In many ways, 2023 was not only a further return to normalcy for campus recreation departments, but it was a year of continued growth and triumphs. The year’s programming hits are an example of that.
For example, Gonzaga University (Gonzaga) saw its highest intramural participant numbers in years. Rhian Thomas, an assistant director at Gonzaga’s Kermit M. Rudolf Fitness Center, said they fielded over 100 basketball teams, 200 pickleball teams and over 90 soccer teams.
“All of our spring sports really blew up, which was great,” said Thomas. “This year, we tried an extended season for the first time. Traditionally, we only do a three-week season then go to playoffs. We decided to extend volleyball and basketball to a seven-week regular season. That really drove up numbers for those sports. Volleyball saw an increase in female attendance and we set a record for participation in that sport.”
For intramural management, Gonzaga uses IMLeagues Pro, which Thomas said they upgraded to this year. She shared since the change, they received a lot of positive feedback from students, and they were able to customize content for participants.
The fitness center also successfully capitalized on the student body’s deep love of basketball by having some of the intramural championship games for the sport on the court where the famous collegiate team plays.
Extra Credit: Campus rec professionals share their unique intramural programs.
“Students were able to come in and spectate the games, and everyone really loved that,” said Thomas. “We’re very fortunate to have a student body that loves to participate. We try to be very flexible with our scheduling. On weekends that are high traffic for people to leave campus, we typically won’t schedule any games then. If there is ever a home basketball game, we never schedule intramurals during that time because of how well-attended they are by students.”
Despite capitalizing on student body interests, Thomas said fitness center staff also attempt to cater to new audiences.
The most successful example of new programming for Gonzaga in 2023 was a powerlifting competition called Iron Zag hosted at the center. Thomas said the event had over 30 participants and the weight room was almost completely full of spectators.
The fitness area’s layout was also part of the event’s success. Thomas said the space has a combination of platforms and mats for visitors and plenty of squat racks to choose from. To ensure an effective showcase and daily operations, the area is outfitted with equipment from Life Fitness and Power Systems.
“It was really great to see a population show up that doesn’t usually participate in intramurals,” said Thomas. “To have a competition for that population who is more fitness-based was really cool — especially for the women’s competition. It was great to support and celebrate strong women.”
A focus on specific events can also be found elsewhere at Vanderbilt University (Vanderbilt). Kenny Moore, the director of the David Williams II Recreation and Wellness Center, said in 2023 they focused on taking students on trips off campus to provide access to the greater Nashville area.
EXTRA CREDIT: Small but creative changes in programming.
One example of this is when the department took over 40 undergraduate, graduate and professional students to the local zoo to celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Chinese Festival of Lights.
“Our students got to see a live demonstration with animals from around the world before exploring the beautiful display,” said Moore. “This was a great way for us to promote wellness through cultural immersion and community. Typically, we associate recreation with the core activities like intramurals, outdoor recreation and so on. We have to think more and more outside of the box.”
Other examples of innovative programming at Vanderbilt includes Crochet & Mocktail, pancakes with the director during finals week, and a program called Wings to Soar which brought in exotic birds for students to see in person.
All of these ideas and fun events are part of what Moore says is a consistent effort to provide campus with non-traditional opportunities.
“I can recall several of our international students having their first s’more with us,” said Moore. “We want our programs to connect students with each other, so we even brought trivia nights to the center and had them for the entire spring semester. We need to think about the campus at large and be strategic about who we partner with and when to host events. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Even when we fail, we learn and get better.”
Andy Darling, the director of Campus Recreation at West Virginia University (WVU), also knows the value of partnerships in programming. While Darling said his staff has had success rebuilding programs back to at or above pre-pandemic levels, the Craft Center has stood out on campus for its growth.
EXTRA CREDIT: Hosting life skill development programs.
“It’s one of our satellite activities and is housed in one of our first-year residence halls,” said Darling. “It provides great opportunity for students to intersect in a variety of ways, either continuing passions they brought to college or discovering new things including working with clay on our pottery wheels, stained glass, tie-dye, beadwork and sewing.”
The department’s collaboration with the Counseling Center helped make the Craft Center possible, among other offerings. Darling said counselors assist in conducting the events and develop relationships to ease students’ comfort with seeking more formalized help should they need it.
“We’ve also partnered with our Honors College for their fall retreat,” said Darling. “One part of that program was running 900 new honors students through a station tie-dying their Honors College T-shirts. They have a shared, common experience making their shirts and then have a reminder through the year when they see a classmate wearing their creation.”
All these partnerships are intentional for Darling who said it’s been critical for his department to ask questions and continue to be open working with other campus entities, regardless of how comfortable things currently are.
It’s this craving for connection that has helped WVU, Vanderbilt, Gonzaga and campus departments across the U.S. create successful programming. While the first years of the 2020’s were marred with disruption, 2023 has showcased campus recreation remains a uniting, positive force for students. 
