Life University holds first annual Chiro Games

Mind, Body and Skill are three pillars Life University’s (Life U) Doctor of Chiropractic program seeks to develop in its students. It’s also what served as inspiration for the first-ever on-campus Life U Chiro Games.

The 1^st annual Chiro Games took place August 1-2. The teams going for the gold were comprised of the many varied clubs and organizations on campus who were excited to engage in good-natured competition and camaraderie with the rest of the Life U community.

The Student International Chiropractors Association (SICA) took charge of this colorful event, with much of the credit going to its president, James Watson, who was eager to bring back the time-honored tradition of the Chiro Games while making it even more chiropractic-focused and a celebration of what makes Life U’s chiropractic program special.

The official Chiro Games is an intramural tournament that has been going on annually for over 30 years, and brings together students from chiropractic colleges across the US and Canada to compete in sports such as basketball, golf, soccer, flag football, sand volleyball and softball. Life U has chosen not to compete in a number of years, but Watson and the SICA have been hard at work to revive the tradition locally.

“You have to start somewhere, so we started as a competition between all the clubs that Life U has to offer. Since Life U has the most clubs out of all campuses, I thought, why not see who’s the best of all of them?” Watson said.

The first event on day one of the contest was a great ice-breaker in the form of a challenging trivia game. The trivia stand-off covered a wide gamut of knowledge, including pop culture, music, history and a detailed category on chiropractic. This represented the Mind portion of the theme.

Then, everything kicked into second gear on Day Two, with a sports competition at Life U’s state-of-the-art track to test even the strongest and most well-rounded athletes. Football, volleyball, spike ball, relays and push-ups were all tested and tried. For an added layer of excitement and pressure, the referees were actual NFL players enlisted to give the Chiro Games extra flavor and credibility. A successful DC needs a strong body, and this portion of the games highlighted that physicality.

The skills portion was the finale of the event, and it’s what truly sets this Chiro Games apart. Why not take the opportunity to work on chiropractic skills together, see where to grow and improve?

“I had come up with a test of various skills that we develop here at school, everything from knowing how to read an X-ray under a time crunch, how to set at the table, how to deliver an actual thrust, how to be both forceful and precise, but also gentle. It’s just being able to test everything that was coming through clubs and being here at Life U,” Watson said.

Winning teams received amazing prizes at the conclusion of the event, which included a wide range of useful items, as well as a brand-new chiropractic table for the first prize. The Trivia portion was snagged by the indominable Delta Sigma Chi. The overall Chiro Games gold was split between Delta Sigma Chi and Student Ambassadors. Third Place went to Applied Kinetics/MyoSynaptics Club.

This event would not have been possible without the generosity of many sponsors who donated funds, food and/or products to make this Chiro Games a resounding success. Thank you to:

• International Chiropractors Association (ICA)
• NCMIC Malpractice Insurance
• Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies
• Georgia Council of Chiropractic
• MyoSynaptics
• ChiroMissions
• Life University Postgraduate Department
• Life University Alumni Association
• CAB Medical
• Thuli Tables
• Chick-Fil-A
• BeYoga
• Hotworx
• Nature’s Pick
• The Strand Theatre
• Douceur de France
• Thaicoon
• Antico’s
• Good Kitchen & Market
• Mr. Tombstone’s
• Schofield Chiropractic Training
• Pediatric Council
• Functional Neurology Club
• Project Lean Nation
• Creminelli Fine Meats
• Dulce Canela Churros & Ice Cream

Thanks again to everyone who participated, and we hope to carry this momentum going into future Chiro Games events. Tune in to Life University’s social media channels for dynamic interviews, clips, photos and more covering this year’s event.

About Life University

Life University is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, associate, master’s and Doctor of Chiropractic degrees, and also has programmatic accreditation through the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) and the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The mission of Life University is to empower students with the education, skills and values necessary for career success and life fulfillment, based on a vitalistic philosophy.