Off the hill: Common courts

The best way to bridge together Lehigh and the South Side community, all while providing connection and opportunity, may be an otherwise empty field.

One of the greatest and most ancient forms of human connection has been athletics. Whether that was the ancient Olympics, uniting disparate city states across the Aegean region, or physical trials to keep the Yupik tribe fit during the Alaskan winter, communities have always found ways to engage in competitive physical recreation.

Sports have a long history of connection and community with a low bar to entry. While academia requires long hours, status and networking to be successful, the soccer field only requires a pair of cleats or sneakers. 

Athletics are accessible to both students and locals who may not have the time or money to commit to a more demanding group activity. Sports encourage cooperation and communication both on the field, between players, and off the field, at team meetings and events. 

In addition to teamwork, sports encourage peer mentorship. Students and locals come from an astounding diversity of backgrounds where everyone can learn from one another. 

Alongside many colleges, Lehigh’s student body can have conflicts with the local community over noise, housing or perceived differences over culture or background. 

Inviting the local community to take part in a shared ritual of sports physically on Lehigh’s campus allows for new, positive experiences to override negative feelings that may be attached to the campus community. 

Community sporting events provide a prime opportunity for Lehigh to expand on its core principles of equity and inclusion. Once your gear is on or your racket is in hand, it doesn’t matter what your last name is or what zip code you’re from. All that matters is how well you can work with those around you.

Not only does this break down economic and cultural barriers that separate students from locals, but it also can help fight gender barriers.

Throughout history, women have been deterred from athletics, and a collaborative program between Lehigh and the South Side would offer opportunity for local women to gain exposure to sports and their community. 

Offering a weekly youth girl’s night, coached by student volunteers would give girls a safe space to be mentored, express themselves and discover an activity that could lead to a lifetime passion.

Beyond women’s sports, the sky is the limit for athletic collaborations.

An easy start could be opening Pace the Prez to the local community. This would give residents an opportunity to connect with President Joseph Helble and introduce them to students in an unbounded environment. 

Beyond running, pickleball is a low-intensity and low-cost sport that can be taught at monthly, biweekly or weekly pickleball clinics to students and locals at Goodman Campus or in Grace Hall. 

Intramural leagues offer the potential for community collaboration with the variety, flexibility and casualness of the sports they offer. They stand as an opportunity for local and student teams, or combined teams, to face-off in a friendly competition.

The small team size and relaxed nature of intramurals make them an option for everyone, from young children to adults. A youth intramural league can be organized around age groups, with younger and older children on teams coached by community members or Lehigh students with experience in the sport.

This coaching system could also extend to an after-school program to increase student engagement with children at local elementary and middle schools while simultaneously encouraging time spent outside, physical activity and reduced childcare costs for parents.

Being a member of a team builds life skills like accountability, communication and discipline, all of which are fundamental. 

We need action behind the conversations of equity and connection in the Lehigh community. A borrowed pair of cleats and an intramural league have the power to foster this unity.