels

Not only does out Outdoor Adventure program offer hikes every weekend, but our EDGE program specializes in team development and experiential learning and can bring everything to you with the EDGE on Wheels Program. So if you are a club sport, intramural team or an organization that is trying to get the most out of your members, click here to learn more about the EDGE on Wheels Program that can come to you!

October Newsletter

October Happenings

Fall ’18 Mason Recreation Power Meet

Do you like to pick heavy things up and put them down? Then test your strength and compete against some of Mason’s finest in our Fall ‘18 Mason Recreation Power Meet. On Oct. 27, the RAC will host bench press, squat and deadlift competitions along with a plethora of sweat and grunts. Click here for more info: Power Meet

FIFA Tournament

Soccer on the pitch isn’t the only type of soccer. On October 10^th, Mason Intramurals and the RAC will host its first E-Gaming Tournament featuring FIFA ’19 on Playstation 4 systems. If you think you got what it takes to be crowned champion, click here to register!

Squash Tournament

Squash combines agility and precision, but Mason Recreation has combined a bracket and prizes for the Squash Tournament! The RAC will host the Squash Tournament from October 15-19, so click here to register!

Halloween Costume Dodgeball Tournament

On Saturday October 27^th, the RAC field will host an all-day dodgeball tournament. Teams of 5v5 will face-off against each other and costumes are encouraged if they will help your offensiveness and elusiveness during the tournament. Don’t dodge this message!

Halloween Night Hike

One could argue college students are too old for dressing up and trick-or-treating, but we aren’t too old to hike in costume! On October 28^th, hike through an old farm and cemetery in the Shenandoah National park in costume, but don’t stray too far off into the night… click here for more Fall ’18 Trips!

Bikerafting Trip

Looking for something to spice up your Wednesday Night? Keep an eye out for the Bikerafting trip Wednesday October 10^th where we will bike from Skyline with all of our gear to a nearby lake to jump on the water before returning home!

September Recap

Rockin’ With REC

As part of the Welcome2Mason Events, Mason Recreation hosted Rockin’ With REC, an event that welcomed new and old faces to the RAC highlighting different platforms under the Mason Recreation umbrella. From fitness demos and club sports to a giant hungry hippos game and a rock wall with s’mores, Rockin’ With REC had something for everyone as the RAC welcomed over 450 students through our doors. Click here for a recap of the fun via our Flickr album and be sure to follow our social media platforms for upcoming giveaways and Mason Recreation events! @GeorgeMasonRec

Splash Night

Our second biggest Welcome2Mason Event, Splash Night, aimed at highlighting all of the Aquatics programming we offer our students, as well as helping us hold onto that summer feeling for as long as possible! The Fall 2018 Splash Night welcomed over 150 students to the AFC to experience an inflatable obstacle course, the new Flow MotionFITT class that tests balance and strength, Key Log Rolling, and giant hamster balls! Click here to see our Flickr album and mark your calendars because Spring ’19 Splash Night is just around the corner!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Be sure to follow our social media platforms for a chance to win prizes and to stay up to date on events where we will be raffling off Mason Recreation swag and other prizes! Click on each picture go to one of our Social Media pages!

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Competitive Sports

We are well into our Fall semester and that is just another sign that Mason Recreation’s Competitive Sports season is underway!

Club Hockey

The Washington Capitals, 2018 Stanley Cup Champions, aren’t the only hockey team in town! After the program’s first ever national tournament berth, Mason club hockey won their preseason game against GW 5-2. The Patriots are set to open up the season against Farmingdale St. on September 28 & 29^th and hope to continue the momentum gained from last year. Stay up to date on their season by click here for their schedule or following their Instagram or twitter @gmuicehockey.

Speaking of not the only hockey team in town, move over boys there’s a new hockey team on campus! Women’s Club Ice Hockey has just been approved for the 2018-2019 season and will be hosting interest meetings and hopeful for games in the spring. If interested contact [email protected] for more information.

Hot Start

Mason Club Football is not only off to a hot start winning their season opener against UNC-Greensboro 20-2, but #3 QB Justin Fenical and #24 DT/G Devin Anderson were named NCFA Offensive and Defensive players of the week! Fenical threw for 2 TDs with 270yds, while Anderson finished with 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. Mason Football jumps up in the NCFA weekly rankings from being ranked 21^st in preseason polls to 10^th after the UNC-G win. Time will tell if this offense can sustain and if your Patriots continue this hot start! Click here to read more of Justin and Devin!

Ping Pong Tournament

On Wednesday, the RAC and Mason Intramurals hosted a Ping Pong Tournament that yielded over 50 sign-ups. The tournament started at 7:30PM and continued to the early hours of the night with the help of music and heated rallies. However, Carston Sehlke survived some close games and ultimately was crowned ping pong champion!

Fitness

Key Log Rolling Rolls On

Key Log Rolling returns to the aquatics division within Mason Recreation and is looking to make a splash. For those looking to excel, logrolling is part of the Lumberjack World Championships and there is even a U.S. Log Rolling Association, however to those who want to test their balance and challenge their friends’ coordination click here for more information on the Key Log Rolling class in the AFC on Tuesday nights at 8pm!

Flow MotionFITT

Test your core, balance and stamina through a workout all on a paddleboard! The new rage in aquatic fitness is FREE for all Mason students and Rec members and will tone and strengthen your core like never before. Click here for more information or find out every Sunday and Tuesday from 5:30-6:30PM in the Competition Pool in the AFC.

Propelling Patriots

We highly value all of our program participants, Intramural and Club Athletes, and frequent facility users – but we know when it comes down to it, none of what we do would be possible without our All Star Employees! Take a quick moment to recognize our August ’18 Employees of the month! Stop by our facilities and look at our EOM board to read a short bio of each winner.

From Left to Right: Jessie Pugh – Outdoor Adventures, Theresa Scalzo – The EDGE, Emily Holmes – Fitness, Grant Gavette – Marketing, Marla Albanese – AFC, Conor Heanue – Aquatics, Analissa L’Etoile – Outdoor Venues, Elizabeth Perez-Garcia – RAC

Club Football Players of the Week

Mason Club Football is on a steady rise! Despite losing their home opener this past weekend 12-13 to Williamson Teach, your Patriots rolled through UNC-Greensboro 20-2 last week earning 2 Patriots NCFA Players of the week. Starting QB #3 Justin Fenical threw for 2 touchdowns with 270 yards through the air earning Offensive Player of the week. Additionally, DT/G #24 Devin Anderson earned Defensive Player of the week with 2 sacks, 1 fumble and 1 fumble recovery.

George Mason Football has risen from #21 in a preseason poll to #10 after the UNC-G win. Fenical and Anderson need to make their presence known and bounce back from their loss because they face the University of Pittsburgh this Saturday in the steel city.