Students who choose to stay in Ames for the summer often need a means of stress relief, and, just like Iowa State, the Lied Recreation Center remains open.

Ashli Tasler, senior in health and human performance who works the desk at Lied, said the Rec offers the same activities it does during the fall and spring semesters, and basketball remains one of the most popular sports.

“It’s not as busy as the school year — mornings are a lot busier,” she said. “We open at the same time, but we close at 10 p.m.”

For those interested in playing summer hoops at the Rec, here is some advice from seasoned pickup game veterans.

Sometimes the most intimidating part of playing is trying to join a game, and going about it the right way is key.

Ben Chapins, sophomore in art and design, said he goes to the Rec nearly every night and plans to continue during the summer. He said the atmosphere is pretty laid back and students should not be nervous when trying to enter a game.

“It’s pretty easy to get in a game; most people are looking for a match,” Chapins said. “Or you can just shoot by yourself. No one really bugs you.

“You can tell if people want to get in a game, because they kind of walk around and ask around for people who want to play.”

When going with a group of friends, a different tactic can be used to get in on games. Matt Crawford, sophomore in political science, said saying “We got next” is the most popular method to get in a game while keeping your friends as teammates.

“Usually my friends play, so if I find them, I get in with them,” he said.

“Otherwise, I wait until the game gets over and then hop in. If we have a group of five, we find a court that we want to play on. We ask if another group has next, and if they don’t, we take on [the winning] five and just play until we lose.”

Crawford said he generally arrives about 30 minutes before he wants to begin a game so he can adequately warm up before running the courts.

Play is self-officiated, so it is important to realize when to call fouls.

“If you’re going to shoot and you feel that you got fouled, just call it and they’ll pretty much just stop and let you have it,” Chapins said.

“Otherwise, if you don’t call it, then they’re just going to keep playing.”

Most games end with the players shaking hands, keeping the sportsmanship of the game intact.

“It’s pretty easygoing,” Chapins said. “The guys who want to play a few games, they’re pretty nice to you.”

The Rec is scheduled to be open in the summer from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

In addition to the 20 basketball courts, it has 16 volleyball courts, eight racquetball courts, a climbing wall and two indoor tracks.