UCLA Recreation: A Legacy of Activity and Athletic Excellence

UCLA's campus is a vibrant hub of activity, encouraging students, faculty, staff, and alumni to embrace an active lifestyle. From state-of-the-art facilities to diverse recreational programs, UCLA offers a multitude of opportunities to get involved and stay healthy. The university's commitment to athletics extends beyond NCAA competition, fostering a thriving environment for club sports, adaptive recreation, and a wide range of individual and team activities.

A Campus Designed for Activity

The 419-acre Westwood campus is inherently active, with its challenging steps and verdant hills creating an ideal setting for various activities. Whether you're a marathon runner, a casual frisbee-tosser, or simply enjoy a refreshing swim, UCLA's campus has something for everyone.

Aquatic Adventures at the Marina Aquatic Center (MAC)

For those seeking aquatic adventures, the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center (MAC) in Marina del Rey offers a wide array of opportunities. Located about 10 miles from campus, the MAC provides access to kayaking, sailing, rowing, and stand-up paddleboarding.

A Brief History

Established in 1977, the aquatic center began with instructional sailing and windsurfing programs. Recreational rowing, kayaking, and surfing were added in 1991, followed by youth boating in 1994. In 2011, stand-up paddling clinics were introduced.

Programs and Activities

Today, the MAC offers a variety of programs for all skill levels and ages. Sailing and kayaking classes are particularly popular, and qualified sailors can participate in a beginner-friendly summer race series. The MAC also hosts the UCLA men's and women's rowing teams, as well as the MAC Junior Rowing team.

Those with no previous experience can rent single or double kayaks or stand-up paddleboards, while enthusiasts can take classes in rowing, sailing, and sea kayaking. Children as young as 10 can sign up for sailing camp or lessons, and teens 14 and over can take lessons in rowing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. Summer camps for youngsters in third through eighth grade include Bruins on Water, which combines on-water activities and interactive science experiments.

A Personal Experience

Ken Hoover M.J.’72, a sailing enthusiast, describes the feeling of sailing as "exhilarating and relaxing," praising the unique experience of harnessing the wind to glide through the water.

Recreation at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center

The Sunset Canyon Recreation Center is a hub of activity during the summer months, welcoming sunbathers, frisbee-tossers, volleyball players, and swimmers.

The Rock Wall

The Rock Wall features a variety of slopes, corners, and overhangs, with color-coded paths to accommodate climbers of all abilities.

Los Angeles Tennis Center

The Los Angeles Tennis Center boasts a rich legacy, having hosted tennis legend Steffi Graf during the 1984 Olympics. Bruin NCAA champion men's (2005) and women's (2008, 2014) teams have followed in her footsteps.

Challenge Course

The Challenge Course offers ground-based and high-ropes team-building activities in a tree-filled setting.

Swimming Pools

The Family Pool is ideal for kids and waders, while serious lap swimmers can utilize the Park Pool.

Mapes Beach

Mapes Beach, located almost 7 miles from the Pacific, opened in 2020 as the new home for UCLA Beach Volleyball.

UCLA Adaptive Recreation

UCLA Adaptive Recreation provides opportunities for differently abled athletes to overcome physical challenges and participate in rigorous sports and conditioning. The program fosters a strong sense of community, with many participants involved since its inception nearly a decade ago. Wheelchair basketball is a popular offering, and other adaptive activities, such as applied martial arts, are also available.

Club Sports: A World of Top-Class Athletes

UCLA is home to a thriving club sports program, administered by student officers rather than the intercollegiate athletics department. These student-athletes compete at a high level, traveling and competing against other universities. Club sports teams welcome walk-ons and offer competitions on both individual and team levels.

Read also: Learn About Doug Collins

Collins Court: A Historic Venue

Collins Court, located in the John Wooden Center, is a multi-purpose gymnasium court with a rich history. While it may not be as grand as Pauley Pavilion, it holds a special place in the hearts of many UCLA athletes and fans.

A New Floor and Reopening

Collins Court received a new wooden floor and reopened on October 25th, hosting the University of Washington shortly after.

A Comparison to Pauley Pavilion

While some athletes prefer the history and atmosphere of Pauley Pavilion, others appreciate the smaller, more intimate setting of Collins Court. The cheers of the fans ring louder and heavier in the smaller venue.

A Matter of Prioritization

Despite the preferences of some athletes, UCLA Athletics has sometimes prioritized basketball games in Pauley Pavilion, leading to the relocation of volleyball matches from Collins Court.

Notable Figures Behind UCLA's Legacy

UCLA's history is shaped by numerous individuals who have made significant contributions to the university and the world.

