With a new year now upon us and a new class settling into Hanover, it's time to ring in another year of Big Green sports. Last year, Dartmouth teams were very successful, with the football team finishing in tie for second in the Ivy League, the men's hockey team advancing in the ECAC playoffs and track runner Abbey D'Agostino '14 almost qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
This year, plenty of Big Green teams are poised for success on their various playing surfaces. So, you may be asking yourself, what are some things I shouldn't miss? Here's my list:
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Attend the football season opener against Butler University on Saturday. The game will be played under the lights at Memorial Field just the second night game ever in Hanover and the atmosphere should be electric. The first time the lights were on at Memorial Field, Dartmouth they suffered a heartbreaking loss to the University of Pennsylvania on a final-minute touchdown in front of a packed and rain-soaked crowd. With the forecast calling for perfect weather, look for another great crowd.
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Throw at least one tennis ball at the hockey game against Princeton University. The University of Wisconsin has "Jump Around." The Red Sox have "Sweet Caroline." We have tennis balls. Whenever Dartmouth hockey scores against Princeton, expect to see a shower of yellow fuzzy taunts hit the ice accompanied by numerous chants highlighting the goalie's inadequacies in net. You'll have to stock up and sneak the tennis balls into the rink, but once you're in, let them fly when the Big Green lights the lamp.
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Go to sporting events you otherwise would not attend. Take the extra time and go to some of the sporting events that normally do not draw the huge crowds, especially women's sporting events. The women's teams do not draw the crowds the men do, but the games are very competitive and fun to watch. Every Dartmouth crowd is a great crowd, and if there are not a ton of people there, the atmosphere is still just as good since you feel closer to the action and to the players a lot of the time.
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Go to the Homecoming game. The game starts at 5 p.m. this year, so no excuses. Expect a crowd that is second to none. Homecoming brings up a lot of alums and brings out most of the student body, so there is little room in the stands at Memorial Field. Add in the fact that the Big Green is taking on Harvard University and the game is under the lights, and there will be something special in the air at Memorial Field. If the game is close and Dartmouth is closing in on a major upset over the defending Ivy League champs, expect the raucous crowd to pick it up a notch and try to will the Big Green on to victory.
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Cheer on a friend. There will undoubtedly be athletes on your floor, regardless of where you are living this year. Take the time to go to one of their events, no matter what sport it is. Athletes get a huge boost of energy from the crowd, and seeing their friends in the stands to cheer them on makes the experience even more special.
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Go to 99-cent Ski Day and see the Dartmouth Carnival. Dartmouth's ski team is consistently one of the best in the nation and several former Big Green skiers have gone on to Olympic success. The Carnival takes place on the Skiway, and Carnival Friday is a great time to not only hit the slopes for under a dollar, but get the chance to see some great athletes as well.
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Fall in love with a sport you've never seen before. Between the gym, P.E., intramurals and club sports, Dartmouth offers pretty much everything under the sun to all of its students, regardless of talent or knowledge. Give anything you want a try, you may find a sport you really like.
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Meet a future Olympian. Dartmouth routinely sends people to the Olympics for sports such as skiing, track and field, crew and hockey, including the four Big Green athletes who represented the USA in London this summer. Go to sporting events and get to know some of the athletes. Maybe you'll see them on TV one day striving for Olympic gold.
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Run your laps and rush the field. Class of 2016, just do it. It'll be something you regret if you don't, and try to run all 116 laps around the fire you'll always remember it if you do.
