Future elementary school teacher Hannah Sarlatte is no stranger to teaching and competition. When she's not attending classes to obtain her multiple subject teaching credential and master of arts in education in the UC Davis School of Education, she is either working as a student manager in competitive sports or playing softball, basketball, grass volleyball, or dodgeball.

During her undergraduate education, she played on the club softball team for four years and held the position of publicity officer. During her first three years, her team qualified for nationals and had the opportunity to travel to Georgia and compete against the top club softball teams in the nation. Her team took fifth place, one of the highlights of her undergraduate education.

Hannah has had a love of sports since childhood. She grew up playing soccer, basketball, volleyball and softball. When she came to UC Davis, she says:

“I felt like a little fish in a big pond. When I joined the club softball team, I found a close-knit community and lifelong friends. With my team, I began playing rec sports and realized the benefits and positive experiences this program provides for the UC Davis community.”

After participating in several rec sports, she applied as a softball official in hopes that she could share her love of sports and help create welcoming and fun spaces for UC Davis students to participate in activities to help them lead healthy lives.

For students considering joining a rec sports team, Hannah says:

“Getting involved with Campus Rec is a great way to meet new friends, find a community, and become involved within the larger UC Davis campus. I am so thankful that I got involved in Campus Rec my first year at Davis and encourage all students to do the same!”

Not only has her involvement in Campus Rec helped her to find her community, but it has also helped to enhance her skills which contributed to her posturing her graduate degree in education.   

“I became responsible for training and hiring new officials, developing presentations, and leading clinics to instruct new officials on rules, professional interaction, and maneuvering difficult situations…I became more confident in my abilities to lead and teach, and I think all the skills I have developed will help me in my future career as a teacher.”

If you are looking for more information about Rec Sports or Sport Clubs, check out our website. We also have a number of student employment opportunities across the department of Campus Recreation.