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Harlaxton Students Bond Through Playing Sports By Jessica Gerlach Harlaxton College Web Design Student Thursday, February 14, 2008 Warming up with a series of sprints across the court was not what Sam Johnson had expected when she arrived at basketball practice. Her immediate thought was "this is gonna suck." As practice continued, she realized otherwise. "It's so much fun!" said Johnson. Johnson is not only a member of the Harlaxton basketball team, but she is also the captain of the Harlaxton volleyball team. Being a team captain is new for her, although she plays intramural sports at Baker University in the United States. She said that the team works well together, which makes her job as captain easier. “I shake hands at the beginning and call a coin toss,” Johnson joked. Volleyball Game Schedule and Scores: Match Date Team Times Scores Tues Jan 29 RAF Cranwell 8pm 0:3 to Cranwell Wed Jan 30 Barge & Bottle 7 pm 1:3 to B&B Thurs Feb 14 Scunthrope 8 pm 0:3 to Scunthrope Thurs Feb 28 Spalding Saracens 7 pm Tues March 4 Spalding 8 pm Thurs Mach 13 Cannons II 6:30 pm Mon March 31 Ranby 5 pm The team is made up of many types of skill levels ranging from amateur to experienced. This allows the teammates to help each other. Even when a coach isn’t present, the students watch each other and give one another pointers and things to improve on, said Gary Cure, a member of the volleyball team. Cure, 21, a junior from Indianapolis, runs track for the the University of Evansville, and he has enjoyed being a part of the volleyball team at Harlaxton. “It’s a great way to stay active and meet new people,” Cure said. “I love sports and working together as a team.” Many of the students on the team joined to stay active.   “Mostly, we just play to stay in shape,” Johnson said. Jeffrey Patterson, who doesn’t play sports at his school, the University of Evansville, became a part of the team for similar reasons. “I wanted to get out and be physical. I want to get some exercise,” he said. Kevin Galbraith spikes the volleyball during a game between Harlaxton and Cranwell. (Photo by Joanne Tinker) The team practices two hours every Tuesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. and is encouraged to train on their own time as well. “I love volleyball so much that I train wherever I go,” Patterson said. “I even train running the naked mile!” The team has also provided a social outlet for students. “It’s a good way to get out and meet new people on a more personal level,” Cure said.   “For away games," Patterson adds, "we get to go to new places and meet new people.” The Harlaxton volleyball team hasn’t had a win yet, but that is not discouraging them. “We’re all getting better. We know our specialties,” Patterson said. He adds that it is important to remember, “We’ve played together for three weeks. The teams we’re playing have played together for years.” “Our biggest problem is communication.” Patterson said. The best way to fix that is through practice. “We love having new people come out and practice with us.” Other Harlaxton students are always invited to join the team during their practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Like the Harlaxton basketball team, the volleyball team plays Lincolnshire league teams, which typically are made up of people from any organization in the Lincolnshire area, such as a school, church or community group. “We played the Air Force team and we scored points," Johnson said. "We were pretty excited.” At the end of the semester the volleyball team will be playing a league team of prison inmates. Johnson said she is slightly hesitant about that but adds, “I’ll be able to say I played volleyball in a prison!”