Welcome to the UBC Thunderbirds family! UBC Athletics & Recreation is an exciting part of your university experience – we offer exceptional opportunities that help you be your best while at university, build friendships and feel connected to the UBC community.
Beginning Your Athletics & Recreation Experience
Reach your full potential at school
A little physical activity can go a long way at school! From reduced stress and anxiety, to better cognitive performance and increased productivity, as well as improved mood, UBC Recreation aims to help you reach be your best while on campus.
Make friendships and build a community
Students who participate in recreation programs at UBC are more likely to report that they have supportive friendships and a sense of belonging at UBC. Taking a break from studying to enjoy some fresh air or physical activity with friends or classmates can make a world of a difference for your student experience.
Challenge yourself and try something new
Picking up a new hobby or activity can be intimidating or daunting, but there are plenty of affordable and fun opportunities to learn new sports or activities at UBC.
Fitness Centre Memberships:
One affordable membership gives you unlimited access to two fitness centres on campus. Round out your weekly workouts by adding on memberships for Yoga & Pilates and Spin & Group Fitness classes to help you fit activity into your day.
Free Drop-In Sports at the SRC:
The SRC offers a variety of drop-in sports (from badminton, to futsal, to table tennis) that UBC Students can attend for free with a valid UBC card.
Aqua Fitness Classes:
Increase your physical activity, flexibility, and have fun in a low-impact setting. Drop-In Aqua Fitness classes are free to attend with a valid Student ID card, plus you can relax afterwards in the hot tub, steam room, or sauna – does it get much better than that?
Intramural Leagues & Events:
UBC Recreation hosts numerous iconic events throughout the school year at varying levels of competition and it offers 10 different league sports throughout the school year in addition to a summer soccer league. While league sports and iconic events like Day of the LongBoat are on hiatus this fall, there's a new mix of online and in-person programs to choose from. These activities are designed to keep you connected to the UBC community whether you're in another country or nearby.
UBC Thunderbirds Sport Clubs:
UBC TSC is a competitive sport option on campus that is for students, by students. This program offers opportunities for highly competitive students to officially represent the university in sports at the non-varsity level, to build community, and to gain leadership and sport management skills. If you trained in one of the available sports in high school, or are looking to diversify your athletic skillset this may be the community for you.
Learn to Play Tennis:
Learn to play tennis with Adult 1.0 Clinics! These programs focus on the fundamentals and basics of tennis and include 4 or 5 weeks of coaching. From there you can progress to further levels of singles clinics or drills, or take an Intro to Doubles clinic! UBC Students get a discount on all programs, and you can also practice your skills with court booking discounts!
Learn to Swim:
Did you know that UBC Recreation offers a variety of swim lessons designed for students? For beginners, you can learn the life skill of swimming for just $3 per lesson for 8 sessions, the swim instructors will show you the basics of moving through the water!
Learn to Skate:
Want to learn Canada’s sport? Start with skating basics at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Our friendly and knowledgeable instructors will teach you skating and stopping basics so you can hop on the ice with your friends!
Please note all of these discounts are available to UBC Students when they have paid their A&R Fee with their student fees, and when they present a valid Student ID card.
Facility Membership & Drop-In Fees:
- Free drop-in swimming at the UBC Aquatic Centre during public swim times
- Includes free access to Drop-In Aqua Fitness Classes
- Discounts on Specialty Drop-In Aqua Fitness Classes
- $3 Student Swim Lessons for Beginners
- Discounts on Adult Lessons
- Discounts on Advanced Programs, Certifications, and other Adult Aquatics Programs
- Free drop-in public skating at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre - limited for Fall 2020 due to COVID-19
- Discounts on other drop-in offerings like figure skating, stick & puck, or hockey
- Discounts on skate rentals
- Discounts on Learn to Skate & Hockey Programs
- Discounted $35 fitness centre memberships at the BirdCoop & ARC
- Discounts on fitness classes, boot camps, dance classes, martial arts classes, as well as yoga and Pilates classes
- Discounts on personal training packages
- Free drop-in sports at the Student Recreation Centre and ARC
- Discounts on adult programs at the UBC Tennis Centre
- Student Drills Sessions are a dedicated program just for UBC Students to take their tennis game to the next level during the lunch hour
- Discounted Court Bookings
Learn More
Join us for Athletics & Recreation’s First Week! Curious about getting involved? Looking for more information on our programs? Attend a virtual Ask Me Anything (AMA) event and learn more about Athletics & Recreation.
