STORY BY MATTHEW LOWE
Students looking for a healthy and physical way to reduce stress, look no further. The Smash Stress program at the Athletics Centre aims to get the endorphins pumping and let your stress and anxiety slip away.
“Smash Stress is an opportunity for students to get out, enjoy themselves, not worry about school and be attached to something outside the classroom,” said Tom Hipsz, recreation and fitness coordinator for Sheridan’s Trafalgar Campus.
“We find that whenever they get involved with something outside of the classroom, the retention and graduation rates go way up. You’re more likely to stay in school and more likely to graduate.”
Smash Stress president James Babarinde said the new program grew out of an amalgamation of the badminton and table tennis clubs.
“People that play badminton now play table tennis and vice versa.”
Babarinde and Tae Hwang, a counselling adviser who used to run the badminton club, merged the two groups and came up with the name Smash Stress.
“When we joined the clubs, I became the president of it and he became my faculty advisor,” said Babarinde.
The program also has a tournament component and participants can expect friendly competition.
“We find that whenever they get involved with something outside of the classroom, the retention and graduation rates go way up. You’re more likely to stay in school and more likely to graduate.”
Babarinde said the summer event was called The International Cup. He and Hwang co-hosted the tournament with the International Centre.
Sometime either this semester or next semester, Babarinde wants to get a table tennis tournament going in the Marquee.
Both Babarinde and Hipsz hope participation will grow and more international students will get involved.
“It would be good if this initiative could be added onto the some of the other ones that they (the counselling division) are working on. That helps international and domestic students learn about each other and interact. A lot of the times they can be in silos,” said Hipsz.
Hwang said that playing badminton releases endorphins, natural stimulants that make you feel better and more energetic.
He is looking forward to the future of Smash Stress and hopes to incorporate more sports into the program, such as basketball and tennis.
Smash Stress is held in the Athletics Centre, Thursdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. For additional information, contact Hwang at 416-456-9146 or by email.