1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles aren’t exactly 1,000 pieces? A common layout for this sized puzzle includes 1,026 pieces in order to create the correct shape.
While that truth may be shocking to some, the reality is no matter how many pieces are in the box, what matters most is knowing what picture you’re bringing together.
At Radford University, Student Recreation and Wellness knows what image it’s trying to build. “Our approach centers on flexibility, inclusivity and listening to student needs so we can help them find balance no matter where they are on their wellness journey,” said D.J. Preston, the director of Recreation and Wellness.
Like a jigsaw puzzle, Preston and the team are working to find the right pieces to put together to create that picture.
Some of those pieces are shaped like many other campus rec departments. For example, the Student Recreation and Wellness Center is 115,000 square feet. It offers students access to cardio and strength equipment from Matrix, Woodway, Advantage Sport and Fitness, and more. In the facility you’ll also find a gym, a Nicros A.R.T.Wall, an inclined jogging track among other offerings.
Another common campus rec component found at Radford are group fitness classes. Known as the Fitwell program, the department puts on a variety of offerings that utilize Les Mills, Schwinn and ACE Group Fitness.
While these class-types aren’t unusual, Preston and the team have found sometimes it requires a slight tweak to make sure it fits for Radford’s student body.
Fitwell Program
Take the Fitwell program, which Shannon Moore, the health educator at Radford, oversees. By renaming classes and incorporating themed sessions, she’s witnessed an increase in participation. “One impactful example comes from our dance class at Radford University, located near Mountain Lake Lodge — the filming site of ‘Dirty Dancing,’” she said. “Renaming our class from Highlander Dance to Dirty Dancing gives a nod to the popular film while also capturing people’s attention and sparking their curiosity. This has significantly boosted class interest and participation.”
Moore also shared they base their cycle class names on the musical themes each instructor brings. Rock N Ride is all classic rock while Remix Your Ride is today’s hottest remixes. “These names help set clear expectations of what type of vibe to expect in the class and create a sense of excitement and community around a shared interest, enhancing overall engagement in our cycling program,” she said.
In addition to the name changes, one-time themed classes have been successful at Radford. Some include offerings inside the rec center, like Glow Yoga and Taylor Swift-themed cycling. Others are outside the doors of the facility, like Yoga in the Greenhouse. “Creative class names, themed events class offerings outside of the rec center, and regular incorporation of student suggestions and feedback have resulted in significant increases in Group X class attendance,” said Preston. “In the past two years the program has served 15% of the student population.”
As with group fitness, getting outside the Student Recreation and Wellness Center has been a key recruitment tool for intramurals as well. Preston said they do pop-up events as simple as throwing a football or playing soccer out on the lawn to encourage interest. Plus, they’re using the FusionGO app to help promote engagement.
Beyond group fitness and traditional intramurals, the Radford team is utilizing esports as another piece to solving their wellness puzzle.
Esports
With an 1,800-square-foot space, the esports program isn’t just for competitive teams. “We built a larger space where all our students have the chance to engage,” said Doug Benedict, the associate director for Esports. “We hire student staff to keep our facility open and running from noon to midnight. Our best players are right next to our most casual players. This has led to a higher interest in competing, higher usage in our facility and the development of a dedicated following.”
Benedict shared two other benefits of the esports program. First, it’s another avenue of academic accountability. Students swipe into the esports facility via Fusion without any time limits. However, Benedict said they use that data collected by Fusion to cross-reference academic results.
“Once we receive grades, we can cross reference them with our PC management software ggLeap to see how long they’ve been spending in the facility,” said Benedict. “We’re able to catch students before it’s too late to fix their grades and ensure the esports center isn’t responsible for poor performance.”
The other benefit is the experiential learning opportunities. Benedict shared they’ve provided internships to students studying computer science, psychology, kinesiology, business and more. Plus, they have an esports services minor and have seen students get a leg up in the esports industry by working in their facility.
“As we build this microcosm of an esports organization within the institution, we’re able to create true portfolio-building experiences that students don’t have to leave our campus to benefit from,” said Benedict.
Higher Ground Program
While esports have been a hit from the get-go, sometimes a puzzle piece doesn’t fit in the first spot you try. That’s how it was with the program Higher Ground, the five-day outdoor orientation for freshman.
Preston shared a similar program ran at least 10 years prior to his arrival at Radford and didn’t quite take off. However, the idea resurfaced when he saw a presentation from West Virginia University on their pre-move-in program several years ago. “This was something that made sense to me,” he said. “We had a really robust outdoor program and we needed to try this.”
For five days, freshmen camp on the 380-acre SELU conservancy near campus. They spend time climbing, paddling, caving and team building. Faculty and staff from Radford are invited to visit, helping to ease the anxiety of the new students. Overall, it’s been a success.
“In our third year of Higher Ground, we’ve more than doubled our participation,” said Connor Russell, the assistant director of Outdoor Programs. “These participants have a higher rate of retention and community. Honestly, it’s a lot of fun to have prior to the beginning of the semester.”
Plus, Higher Ground is often the first outdoor experience for many of these students. Russell said they tend to be hooked after those five days, participating in other outdoor activities like two-hour floats on the river, a weekend hike complete with brunch or even a pop-up s’mores event on campus.
However, the success of Higher Ground points to a lesson Preston has learned in his time as director: delayed is not denied. Just because it’s a no now doesn’t mean it will be a no later. “We continue to show impact, have faith and belief in that what we work toward truly matters, and continue to operate with students at the heart,” he said. “From that, change is inevitable.”
That change is driven forward by the team at Radford that embraces workplace fun and values learning from mistakes. “I would describe the campus rec team at Radford as collaborative, student-centered and fun,” said Moore. “We work together to support one another and create a strong sense of community. We bring a fun and energetic spirit to our work, aiming to make recreational activities a highlight of student life.”
Like the programs and offerings, each staff member is a key piece to the wellness puzzle at Radford. And when they come together, the full picture emerges. “What unites us all is a shared passion for campus recreation and a strong commitment to providing the best possible recreational opportunities for the Radford University community,” said Russell. “We bring a variety of talents and traits to the table, fitting together pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.”
