Story and photo by Kevin Christie
If you haven’t seen Tami Forbes on campus, you might have heard the rumble of her super-powered golf cart. Often parked outside Sommer Center or Centennial Hall, this golf cart is a sign that somebody is having fun.
Forbes is the Health, Fitness and Sport Science director for Bluffton. This means she is in charge of all recreation classes and intramurals. She is also an advisor for exercise science, sport management and sport and recreation leadership majors.
Forbes said she enjoys getting to know each of her students and seeing what kind of enthusiasm they can bring to her side of the world.
“I think everyone can contribute in any of HFS classes,” said Forbes. “Even if you are quiet, there is so much that goes into recreational events that involves more than presentation.”
HFSS sponsors multiple intramural sports on campus throughout the year. Forbes is tasked with seeing what sports and activities students on campus would want to engage in.
Historically, Forbes said that the most popular sports are three-on-three basketball and five-on-five basketball. They also have offered intramural soccer, volleyball and other activities. A popular game this year was spikeball, which seems to be a variation of four square with a mini trampoline as the court and a smaller sized ball.
Forbes credits her student staff with a lot of her success.
“Without my workers, we wouldn’t be able to do the things we do,” said Forbes. “A lot of these kids go out of their way to pull intramurals together.”
Not only does Forbes organize intramurals, but also recently she has planned a variety of activities for her HFS classes.
Classes have gone fishing, participated in outdoor games and white water rafted.
Justis Dowdy is a junior who works for Forbes in intramurals and went on the white water rafting trip.
“The experience as whole was something I will never forget,” said Dowdy. “The water levels were high, and it was really intense but really fun.”
