As the summer heat simmers in, the sound of gloves striking punching bags and the release of tension on the reformers picks up as Rec Sports revs up for the summer. This summer, Fitness & Wellness is offering Boxing Bootcamp and Pilates Reformer classes, available in both single-class signups and packages. Designed for all experience levels, the classes combine guided instruction with high-energy workouts that help participants build skills and confidence over time.

“They meet twice per week for four weeks in the summer,” Fitness & Wellness Director Anna Taggart said. “We also have two drop-in specialty classes offered this summer. These give students an opportunity to still try the specialty classes if they cannot commit to a four-week class due to availability or space.”

Fitness & Wellness also offers drop-in options for both Pilates Reformer and Boxing Bootcamp, perfect for those who don’t want to commit to multiple weeks. Compared to the package classes, the boxing drop-ins emphasize individual boxing skills rather than long-term progression and conditioning. The format allows participants to try the class without committing to a full package. 

“There may not be as much of that community aspect, in the sense that you don’t see the same people week to week,” Rhinesmith-Carranza said. “But it will still be super high energy, very supportive, ‘everybody is in this together’ type of feeling.”

Whether it’s Boxing Bootcamp or Pilates Reformer, drop-in classes or the full package, the philosophy remains the same: everyone is there to get better. 

“It’s a privilege that we get to move our bodies in the ways that we can,” Rhinesmith-Carranza said. “What I want people to take away is that moving your body can be fun. It can be something you look forward to. It doesn’t have to be a chore, like you can leave a really intensive workout feeling good and excited for the next one, and still having worked really hard.”

If you want to redline your heartrate in the gym or grind your core on the reformer machine, Rec Sports has options for you! To sign up for either specialty classes visit Fitness & Wellness and get started!

 

School is out, and summer has officially arrived. For many, summer is a chance to relax. For some, it is a chance to discover new interests, climb new heights and have fun. This summer, Youth Programs and Outdoor Adventures have teamed up to bring campers a unique summer experience — Summit Seekers Specialty Climbing Camp.

“Rec Sports just opened up our newly renovated indoor climbing facility,” said Sarah Beth Heiar, director of Youth Programs. “We knew we wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, so Youth Programs jumped at the chance to collaborate with our Outdoor Adventures team. We’re excited to get kids some in-depth experience on the brand new climbing wall. We can’t wait for the launch of our first ever specialty camp!”

Summit Seekers Specialty Climbing Camp is a half-day camp designed for climbers ages 10 to 15, running from June 8–12. Throughout the week, campers will build confidence on the wall while learning essential climbing techniques, knot-tying skills and climbing grades of the wall. Beyond climbing, campers will enjoy climbing-themed games and activities, make s’mores and connect with other campers. The camp closes with a climbing showcase inviting parents to see their kid’s work.

“The parents get to view what the kids have been up to, what they’ve been working so hard, and they get to show and share that experience with their parents, and I think it’s a really cool experience to be able to bond over with their kids,” Youth Programs Supervisor Michael Wilkes said.

Whether you’re an experienced climber or stepping onto the wall for the first time, Summit Seekers welcomes all skill levels. For campers eager to learn new skills and experience Rec Sports’ newly renovated climbing wall, this camp offers the perfect opportunity.

“I think a big fear that I always notice, with anybody no matter the age range, is fear of heights,” said Abigail Smith, indoor climbing facilities supervisor. “A lot of times kids will get a few feet up the wall and then they freak out and get really scared and they don’t want to go any higher. But I’ve kind of learned how to work around that because I’ve experienced dealing with that a lot.”

While campers prepare for a week of climbing and adventure, staff members leading the camp said they are looking forward to hosting the first ever Summit Seekers.

 

“I’m really excited just to see the kids climb,” Smith said. “It’s becoming a lot more popular now to have kids climbing. I got introduced to it when I was a junior in high school … and I wish I had gotten into it younger. So, I’m really excited to see them get excited and see if they like it.”

