The annual U.S. Open tennis tournament taking place this week and next in Flushing, New York reminds me that some of my favorite memories from college are the late-night tennis matches my friends and I played on campus, allowing us to get some exercise and take a break from studying.

My skills weren’t good enough to play on my university’s tennis team and definitely not to play professionally in a tournament like the U.S. Open, but that didn’t stop me from getting out there and playing under the lights at the courts on campus for fun.

Maybe you enjoy tennis, but your skills aren’t strong enough either to earn a scholarship or play on your school’s official tennis team. But here’s something cool – check and see if the school you’re applying to (or just started classes at!) is part of the USTA’s Tennis on Campus program.

More than 500 colleges and universities are involved in the program, offering sport club tennis teams, intramural tennis leagues and tournaments, and recreational and physical education classes. That equates to more than 30,000 students involved in Tennis on Campus. The teams even get the opportunity to compete regionally and nationally in the USTA National Campus Championship, where 64 co-ed teams compete for the title. (You can also find out more about getting involved on the Tennis on Campus Facebook page.)

If tennis isn’t your thing, ask students and those leading the campus tours on your visits this fall what they enjoy doing to keep active and healthy during college. Maybe it’s rowing, baseball, flag football, softball, hitting the weights at the gym, or another sport you’re interested in. And don’t think you have to be the next Roger Federer or Maria Sharapova to pick up a tennis racquet–a good dose of energy will do.

Studying will strengthen your mental skills, but don’t forget about your health, too!

–Lori Johnston