Sports and Recreation

Miami's commitment to fitness, sports, and lifestyle management includes our state-of-the-art Recreational Sports Center. It houses a 50-meter pool, a separate diving well and leisure pool, a 12-person whirlpool, an outdoor sun-deck patio, four multi-use gymnasium courts, a two-level weight training area, a 40-foot climbing wall, the Outdoor Pursuit Center, exercise performance rooms and racquetball courts, a four-lane suspended jogging track, a health bar/deli, and social gathering areas. Also, the tennis courts, ice arena, gyms, and playing fields all have extensive open recreation hours. All you have to do is check the schedule. You'll get more information on how to do that when you come to school in the fall.

Our colors are red and white, and our mascot is the RedHawk. When Miami was founded in 1809, the university was named after the Miami Indian Tribe who once inhabited this region. We maintain close ties with the Miami Tribe, now based in Oklahoma, who help us maintain authentic tribal rituals and costumes for athletic events.

The thing to do is contact the coach of your sport so he or she has a chance to see you play. All high school athletes currently in their senior year may be evaluated and/or contacted by a coach. You can also supply video. The coaches are always looking for good athletes, and most teams offer tryout opportunities. Not everyone plays on an athletic grant-in-aid, either. We have many athletes in our programs who are not on athletic grants.

To find contact information for a coach of any of our intercollegiate sports teams, consult the staff directory.

Absolutely. Intramural sports are extremely popular here. As an individual, or with a group of students, you can get together to make a team in anything from softball to sand volleyball. Anybody can play on an intramural team all you have to do is sign up at the right time. It's a great way to meet people. Men's, women's, and co-rec teams are offered.

Besides intramural sports, there are many other chances to work out and have fun. Participation in club sports is just one example. These are student-organized and student-run groups, many of which compete extensively against other colleges and universities. More than 50 different club sports exist, including cycling, equestrian, fencing, ice skating, Quidditch, roller hockey, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, and water polo.

An extensive informal sports program is also available, with many opportunities to participate in self-directed recreational activities. Gymnasiums, fitness/weight rooms, racquetball/handball courts, an indoor track, aerobics rooms, swimming pools, and numerous other outdoor facilities are available for you to get in shape or just to be active.

Programs at Miami's Outdoor Pursuit Center offer a variety of ways to explore the great outdoors. You can rent camping equipment tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, skis, canoes, and more. In addition, trips and workshops are offered each semester for kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, rafting, backpacking, spelunking, and camping in exciting areas such as the New River Gorge in West Virginia, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in North Carolina, and other parks, forests, and rivers across the world.

The center also offers programs such as outdoor orientation trips for first-year students, group and leadership development programs, credit workshops, and employment for students interested in outdoor recreation. An exciting indoor climbing wall and low ropes challenge course add to the outdoor skill opportunities available for group or individual use.

Tryouts for both the co-ed varsity squad and the all-girls squad are held in the spring. The co-ed squad cheers at men's home basketball games and at all home and away football games. The all-girls squad cheers at women's home basketball games and with the co-ed squad at home football games. Current Miami students must maintain a 2.0 g.p.a. to cheer.