With the end of Week Zero here at UC San Diego and Week One coming around the corner, many excited students of UC San Diego as well as the veterans of the UC San Diego Dragon Boat team have signed up to try out for their spot on the team. This weekend was reserved for the new recruits and veterans to demonstrate their hard work as well as enjoy each other’s company in the festivities planned by the team’s social chairs.

On Friday, the social chairs held a beach bonfire mixer at Mission Bay for the new recruits and veterans to interact and find common ground with each other in being part of the same UCSD community.

This Saturday and Sunday took an extreme turn when the group met again at Mission Bay for the water portion of the tryouts. Many of the new recruits boarded a dragon boat for the first time. The veterans got their opportunity to paddle alongside the new recruits and teach them how to paddle powerfully and efficiently. The new recruits found their opportunity to demonstrate their athletic talents in learning a new movement. There was also a section of tryouts where the coaches leveled the playing field by having the new recruits and a few veterans perform circuits by the shore.

Everybody knew that they were competing with each other to earn their spot on the team, but not once did a word of ill will leave the mouths of the athletes this weekend. Instead, everyone supported each other and strove to help their fellow colleagues as members of the UC San Diego community. The tryouts truly demonstrated the sportsmanship that emanates from these student athletes.

Tryouts are not over just yet. The recruits and veterans have a few more chances to prove themselves in the land portion of the tryouts that will take place in Warren Field this Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m.. After this, the next UC San Diego Dragon Boat team will be selected to represent UC San Diego in the crew’s upcoming dragon boat competitions and races.