Students taking notice of the warmer weather are getting ready to participate in sports and activities outside.
Already the weather has started to get warmer. Groups of students are getting together to do anything from pickleball to rock climbing.
Students are starting to search for anything involving the outdoors.
“Pickleball and tennis are overlooked sometimes,” said Derrick Shelley, a freshman elementary education major from St. George. “They’re not just for old people.”
The definition of pickleball from the USA Pickleball Association is: “Pickleball is a fun game that is played on a badminton court with the net lowered to 34 inches at the center. It is played with a perforated plastic baseball (similar to a whiffle ball) and wood or composite paddles. It is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players.”
For those students looking to play pickleball, there is a new complex at The Fields in Little Valley, as well as Vernon Worthen park.
A very popular outdoor activity is rock climbing or hiking.
“If you can afford the initial price, rock climbing can be fun and exhilarating,” said Braden White, a freshman physical science major from St. George. “It’s just fun to be able to feel the accomplishment of climbing a wall and being able to see the sites when you are on top of a cliff.”
For others, it might not be about the joy in climbing but the scenery after they reach the top.
Jason Cordero, a freshman computer science major from St. George, said he likes to go to the lake to either cliff jump or go boating. He said he likes to wakeboard, swim and jet ski.
The cliffs at Sand Hollow are usually crowded during the weekends in the summer. There are boats out on the lake towing wakeboarders, tubers and wakesurfers.
Outside of Sand Hollow there is Quail Lake, and St. George is about 150 miles from the famous Lake Powell.
There are plenty of things for students to do outdoors in the warm weather of St. George.
Sand Volleyball
One of the better places to play is right on campus. When it is warmer at night, the courts are usually packed with people. Another place to play is Vernon Worthen Park at 300 south and 400 east.
Hiking
Students at Dixie State College are lucky to be so close to Zion National Park, Snow Canyon State Park, and any climbable red rock.
Tennis
There are tennis courts on campus or at Vernon Worthen that students can use to play.
Swimming
There are plenty of places to go swimming outdoors around town. There is the St. George City Pool next to Dixie High School, Summit Athletic Club, and Sand Hollow and Quail Lake.
Mountain Biking
St. George is full of mountain biking areas. For a full list of trails go to www.utahmountainbiking.com.
On campus, there is the Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Center. This is the place to go for students to start their outdoor activities.It provides all the materials needed for these activities and the staff are ready to help any student. The office hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m Monday through Friday.
It may not seem like there is a lot to do in St. George, but if you know where to find the sports and activities you can find almost anything to do.