Free Week | Sep 14-20
UBC Recreation’s Free Week gives you the opportunity to try different fitness classes and activities from Sep 14-20. You won’t want to miss out! No experience is required for any of the classes and all abilities are welcome!
Explore Athletics & Recreation | Sep 15
Interested in getting moving on campus? Want to know what resources and programs are available to you? Learn more about UBC Athletics & Recreation. Each session will begin with an introduction to the program area, followed by an opportunity for Q&A, concluding with an opportunity to connect with others interested in the same programs!
- 11:30am | Intramural leagues & events
- 11:30| Fitness & Classes
- 4:30pm | Aquatics
- 7:30pm | Thunderbirds Sport Clubs
Explore Athletics & Recreation | Sep 16
Interested in getting moving on campus? Want to know what resources and programs are available to you? Learn more about UBC Athletics & Recreation. Each session will begin with an introduction to the program area, followed by an opportunity for Q&A, concluding with an opportunity to connect with others interested in the same programs!
- 11:30am | Ice hockey & skating
- 4:30pm | Thunderbirds Sport Clubs
- 7:30pm | Intramural leagues & events
Explore Athletics & Recreation | Sep 17
Interested in getting moving on campus? Want to know what resources and programs are available to you? Learn more about UBC Athletics & Recreation. Each session will begin with an introduction to the program area, followed by an opportunity for Q&A, concluding with an opportunity to connect with others interested in the same programs!
- 11:30am | Tennis
- 4:30pm | Tennis
- 7:30pm | Aquatics
Free Programs & Activities
Whether you’re on campus or at home this year, you’ll find a variety of programs and activities that are exclusive to you as a First Year student! From free online fitness classes, T-Birds Game Nights, an immersive virtual escape room experience during Jump Start, and many opportunities to win amazing prizes, get involved with UBC Athletics & Recreation for an awesome First Year Experience!
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Discover UBC
Calling all first year students! Join us for Discover UBC, a celebration of movement, connection and wellbeing. Explore all the opportunities to get moving and to learn more about the wellness resources you have access to on campus!
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T-Birds Game Night
The Thunderbirds Game Night is a kick off to your Friday evening virtual activities. Enjoy virtual games and competitive matchups with various varsity athletes and other first-year students. Each T-Birds Game Night will be themed and provide you with opportunities to win some amazing prizes.
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Yoga
Open to all levels! Time to get bendy and relieve stress. In this yoga class, postures are practiced to align, strengthen and promote flexibility in the body. Breathing techniques and meditation are also integrated. You can expect an emphasis on simplicity, repetition and ease of movement. *Session will be delivered virtually for a duration of 45 mins
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Lunch & Lift
This 1-hour interactive workshop over Zoom will consist of a 30-minute movement class, followed by a 30-minute wellbeing session on a variety of topics. Topics will range from nutrition to mental health to sleep! No fitness experience is required to attend. This session will be applicable for all levels of ability/knowledge.
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Virtual Tennis Beginner Workshop
Looking to try a new sport? Want to brush up on some rusty skills? Join us for this beginner tennis workshop! We will go through the basic techniques you can use to improve your skills. This session will be over Zoom so you'll be able to join us from anywhere in the world. No experience is needed.
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Virtual Beginner Tennis Workshop
Looking to try a new sport? Want to brush up on some rusty skills? Join us for this beginner tennis workshop! We will go through the basic techniques you can use to improve your skills. This session will be over Zoom so you'll be able to join us from anywhere in the world. No experience is needed.
Resources to Get You Moving
Get Active at Home
Joining us virtually? Check out our Active at Home resource page on ways to get moving from anywhere.
Movement Breaks
Small changes can add up to big impacts – moving more can contribute to your wellbeing in meaningful ways. Follow along as the Move U Crew leads you through a quick, low-barrier movement break that can be incorporated into your next class, meeting, or event!
Move UBC
Move UBC is a university-wide annual initiative to increase physical activity and reduce the time students, staff, faculty and the UBC community spend sitting. Small changes can add up to big impacts—moving more and sitting less can improve both mental and physical health, impact academic and professional success, and contribute to wellbeing in meaningful ways.