Success is nothing new to the student-athletes participating in the competitive sports programs here on campus.

A successful sports program can say a lot about a school’s image, especially a community college.

Palo Alto offers three highly respected extramural programs for students to compete in at the college level: women’s volleyball, women’s basketball and men’s basketball.

Giving students the opportunity to be a part of a successful sports program can help them become successful later in life.

These scholar-athletes are the true definition of champions of character. Managing time for school, work and practice has not kept PAC’s athletes from winning consecutive seasons in all extramural programs.

The anticipated soccer season is currently delayed for another academic year because of unfinished construction on the field.

The women’s volleyball team has won seven of their past eight conference titles. This is a challenging task for a coach at any level to accomplish. Teams are trying to beat the reigning champions every night. Contact Coach Ruben Calderon for more information.

The women’s basketball team has won only one conference title but they were undefeated on their road to being the league’s champion.

The men’s basketball team has earned a couple of spots on the wall among the several title banners hanging in the gym. Commitment and dedication has earned the Palominos back-to-back championship titles.

Basketball and volleyball seasons are in full swing with each team heading into the postseason. The women’s volleyball team has a current record of 22-9, women’s basketball 7-10 and men’s basketball is 16-8. The men’s team returns from the NIRSA Texas Regional NCCS Tournament where they reached the final four before falling 64-52 to Texas Southern University.

PAC also grants students access to an Olympic-size swimming pool. The Natatorium is co-sponsored by the City of San Antonio and provides an enjoyable atmosphere for students and residents of the surrounding communities.

This year, the school will be assisting in the City High School Championship, UIL District Meet, UIL Regional Meet, Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship, Middle School Meet and the USA Swimming IMX Meet.

PAC’s Natatorium also offers swimming lessons to help visitors learn the proper way to swim. Learn to Swim, Pre-School Swim, Adult Beginning Swimming, Adult Water Aerobics, and Lifeguard Training are just a few of the programs available on campus.

Coach Adrian Montoya and Stan Randall are employees of the Alamo Area Aquatic Association, creating competitive swimming and diving teams for elite swimmers.

The opportunity to have successful sport programs at PAC has helped the campus build school spirit and unity.

Lawrence Burkett, a sophomore basketball player at Palo Alto College, said that playing in his first year of college basketball, gave him the chance to meet a lot of people while playing against local and statewide colleges. Networking is the key for players at the community college level making the transition to a university athletic program.

John Libby, head coach of men’s basketball and intramural specialist, said moving student-athletes to a university is his major accomplishment since his arrival at Palo Alto: “Having the success of moving students to a university as student-athletes; which means we have groomed them as students, prepared them academically for the university, and maintained their skill level and conditioning.”

Before a student-athlete can make the jump into a university, their academics must be in good standing to be accepted into the school. The professors and the coaches work hard at being very helpful towards student-athletes, making sure they excel in the classroom and on the court.

“Everybody wants to…get better,” said Cordale Jones, freshman basketball player.

The coaches understand that there is life after school; therefore, scheduling practices around school and work is necessary. Students’ agendas are tight so most prefer to do homework assignments immediately after class and before practice.

Making the active roster on the varsity team does not guarantee your spot the entire year. Coaches hold tryouts every semester to give every student attending classes at Palo Alto College an equal chance at making the team. Students who want more information about tryouts should contact Coach Libby at jlibby1@mail.accd.edu or call him at (210) 486-3139. Palo Alto also offers intramural sports, such as flag football, table tennis, chess and soccer, and recreational sports, like camping, hiking and fishing. For more information on these sports, contact Leandro Esparza at lesparza@mail.accd.edu.