For many incoming Texas A&M students, Fish Camp is a familiar part of the transition into college life. But for students seeking a smaller, more adventurous orientation experience through the backcountry of Arkansas and New Mexico, Outdoor Adventures offers an alternative: Venture Camp.

This summer, get ready to kick off on your path to becoming an Aggie through hiking, backpacking and paddling through both nature and traditions.

“[Venture Camp] is a good place to meet a cohort of people and connect with older students, who are the peer mentors,” Trip Supervisor Grace Herstad ’27 said. “Then get to enjoy the outdoors and learn a bit about A&M, get some advice about what’s next and understand traditions.”

Venture Camp has three sessions spread out over the summer and includes two formats — Path Finder and Inspire — allowing students to choose their own adventure. The third session held from Aug. 3-7., is reserved for students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Path Finder is a nine-day backpacking trip through New Mexico’s Gila National Forest from June 18-26. Students hike more than 20 miles of scenic views through deep volcanic canyons, the Mogollon Mountains, rivers and creeks while learning about life and traditions at Texas A&M and building relationships with fellow incoming students.

Inspire, held July 13-17 in Arkansas, offers a shorter and more introductory outdoor experience. With the nightly comfort of a cabin and outdoor activities ranging from hiking in Jasper and rock climbing to paddling down the Buffalo River, Inspire creates space for students to experience and reflect on the Aggie spirit.

“[Inspire] is a little more introductory because we’re staying in a lodge,” Herstad said. “It is a bit more front country. It’s great if you’ve never camped before. [Path Finder] is a bit more remote and rugged. So that’s going to be you carrying stuff on your back, a little more back country.”

All camping gear is provided by Outdoor Adventures, meaning students only need to register, pack a few essentials and get ready to end their summer with an adventure.

“We have a very unique opportunity to build relationships with these incoming students because we are in nature,” said Savay Sexton ’27, peer mentor with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “It is a quieter environment. We’re there to have fun, but also to get to know one another in a very real environment where you can see who people truly are.”

 

Venture Camp fills up fast, so incoming Aggies grab your hiking shoes, mark your calendars and get ready to trade the usual orientation for an outdoor adventure. Incoming students interested in participating can visit the Venture Camp website for registration details and additional information.

Over 100 students walk into the weight room at the Student Rec Center on any given day. Some swipe in and focus on their workouts, while others stop to ask attendants for guidance. Regardless, the weight room serves as both a fitness space and a social hub — at least through the eyes of Jayden Wilson ’27, a manager for Strength & Conditioning.

“My freshman year, I would come here to work out a lot, and I saw the attendants walking around, having fun, making good jokes, making friends,” Wilson said. “I want to be part of that, especially because before this job, I hardly had any friends, and I wanted to make that better for myself; so, I applied for the Rec attendant position my freshman year, and I got it.”

From his freshman year, it has been an upward climb — from weight room attendant to head attendant to manager. Wilson, a public health major from Bastrop County, plans to attend medical school. But behind those aspirations lies a quieter, more sublime desire: translating what he learned at the Rec into his professional life. Wilson conducts interviews, trainings and onboardings across all levels of Strength & Conditioning.

“Conducting all of those interviews, going through all those interview answers and questions, having those conversations with the interviewees, it’s going to help me a lot in the future when I’m fully practicing as a physician and I have to take to mentor and take care of everyone that’s under me,” Wilson said.

As a Strength & Conditioning manager Wilson is responsible for overseeing 150 staff members, conducting interviews, scheduling shifts and assisting in evaluations for future promotions. He is one of the managers within a group of three and to Wilson it is important to have consistency and open communication with his team.

“He was able to be the glue between all three of them,” said DJ Scott, assistant director of Strength & Conditioning. “His temperament is one of ease. He doesn’t really get too high or too low about most things. Jayden looks to them, doesn’t try to overstep them [but] actually goes to them to ask for help with things he doesn’t fully understand.”

Scott said Wilson had a good voice which helped him take on the role of not only manager but a role of mentor to the lower level staff.

