how athletic is it?

<p>I really liked middlebury for its languages and its small-town feel when I went to visit. I am also quite an outdoorsy person, so the mountain setting would be a great aspect. However, I am NOT athletic at all and I really dislike team sports. When I visited middlebury, it seemed as if there were a lot of really athletic people. My question is this: about what percentage of the student body is involved with sports and would I feel alienated if I chose not to join a team? I am planning on staying in shape in college (through PE, the gym) so I can be an active member of the outing club, but kicking a ball around or running around a track are not my idea of fun. Are there others who share my opinion? Thanks for any advice you can offer me.</p>

<p>You were right in thinking that people at Midd are very athletic. That being said, there are lots of opportunities to be athletic w/o joining a "team". Some sports have a JV and lots of intermural teams are always forming as well as dorm sponsored teams during J-term. The gym is a popular place for both athletes and others. Midd kids use it as a place for a study break.</p>

<p>only a minority of students play on varsity sports teams. there are tons of other options to participate on all levels.
plus, not everyone there is athletic.</p>

<p>Yeah, like you, I'm not very athletic and don't like team sports. I did yoga and a J-term workshop class of Irish stepdancing to get my credit. It's really very easy to get the credit. The swing dancing club (I don't know about other dance clubs, but I'm sure they do something like this too) offers lessons that count for credit, and classes in meditation and massage also count, so no worries.</p>

<p>Does Middlebury have rowing teams? Just wondering.</p>

<p>check the athletics webpage.</p>

<p><a href="http://community.middlebury.edu/%7Ecrew/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://community.middlebury.edu/~crew/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Thanks much for the crew site.</p>

<p>Are competitive sports an overbearing presence on campus?</p>

<p>I would not call varsity sports at Midd "overbearing." Are they noticeable? Yes, but that doesn't mean you have to get involved. They are there as another extracurricular activity either as a participant or a spectator. Luckily, Middlebury has a number of sports (ice hockey, lacrosse, tennis, field hockey, cross country and skiing) that have won National Championships in the past 10 years or been ranked in the top 10 in the country. The great college sporting event atmosphere is there for those who want to experience it.</p>