William Coit Ackerman ’24

William Coit Ackerman ’24 coached the tennis team from 1920 to 1950, leading his teams to 10 Pacific Coast Conference titles and an NCAA championship.

Arthur Ashe ’66

Arthur Ashe ’66 was a tennis champion and activist, winning three Grand Slam titles and becoming the first African American to be named No. 1 in the world.

Llewellyn M.K. Boelter

Llewellyn M.K. Boelter organized and led UCLA’s College of Engineering from 1944 until his retirement in 1965.

Professor Paul D. Boyer

Professor Paul D. Boyer has taught in UCLA’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry since 1963 and is the founding director of the UCLA Molecular Biology Institute.

Tom Bradley

Tom Bradley, a UCLA alumnus, became Los Angeles’ first African-American mayor, serving for 20 years.

Ralph Bunche ’27

Ralph Bunche ’27 was a varsity basketball player, track and field competitor, Daily Bruin writer, debater, and summa cum laude graduate who went on to work for the U.S. government and the United Nations, earning the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in Palestine.

Lily Bess Campbell

Lily Bess Campbell taught at UCLA from 1922 to 1950 and made her mark on the academic world through her work in Renaissance and Shakespearean literature.

William Andrews Clark Jr.

William Andrews Clark Jr. named the library for his father, William Andrews Clark Sr., who founded a mining empire in Montana.

James A. Collins

James A. Collins graduated from UCLA in 1950 and opened his first restaurant, “Hamburger Handout.” Today, his company includes hundreds of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Sizzler restaurants.

Clark and Barbara June (B.J.) Cornell

Clark and Barbara June (B.J.) Cornell funded the construction of Cornell Hall at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

Dr. Mitchel D. Covel

Dr. Mitchel D. Covel joined the clinical faculty of the UCLA School of Medicine in 1960.

Marion Davies

Marion Davies, an actress, donated $1.9 million in 1952 for the construction of the children’s center that bears her name.

Paul A. Dodd

Paul A. Dodd came to UCLA in 1928 as a labor economist.

Clarence Addison Dykstra

Clarence Addison Dykstra became provost and vice president of UCLA in October 1944.

Louis Factor

Louis Factor, once vice president of Max Factor Co., began his career as a teenager, working in his family’s Hollywood plant.

Grace Maxwell Fernald

Grace Maxwell Fernald established the center in 1921 as a research and training center for the study, diagnosis, and treatment of learning disorders in children.

Francis E. Fowler Jr.

In 1992, the Museum and Laboratories of Ethnic Arts and Technology was renamed the Fowler Museum of Cultural History after the family of collector and inventor Francis E. Fowler Jr.

Shepherd Ivory Franz

Shepherd Ivory Franz served as professor and the first chairman of the UCLA Department of Psychology from 1924 to 1933.

Leslie Gonda

Leslie Gonda escaped from the Komárom forced-labor camp in Hungary. His wife, Susan, survived Auschwitz.

Charles Grove Haines

Charles Grove Haines served on UCLA’s political science faculty from 1925 until his death in 1948.

Earle Raymond Hedrick

Earle Raymond Hedrick served as vice president and provost of UCLA from 1937 to 1942.

Mira Hershey

Mira Hershey was a wealthy philanthropist whose support made the building of the first campus dormitory possible.

Glorya Kaufman

Glorya Kaufman is a generous patron of the arts and a dance lover.

William G. Kerckhoff

William G. Kerckhoff found success in the lumber industry and then turned his attention toward the development of hydroelectric power.

Edgar Lee Kinsey

Edgar Lee Kinsey taught at UCLA from 1928 until his death in 1961.

Vern Oliver Knudsen

Vern Oliver Knudsen served as professor, department chair, dean of graduate studies, vice chancellor, and chancellor of UCLA.

Lester Korn ’59, M.B.A. ’60

Lester Korn ’59, M.B.A. ’60 was a founder of Korn/Ferry International, the world’s largest executive recruiting firm.

Morton La Kretz ’48

Morton La Kretz ’48 founded Crossroads Management, which manages properties throughout the Los Angeles Basin.

James E. Lu Valle ’36, M.A. ’37

James E. Lu Valle ’36, M.A. ’37 was a student-athlete who won a bronze medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Kenneth Macgowan

Kenneth Macgowan taught at UCLA from 1946 until his retirement in 1956 and served as the first chairman of the UCLA Theater Arts Department.

William Melnitz M.A. ’43, Ph.D. ’47

William Melnitz M.A. ’43, Ph.D. ’47 earned his degrees in Germanic languages at UCLA and joined the faculty soon after.

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