“I would say one of my expectations was we needed people to really be a voice for the lower levels, while also balancing being a good mentor for them,” Scott said. “[Wilson] was able to really step into that position and talk to all of his peers, figure out what they needed, but also lay the law of this is what we need from you in return.”

Wilson took his work seriously, putting in the hours and going the extra mile to learn about his staff so he could provide accurate evaluations, all while helping those around him learn the trade.

“I am always on top of answering messages from the leadership team,” Wilson said. “I’m always contributing ideas. I’m always on top of my work and making sure that it gets done, not only in a timely manner, but in an efficient manner too. It’s one thing to get done on time, but if you’re not getting quality work, it’s just not going to work.”

Staff evaluations aren’t decided by a single opinion; they draw on input from peers, supervisors and management. Wilson leaned into that, coming in at different hours to truly understand the faces behind each shift. By the time promotions or disciplinary decisions came around, he was able to offer clarity and details that might have otherwise slipped through the cracks.

“For Jayden, he was understanding where people were, he was understanding the amount of hours they were doing and he was working with his team to get that data compiled,” Scott said. “From there, Jayden would sit down with us and talk about each person, the people we weren’t able to catch and tell us way more detail that you often would not be able to give people who took it as, ‘I can do the bare minimum.’”

Beyond the evaluations, teamwork and managerial skills, Wilson looks forward to the connections he has built.

“We get about roughly 1 million to 1.5 million patrons coming into the weight room each year,” Wilson said. “Walking the floors a lot through my four years here, and having those conversations and relationships with a lot of the patrons, not only the staff members, but the people that come in to work out every day has been meaningful for me.”

Sometimes those connections become moments of guidance. Wilson’s role as a mentor extends not only to the staff he supervises but also to the patrons.

“I was helping a patron learn how to do a pull up and being able to coach them through those things slowly with an open mindset and open communication,” Wilson said. “I feel like I was able to take a lot away from that, and it’s nice to be able to come into the weight room every day and be able to just be there for that person that might need help.”

Wilson helped someone during a seizure as his team and staff worked calmly and collectively to handle the emergency. The teamwork, the trust within his team and the connections he has made have supported him through emergencies, everyday life and his future career.

“I’ve always looked at this job as a paid social [organization],” Wilson said. “One of the things I’ll be most grateful for is the relationships and all the lifelong friends that I’ve made from this job. A lot of these people that I’ve worked with over the years have encouraged me to be a better person every day, and that’s something I’m going to be super grateful for moving forward.”

 

On a campus best known for football Saturdays and traditions rooted firmly on dry land, few students realize just how many Aggies spend their afternoons on the water. From sailing and rowing to wakeboarding and water polo, Texas A&M is home to eight different student-led water sport clubs — each with its own community, competition circuit and culture.

Together, they showcase a side of Aggie life that most never see: early-morning practices on Lake Bryan, boats gliding across still water, and team bonds formed through shared grit and unpredictable weather.

“People don’t come to A&M and think water sports,” Texas A&M Crew head coach Sarah McQuaid ’25 said. “Everyone is always shocked when we have a rowing team.”

Texas A&M’s eight water-focused sport clubs include crew, water ski, sailing, wakeboarding, swimming, triathlon and men’s and women’s water polo.

Some compete nationally or travel across the country. Others train year-round, holding early morning practices, weekend regattas and open-water swims. All are entirely student-led, driven by officers who manage budgets, equipment, safety training and recruitment.

The sheer variety means there’s room for every type of athlete — adrenaline seekers, endurance racers, technical tacticians and anyone curious enough to try something new.

For crew, teamwork is literal, with eight rowers and a coxswain working in perfect sync on the water.

“Crew is considered the ultimate team sport,” McQuaid said. “Everything that you do affects everyone else in the boat. You really have to be one unit.”

That level of synchronization sets rowing apart from sports like wakeboarding or triathlon, where athletes compete individually. Triathlon athletes juggle three disciplines and compete solo, often racing in regional and national championships. Swimming balances individual events with strong team scoring. Water ski competitors alternate between trick, slalom and jump, and while they cheer each other on, each skier usually rides alone.

