by CHRIS BARRY

Trying to get in shape is truly a pain in the ass. It's one of those things you kind of know you should be doing, but working out is so boring and unpleasant that often just getting up off the couch to make your way down to the gym requires more self-discipline than one can muster. Wouldn't life be peachy if you had another motivation, outside of vanity and maybe one or two alleged health benefits, to drag that saggy, sorry old back-end of yours to the gym? Like, uh, maybe making some friends? You know, new friends, good friends, the kind of people who will understand you, who won't pass judgement on your character based upon how wildly your ass flab jiggles when you're bobbing up and down on a treadmill.

Well, say no more, Fatso, your prayers have been answered. And the angel sent down from the heavens to rescue you from your slovenliness and inevitable heart attack at age 38 comes in the form of Rachelle Salamon and the Club Montreal Sport and Social [CMSS] in NDG. In existence for less than a year, the CMSS already boasts over 300 members, most hailing from the downtown core and NDG, who regularly get together to play organized games of soccer, basketball, floor hockey, and a variety of other team sports. "The difference", says Salamon, "between our programs and say, the Y or a community centre, is that these are not pickup games but an organized league. You're actually placed on a team of individuals and you stay with that team for the entire season. You go up and down in the standings and play different teams every week, so you really get to know everyone and they become friends after a while."

Salamon discovered the Sport and Social club concept while studying in Toronto and was shocked and dismayed to discover on her return to Montreal that nothing similar existed here. "I basically developed my whole network of [Toronto] friends through sports." She says that clubs of this nature fill an important social need. "If you're working 9–5," says Salamon, "do you find you have time to go work out for a couple of hours after work? And if you so, do you still have time to see your friends afterwards? With Club Montreal you can combine both things - social interaction along with exercise."

So what are you waiting for? On top of everything, sign up and you might soon even find yourself playing tonsil hockey with one or more of your teammates. According to Salamon, while Club Montreal is "not exactly a singles club, there are plenty of single people who join and I've watched at least a few relationships develop from one season to the next."

The final registration date for the spring season is May 1; $74.75 per individual or $103.50 for spring + summer. It works out to less if you sign up as a team (max 15 players). Games begin mid-month. For more detailed info go to www.clubmontreal.ca or call Rachelle Salamon at 227-CMSS (2677)