McDaniel Fitness and Recreation

You can stay active at McDaniel in all your favorite ways, whether that’s going for a jog around the Hill, gardening at the McDaniel Environmental Center, or scoring a hole-in-one at the on-campus golf course. The Hill is home to professional-grade sport and fitness facilities where you can enjoy independent and group recreation. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even add courses on activities like yogalates and weight training to your course schedule.

Find what moves you at McDaniel.

McDaniel Athletics

Merritt Fitness Center

Merritt Fitness Center is located steps away from the Rebecca L. Martin basketball court in Gill Center. Energy-efficient west-facing windows overlook Kenneth R. Gill Stadium, the soccer complex, and the trees that border the 9-hole golf course. Get your cardio in while taking in McDaniel’s award-winning landscaping — or the evening sunset. The two-level gym includes weight training and cardio equipment, free weights, and group exercise space.

Just around the corner, the vending area in Klitzberg Pavilion is the perfect place to meet friends and stay hydrated.

Photo of a student hitting a golf ball and kicking up dirt.

The Golf Course

One of the most-loved areas of the Hill for its scenic view, the 9-hole golf course isn't far from the center of campus and open year-round. Meet up with friends at Harvey Stone Pavilion before playing a round, which nearly 1,000 McDaniel students do for free every semester.

The golf clubhouse and Coffman Indoor Teaching Center are the official hubs for the McDaniel golf teams.

If traditional golf isn’t your thing, FootGolf might be! A mix of soccer and golf, FootGolf is playable by all skill levels, and McDaniel has an 18-hole course.

More Ways to Get Involved

Photo of a student swinging a tennis racket.

On-Campus Facilities

Kenneth R. Gill Stadium and outdoor track.
Softball park.
Soccer complex.
Preston Baseball Field.
Warfield Tennis Courts.
Dance Studio.
Rebecca L. Martin Basketball Court.

Photo of a group of students huddled at a cross country track meet.

Become a Team Player

Compete with DIII Athletics.
Join one of a dozen intramural sports.
Find an active student organization.

Photo of a woman helping another woman use a bench press.

Learn to Love a New Activity

Enrich your semesters with our physical activity and wellness courses. Recent offerings include:

KIN-1011 Activity: Fitness Walking
KIN-1025 Activity: Hiking
KIN-1010 Activity: Yogalates
KIN-1014 Activity: Yogacore
KIN-1016-01A Activity: Weight Training
KIN-1020-01B Activity: Jogging

A female student holds a yoga pose on a mat.

Group Fitness Take a Deep Breath with Campus Yoga

Weekly free yoga courses are available for Green Terrors, regardless of skill level, for a chance to get flexible, relax, and have fun.

Active Academics

Students in Find Your Strong: Running for Your Life jog on a track.

Students run, jog, and walk their way through their First Year Seminar

Students in Adjunct Lecturer Lisa Lebo’s First Year Seminar course, Find Your Strong: Running for Your Life, are off to a running start at McDaniel. That is, they’re spending time at the track and in the classroom exploring the physiological, emotional, and community-building benefits of running as part of their introduction to McDaniel.

Read the full story.

Chemistry professor Dana Ferraris, faculty athletics mentor to the women's soccer team, explains to coach Sandy Lagana and team co-captains Abby Keen and Kristen Upton how he and his wife make the bagels he brings to the team on home-game mornings.

Faculty athletic mentors: Supporting student athletes on and off the field

McDaniel's faculty mentor program goes far beyond cheering from the sidelines. The program matches faculty members with athletic teams of their choice. If the match gels, the mentor helps team members with academic issues and fosters better understanding among faculty of the demands student-athletes face all the while identifying specific and sometimes unique ways they can support the team and its members.

Read the full story.

Kinesiology major and research assistant Isabella Mendiola demonstrates lifting in McDaniel’s new Neuromuscular Lab.

Gill Physical Education Learning Center Kinesiology’s new labs and classrooms open in Gill Center

The newly renovated Gill Center bustles with activity. After all, this is the epicenter of McDaniel’s study of movement — the place Kinesiology students and faculty alike call home. Three classrooms, three labs, nine faculty offices and a seminar room were newly built inside Gill Center to support a program that prepares students for careers as health professionals, coaches, athletic trainers, physical education teachers, personal trainers and others whose work centers on the science of physical activity and movement.

Read "Kinesiology’s new labs and classrooms open in Gill Center"

A McDaniel student uses a stationary bike in front of windows in Merritt Fitness Center.

Photo of cheerleaders in McDaniel uniform at a football game.

A female student stretches her legs on a mat in Merritt Fitness Center.

A student performs a deadlift with a barbell in Merritt Fitness Center.

Photo of tables in Klitzberg Pavilion cafe area.

Photo of two female athletes running outside in McDaniel sports uniforms.

Students using pilates equipment in Merritt Fitness Center.

Photos of cardio equipment in Merritt Fitness Center.

Photo of a basketball game in Gill Center at McDaniel.