Women from the physician assistant graduate school program organized their first intramural basketball team and completed their three-week season Feb. 10.
The team consisted of 18 students from the class of 2015 in the first year of their two-year program. The team played against all undergraduate intramural teams. Men in the same class also organized an intramural team and competed with faculty and other graduate school teams.
Member of the team and Harding alumna Annalyse Faulk said the initial formation of the team was a simple process.
“We were at a Harding basketball game a couple weeks ago and we were just joking around that we should have a basketball team,” Faulk said. “Then two of the girls said, ‘We really should have a basketball team.’ And they organized it and put it all together.”
The team won one out of their five games, but Faulk said she cared less about their record and more about the experience.
“It was a fun way to bond with my classmates and take a break from studying,” Faulk said.
Harding alumna Sarabeth Hurst is in the physician assistant program class of 2015 and also played on the team. Hurst said she enjoyed bonding with her classmates in a way that did not involve academics. She said that on a weekly basis, the students study at least 20 hours outside of class, usually have at least one test, give or take a quiz and take clinical skills and physical diagnosis assessments.
“I really enjoyed getting to bond with my classmates outside of the classroom,” Hurst said. “We are together more than 40 hours every week but in a professional setting. It was refreshing to spend time with some of my favorite people without worrying about upcoming tests and other stresses that come with graduate school.”
One of the team’s players, Christina Byler, previously played basketball at Hendrix College and was able to give pointers and advice to some of the more inexperienced players. Both Faulk and Hurst said they appreciated participating in something they were not masters at.
“Being a part of this team was a great opportunity to goof around and laugh at myself and the other inexperienced basketball players,” Hurst said. “It was also comforting to know that I wasn’t the only one blowing off school. It also gave us a great opportunity to get to know each other better in a fun, lighthearted context.”
