MISSION STATEMENT
The shared purposes of the Department of Athletics, Physical Education, & Recreation include coaching our intercollegiate teams, teaching physical education courses, and providing recreational programming for the Caltech community. We passionately support the philosophy that a sound mind and healthy spirit reside within a sound body.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
It is the goal of the Physical Education program to enhance the physical, motor, mental and social development of all participating students. It is the objective of our Department to introduce students to a broad based program of instruction in physical education activities from which they will derive lifetime fitness benefits.
Courses offered include: badminton, basketball, bouldering, core training, cycling, dance, diving, fencing, golf, hiking, inline skating, karate, lawn games, wellness, power walking, racquetball, rock climbing, running, soccer, squash, speed and agility training, swimming, table tennis, T’ai-Chi Ch’uan, tennis, triathlon, ultimate (flying disc), volleyball, water polo, weightlifting and yoga.
Curriculum Course Requirements:
- Before graduation, each undergraduate is required to successfully complete nine units of physical education. This requirement may be satisfied entirely or in part by participation in intercollegiate athletics, or successful completion of physical-education coursework.
- All grades are issued pass/fail.
- A maximum of six units per term may be applied toward graduation requirements with the total not to exceed 36 units. Participation as a bona fide member of an intercollegiate team for the period covered by the sport in a given term satisfies the requirement for that term.
INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Caltech sponsors 16 intercollegiate teams and is a member of NCAA Division III; 25% of our undergraduate students participate on our varsity teams. We compete locally in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) with Occidental, Redlands, Pomona-Pitzer, Whittier, Cal Lutheran, La Verne, Chapman, and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. We do not offer athletic scholarships; however, all students with playing experience are highly encouraged to participate. Our athletic laboratory is a dynamic and satisfying mix of advanced and beginning athletes. This is a serious, committed and competitive undertaking- seasons are 18-19 weeks long and practice is several hours per day; benefits from and lessons learned on the field of play translate directly into success in the classroom, social development, and in life as a citizen beyond Caltech. Our coaching staff does an outstanding job teaching sport in a demanding yet flexible manner so realities of our rigorous curriculum can be achieved. Our students compete in the following sports:
Fall: Men's & Women's Cross Country; Men's Soccer; Women's Soccer; Men's Water Polo; Women's Volleyball
Winter: Men's Basketball; Women's Basketball; Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving
Spring: Men's and Women's Track and Field; Men's and Women's Tennis; Women's Water Polo; Baseball
If you are interested in joining an intercollegiate team, please contact the sport coach directly. All contact and other information can be found on this website under the Varsity Sports menu.
RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES
At Caltech, we invest in the health and wellness of our people. We recognize that active bodies support active minds. Our recreational facilities offer a place where the Institute community can come together to train, play, and get fit. Convenient to campus and open seven days a week, our facilities are family friendly and accommodate a wide range of fitness levels, interests, and work schedules.
We offer premium services and amenities to our members. Please visit our recreation website at this link.
