Athletic and Recreational Opportunities

Athletics at Colby
Colby competes on the NCAA Division III level and sponsors 32 varsity programs—15 for men, 16 for women, and golf, which is coed. The department also oversees the intramural program, student-run club sports, and lifetime fitness classes for students, faculty, and staff.

The Harold Alfond Athletic Center is one of the finest complexes in New England. Students are encouraged to use the center regularly to become proficient in lifetime sports and to improve their fitness levels. More than a third of all Colby students participate in one or more intercollegiate varsity sports. Other athletes compete in club sports or in intramural activities.

The campus has space and facilities for a wide variety of sports. The field house has multiple uses, including field hockey, tennis, baseball, lacrosse, and track. It also can be used to supplement outdoor football and soccer practices. The gymnasium contains basketball, badminton, and volleyball courts and seats 2,500 spectators. The swimming pool measures 25 yards by 25 meters. There are five squash courts, a hockey arena, and training room facilities. The fitness center has 9,000 square feet of exercise space and modern equipment and facilities.

The campus has fields for a multitude of varsity and intramural sports. Bill Alfond Field, a state-of-the-art synthetic turf field, is used by the field hockey, women’s lacrosse, and men’s lacrosse teams, as well as other intercollegiate sports teams. There are 10 outdoor tennis courts and a tennis pavilion. Johnson Pond is used for ice skating during the winter, and trails for running or cross-country skiing wind throughout the campus and adjacent arboretum. The outdoor Alfond Track and Field facility includes an eight-lane track, separate horizontal and vertical jump areas, and a hammer and discus cage. Colby's football team uses the Seaverns Field at Harold Alfond Stadium, which allows the mules to compete on a synthetic turf field and practice at night. Colby is one of only two teams in the New England Small College Athletic Conference with a symthetic turf field.

iPlay is an intramural sports program that promotes healthy competition among Colby students, faculty, and staff outside the classroom. Many iPlay sports are available, with multiple leagues for different skill levels. The program is run by students and aims to include and appeal to as much of the student population as possible and provide fun activities throughout the year.

Club Sports
Club teams are organized by students and based on student demand. Badminton, cycling, fencing, men’s volleyball, rugby, sailing, Ultimate Frisbee, water polo, and woodsmen’s teams are offered currently as club sports.

Intramurals
The intramural sports program includes flag football, soccer, basketball, broomball, and softball. Special events also occur throughout the year and can vary annually. Examples of recent special events include a dodge ball tournament, a home run hitting contest, and a squash tournament.

Lifetime Fitness Classes
Recent lifetime fitness classes include aerobics, pilates, kickboxing, and yoga.

The New England Small College Athletic Conference
The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) consists of 11 highly selective liberal arts colleges. Its members are committed first and foremost to academic excellence and believe that athletic excellence supports the educational mission. Each institution is committed to providing a comprehensive athletic program available to the entire student body. All participants in athletic activities are treated equitably.

The presidents of the NESCAC institutions control intercollegiate athletic policy. The day-to-day operation of the athletic program is conducted by the director of athletics. Students on all intercollegiate teams are to be representative of the overall student body and are admitted with the expectation of their full participation in the life of the college. In all sports, conference members give primary emphasis to in-season competition. Programs have fixed starting and ending dates, and the number of contests is limited. The conference and each member manage competition and post-season play in a manner that minimizes conflicts with class schedules and examinations.

Colby Outdoor Orientation Trips (COOT²)/
Colby On-Campus Orientation Teams
The COOT² program, part of First-Year Orientation, is required for all new students during the week preceding on-campus orientation in the fall. These three-day trips, led by trained student leaders, cover many different areas of Maine and range in activity from hiking to biking to theater to canoeing to doing conservation work. COOT² provides a perfect opportunity for new students to meet classmates and upperclass students and to become acquainted with Maine. The program also is an excellent way to acclimate to Colby and college life in a relaxed, informal environment. To learn more, see the program's Web site.

Colby Outing Club
The Outing Club runs many trips and clinics throughout the year and has a winterized cabin located on Great Pond for use year-round. The club room on campus holds a large stock of up-to-date outdoor gear, including packs, canoes, kayaks, snowshoes, tents, and stoves, all of which are available for use by members and the Colby community.

Colby-Hume Center
The Colby-Hume Center is an outdoor facility located on Snow Pond in nearby Sidney. The center houses the Colby crew facilities, the sailing club, and furniture-making and blacksmithing facilities.

Alpine and Nordic Skiing
The Nordic ski trails on campus are groomed throughout the winter for outstanding recreational skiing right on campus. Discount ski packages to Maine’s two premier ski areas are available to Colby students in the fall. Both the Sugarloaf/USA and Sunday River resorts offer season passes and other package deals. For more information contact the Colby Bookstore at 207-859-5400. Purchase deadlines are set each fall, but typically discounted rates expire around the end of October.