Olympic fever has swept the globe, with Simone Biles proving once again she's the GOAT, athletes adding engagement rings to the medal count and Tom Daley knitting a ridiculously cool sweater.
NBC Universal reported a daily average of 34 million people tuning into the Paris Summer Olympics Games, but only 1 in 500,000 people will participate in the games. Thechances of getting struck by lightning are 500,000 times higher than winning an Olympic Gold Medal.
Whether you prefer participating in summer sports or watching them from the comfort of your home, you can get involved this year by joining local sports teams and taking advantage of athletic facilities. Voxcompiled a list of activities perfect for trying your hand at a new pursuit or perhaps attempting your favorite Olympic sport.
Olympic sports
Rugby
Thanks in part to the star power of Ilona Mahar — she of the beast, beauty and brains — the bronze-winning U.S. women's rugby team is having a bit of a moment. You can play along with the Columbia Rugby Football Club, whichwas founded in 1980 and nurtures the sport of rugby in a social and welcoming environment. It welcomes players of all sizes, backgrounds and skill levels with membership fees starting at $50. The club, known as the Outlaws, prides itself on its rich history in Columbia and focuses on resilience, teamwork and community service. Practices are held twice every week, and Saturdays are rugby game days.
CRFC President Alex Antal’s favorite aspect about the sport is its culture. “Rugby is like no other team sport I have played," Antal says. "One tradition rugby teams have is after each game the home team hosts that visiting team for a social. This allows players from both teams to get to know each other better and build community outside of our respective teams."
Table tennis
The Columbia Table Tennis Club was founded only last year and welcomes people of all skill levels. The club emphasizes its warm and welcoming environment, dedicated to promoting community-building along with physical fitness. The club hosts sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays, and your first visit it free. After that, it's $20 a month. Sessions are hosted at the Columbia Sports Field House, which offers quality and professional-grade equipment for practice, tournaments and coaching sessions. The club encourages people from all walks of life to apply, hoping to create a diverse community centered around a common interest.
Swimming
Columbia Swim Club considers itself an amateur sports team, with members referred to as the tiger sharks. The club offers programs for young swimmers from ages 6 to 18, including beginner and advanced levels. The club offers coaching, swim meets and a fun environment for learning.
Columbia also offers public swimming pools, and they will close in September.
Gymnastics
Flipz USA Gymnasticsprovides gymnastics training in a safe and fun learning environment, preaching sportsmanship, goal-setting and perseverance. Flipz features classes for children up to 18 years of age, including gender-specific classes and cheer and tumbling classes. Instructors are highly qualified and focus on the needs of every student. The gymnastics facility also does parties and other fun events.
If you're an adult looking to tumble in the gym, it's not too late to chalk up those hands.Elevate Gymnastics and Fitnesshosts adult classes. Bonus points: Co-owner Rodney Gust previously coached2004 Olympic athletes.
Running
Girls on the Run is a nonprofit female running team for middle school girls. It meets the needs of every member by considering body, brain, heart, spirit and social connection during athletic training. The team offers trained coaches that encourage building both physical skill and life skills such as fostering friendships and understanding emotions. “I would encourage people to join a team sport because it's a great way to meet new people. There's a lot of trust and friendship that is formed when you're practicing with the same group of people every day,” former volunteer coach Anna Tuley says.The group also offers financial assistance to ensure participation for all girls.
Each season ends with a celebratory 5K run to instill confidence through accomplishment. “My favorite part of helping coach Girls on the Run (this spring) was seeing how much the girls grew as individuals throughout the season," Tuley says. "Whether they got better at running, became more confident or made more friends, it was really cool to see.”
Girls on the Run is hosting a Girls in Sports event on Sept. 15. “Our hope is to showcase lesser known sports that girls can take part in. We want girls to see these sports and want it to light a possible new passion,” Executive Director Jamie McDonald says.
Sports that are not in the Olympics but totally should be
Pickleball
The Show-Me Pickleball Club encourages health and social interaction through the sport of pickleball. It offers participation in mid-Missouri pickleball tournaments and offers four practice locations both indoors and outdoors. With an annual fee of $25 dollars, members can attend social and educational events, use Show-Me Pickleball facilities and join a community of pickleballers. Beginners can start out with bootcamps and instruction sessions while pros can jump straight into tournaments, and the club even offers a pickleball-centered women’s retreat.
“I play pickleball for socialization, competition and physical activity,"Vice President Daphney Partridge says.“Pickleball does not require a lot of special equipment, and non-athletes can quickly learn the basics to enjoy the game. It is a fantastic way to meet people and have fun while being active.”
Click here to read through Vox's guide to pickleball in Columbia.
Axe throwing
Dive into a unique sport at Como Axe Attack, an axe throwing and rage room venue. Participants can reserve a throwing lane and experiment with not only axes but also ninja stars, throwing knives and playing cards. They can also shoot at projected targets and play throwing versions of games such as Tic-Tac-Toe and Connect Four. The company offers coaches and instruction to ensure everyone’s safety and enjoyment and even a throwing league for more serious players. Additionally, Axe Attack offers locally brewed beers and other axe-citing drinks.
“I love seeing excitement on someone's face when they stick a weapon to the target for the first time; it's an adrenaline rush,” co-owner Cassie Wiemholt says. “Being a part of providing a safe and exciting venue for people to release their frustrations in a healthy way brings me immense joy.”
Jiu-jitsu
The Olympics and martial arts have a bit on an on-and-off-again relationship. Although combat sports such as judo, taekwondo and wrestling are featuring in Paris, the sport of karate was dropped from the City of Lovegames after debuting in the previous Tokyo Olympics.
Will jiu-jitsu ever become an Olympic sport? You can try it out for yourself, just in case. Jiu-jitsu is a Brazilian form of martial arts focusing on self-defense, ground-fighting and grappling. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is known as a “gentle art,” and a person who is smaller and weaker might overcome their opponent using leverage and submission.
Gracie Humaita Jiu-Jitsu offers beginner and advanced classes for both self-defense and competitions taught by world champion instructors. It takes on average around 10 years to earn a black belt in jiu-jitsu, but you can get started learning self-defense techniques today.
Baseball and softball
These two sports were also dropped from the Paris Olympics, but you can still go for a few innings in Columbia.The Power Alleyoffers indoor baseball and softball located in the Columbia Insurance Group Sports Park. The facility hosts various programs at different times throughout the year, such as an injury prevention program and hitting instruction for school students. The organization occasionally has other organized events for members, as well.
