While Palo Alto’s attention is on its women’s volleyball and men and women’s basketball seasons opening, new opportunities are on the way for student athletes interested in playing soccer or tennis.
“We are growing more and more talent,” said Coach John Libby, coach of men’s basketball. “Both the women’s volleyball and men’s basketball teams have begun practices for this upcoming season as they start the process of defending their championship victories from last season.”
If you enjoy sporting events as much as the next guy or gal, you may take pleasure in attending a few of the games that Palo Alto offers. Or if you’d rather participate than watch, more than 10 different sports are now available.
Currently, the school offers non-sanctioned extramural sports, also known as club sports, that play against other schools. Club sports include women’s volleyball, cheerleading, and men’s and women’s basketball.
The women’s volleyball team, started their season by playing San Antonio College on October 11. The women are defending champions for three years in a row now.
Although the women’s basketball team had only nine women show up to play so far this year, the 2004-05 team won the championship, going undefeated with a record of 14-0. The women will play here at Palo Alto on October 24 against Northwest Vista College.
As for men’s basketball, they are also proud defending champs. The team won last season with a record of 15-3.
“I like the way the team is coming together,” said Libby. “I think we have a strong team.”
The men will get things started on October 24 at 7 p.m. when they play Northwest Vista College here at home.
As for intramural sports--sports played for fun on campus among fellow students, faculty and staff--Palo Alto offers men and women’s fencing/wheelchair fencing, swimming, high diving, cross country, dance, track and field. New to this collection of sports are coed soccer and possibly men and women’s tennis.
Recently, a list has been passed around the Palo Alto campus in hopes of recruiting enough players to form a coed soccer team. Those interested in playing have been meeting at the college’s soccer field at 3 p.m. on school days.
Some students are also interested in signing up for a tennis team.
“The United States Tennis Association (USTA) came to our school to see about us starting a tennis club,” said Michael Jimenez, a sophomore Palo Alto student. “We need four men and four women to form a tennis team that will go out and compete with other schools.”
Aside from sports, Palo Alto offers other ways to keep you in shape. The gym is open Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and the weight room is open from 3 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. The pool is open for lap swimming from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., noon to 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
To learn more about Palo Alto athletic opportunities, contact Leandro Esparza, coordinator of Recreational Activities and Sports, at lesparza@mail.accd.edu or at (210) 921-5509.