Bridging gaps and reinventing recreation, Matt Ryan and CMS are offering an alternative to varsity athletics

SENA SELBY

Matt Ryan, who is the assistant director of recreation at ClaremontMudd-Scripps (CMS) athletics, recently sat down with TSL and explained his reasons for working with intramural sports at CMS and club sports at the 5Cs, highlighting the benefits they bring to students here in Claremont. This will be his seventh calendar year at CMS. This conversation has been lightly condensed and edited for clarity.

TSL: What is your role at CMS Athletics?

Matt Ryan: I oversee the intramural program, and I co-lead the 5C club sports program with the recreation professional over at Pomona-Pitzer. But I also have many different tasks within my job … I assist in group fitness [at Roberts Pavilion], and the front desk staff and I work with the recreation team at CMS in coming up with other programming like the 5C5K, for example. I also do work on the athletics side, too. I oversee the administrative portion for athletic camps, and I help out with special events — like most recently, the volleyball regionals and things of that nature.

TSL: What made you want to work at this position or in this field post-grad?

MR: When I was in college, I worked in the intramural department. I was a flag football, basketball and softball referee. I had a lot of fun with it, and I realized I really wanted to work in athletics. That year was one of my favorite years of my life. I got to connect with students and watch them have fun. I think varsity athletics is a great thing, but it’s more of the business model. It’s obviously there to put forth joy in a student athlete’s life and all those things, but winning is cared about. In intramural sports, people might care about winning, but at the end of the day, it’s mostly about socializing and taking that mental break from your studies … So that was what I think really sold me on this job.

TSL: Why do you think club and intramural sports are really important for a college campus?

MR: Mostly, I think the most important part is what it does for your mental wellness. When you’re stressed and have a ton of homework, students think they can’t take an hour break or whatever. But honestly, [it] allows you to have that release for a little while to take your mind off things.

I also think intramurals bring people together that wouldn’t have already been associated with each other. For me personally, I have a friend that I invited to my intramural team in college. He was a free agent when he was a freshman, and 13 years later, we’re still friends. We would have never met if it wasn’t for him wanting to play intramural frisbee and not having a team to play on. As for my staff, a lot of them are Scripps [College] students [and] there are a couple Harvey Mudd [College] students, they say, “I wouldn’t have ever spent this much time with people at [Claremont McKenna College] if it wasn’t for me working this job.” Watching friendships being made through my staff is cool. I hope that rings true for participants who are playing intramural sports. points scored in the first half.

TSL: What are you most excited about this semester?

MR: I’m always excited about intramural basketball season because it’s really a time where I get to watch my staff grow on a personal level. Reffing basketball is hard. Basketball, by nature, is a sport where at almost all levels, coaches, players and fans are arguing. It’s a hard game to officiate because my staff doesn’t want to be potentially yelled at by their peers. I like it because I get to watch them get outside their comfort zone and get better. I can see my staff becoming confident in themselves and knowing how to manage the game.

TSL: Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about you, intramurals, club sports or about Roberts Pavilion?

MR: That’s a great question.

I would say if you have not [before], come and check out our programming … We’ve got lots of different things. We have trivia night every Thursday. We have this “Fabulous February” bingo challenge coming up. We are also going to lead people on some hikes through the Claremont loop. We have yoga, spin and lots of dance classes. I truly do believe that there’s something for everyone.

The other thing I would say is that we don’t have everything figured out. If you have ideas or want to see programming that we don’t offer, we’re always open to suggestions. All club sports are formed through students initiating [them]. Students come to us and they’re like, “Hey, I’m interested in starting XYZ club. How do I do that?” And then we provide them with the resources they need, and they go forward and formulate the club. So, if you’re interested in anything, whether it’s [recreational] programming or club sports, and we don’t have it, come talk to us about it.

Bergman started the scoring for P-P in the second, knocking down a 3-pointer in the first minute of play. Shots from beyond the arc would continue to be the Sagehens’ friend in the second half, shooting 8-16 from three.

The Hens nearly matched their first-half-point total in the second, scoring 57 points to put a cap on a 45-point blowout.

This game finished a month of January in which the Sagehens went 5-1, with decisive wins over multiple SCIAC opponents. Since their loss to University of Puget Sound in November, the Hens are 11-1 and 7-1 against SCIAC teams.

Avdalovic said their success in this stretch is no coincidence.

“We played in the beginning of the year like we deserved something because of our record last year,” Avalovic said. “But that’s just not how it works. You have to earn everything each year.”

The team is looking to win the SCIAC for its fourth straight season, a feat only accomplished in the SCIAC by UCLA from 19201923 and P-P from 1997-2000. With this win, the Hens overtook Redlands and took sole control of first place in the SCIAC standings. However, according to Avdalovic, even with this success, the Sagehens refuse to remain complacent.

“[We] gotta focus on the task at hand,” Avdalovic said.

Jack Paradis PZ ’26 said he doesn’t want his teams’ success to give them a big head.

“It’s a long season…We gotta get back, stay humble, [and] get back to practice,” Paradis said.

The Hens will continue their final month of regular season play with a rematch against Redlands University this Saturday at 7 p.m. at home.

Athletes of the Week Tag Curwen PO ’24 Mercersburg, PA

Tag Curwen PO ’24 was named the SCIAC Men’s Swim and Dive Athlete of the Week on Jan. 30. Curwen earned this honor following his two victories in a meet against Caltech, winning both the 100 freestyle and placing first in the 400 Free Relay. Not only did Curwen take the gold for two races, his strong performance in the 200 and 500 Free earned him second place, only falling short to fellow Sagehen Larry Yu. The Sagehens are currently second in the SCIAC overall, with a record of 6-1, just below the undefeated Stags. The 6th Street rivalry will battle it out this Saturday at the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Invitational.

Jacey Carter CMC ’23 Phoenix, AZ

Jacey Carter CMC ’23 earned the title of SCIAC Women’s Basketball Offensive Player of the Week on Saturday, Jan. 28. The senior guard had a stellar performance the previous Wednesday, shooting a total of six 3-pointers, two of which were in the last two minutes of regulation time, which helped tie the game and force it into overtime. Carter ended the game with a new personal high record of 20 points. However, this success is not new for Carter. In her junior season she started 26 out of 26 games and averaged 7.7 points per game, the third best of the Athenas. In her first year, she appeared in all 27 games and established herself as an essential player from then on. Carter and the Athenas will be on the road this weekend, facing the Whittier College Poets on Saturday at 2 p.m.