But regardless of the format, all water sports share one thing: a deep respect for the environment that shapes them.

“Something that is similar in all water sports is that there’s a level of danger and risk that you have to be mindful of,” McQuaid said. “We all have strict safety procedures we follow, and we all help each other out. One of our safety procedures on crew is making sure that we have a motorized launch boat out, and sailing does something similar, so they often use our launch.”

For crew, this year has been one of rapid growth. During recruitment, the team welcomed over 70 new athletes, but keeping everyone engaged is no small feat.

“It’s just trying to give equal attention to all members,” McQuaid said. “Whether they’ve been here a year or they’re brand new.”

Their commitment is paying off. This fall, both varsity squads improved 10 places at Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga, Tennessee — one of the largest regattas in the country. At Head of the Brazos and the Waco Head-to-Head weekend, the team earned six first-place finishes, eight second-place finishes, four third-place finishes and 19 medals overall.

Crew’s biggest neighbor on Lake Bryan is sailing. Crew, without straight waterways nearby, practices in figure-eights on the lake, with sailing using the middle space.

The sailing team competes in the Intercollegiate Sailing Association and races throughout the region. Known for strong fundamentals and a close-knit community, the club fields co-ed teams and continues to grow as more students discover that you don’t need an ocean to sail.

Wakeboarding shares the lake occasionally, though they usually practice elsewhere.

“They create their own conditions,” McQuaid said. “They do leave wake on the lake, and that is something that is something that is hard for us to row through. So usually, if there’s any type of wake boat, we kind of stay on one side of the lake and let them have the other side.”

Wakeboarding’s competitive team travels to collegiate national championships, often placing in the top ranks as individuals master spins, inverts, and rail tricks.

Texas A&M Water Ski is one of the most competitive water sports on campus. This year alone, the team placed 10th in the nation at Collegiate Nationals, finished top three in all five other tournaments in 2025, and won first place in the College Station Christmas Parade for decorating their team boat.

“We had four out of five of our [women’s] jump team hit personal bests,” club president Jacob Fisk said. “And we got to travel to California. Doing that with 17 of my best friends created memories I’ll never forget.”

But not all water sports use boats. Triathlon and club swimming round out the endurance side of the lineup.

Triathlon athletes train across swimming, cycling and running, often competing in USA Triathlon events and collegiate nationals. The club emphasizes accessibility, with beginners and seasoned racers training side by side, and athletes compete in sprint, Olympic and sometimes half-Iron distances.

Club swimming balances technique with intensity. The club offers lanes for all skill levels and regularly competes against powerhouse club teams at regional and national meets.

Both sports often team up with Rec Sports’ Aquatics program to offer a predictable training environment, something unique among water clubs. No wind shifts, no wakes, no capsizing. Just the water and the work.

Rounding out the list are men’s and women’s water polo, two of the most fast-paced, high-contact teams in Rec Sports. The clubs compete in the Texas division conference tournaments in hopes of qualifying for the Collegiate Water Polo Association national championships. The men’s team competed in the fall and placed third, while the women’s team is gearing up for a spring competition season.

Among all water clubs, water polo most closely resembles a traditional team sport — with the added challenge of treading water for the entire game.

Despite different equipment, styles and competition circuits, the eight water clubs share beginner-friendly cultures, student leadership, an emphasis on water safety, strong communities, and a dedication to athletic excellence.

“It wasn’t the skiing that kept me involved,” Fisk said. “It was the genuine relationships I formed with everyone on the team that kept me here. I’ve not only grown as a skier but as a person. I’ve been challenged in ways I wouldn’t have experienced anywhere else. I credit a lot of my successes in life to the ski team and the people I’ve met.”

To learn more about water clubs or any of the 40 sport clubs on the roster, visit the Sport Clubs website and follow them on Instagram for the updates on recruitment and competitions.

 

Water clubs are not the only sport club making waves this year, fencing, men’s soccer, gymnastics and water polo competed in several competitions as well. To learn more about these sport clubs and their achievements, check out our blog and read about the Gymnastics Club and the Water Polo Club’s accomplishments.