Towson University’s Campus Recreation Center at Burdick Hall

The November 2021 Rec of the Month is Towson University’s (TU) Campus Recreation Center at Burdick Hall.

MISSION

Create opportunities that foster engagement and well-being for the TU community through diverse programs, services, facilities and employment.

Programming decisions and operations are driven by our values, which include: fun, education, civility, inclusion, community, safety and leadership.

DESCRIPTION OF FACILITY

Campus Recreation Center

The Campus Recreation center at Burdick Hall is a 235,000-square-foot recreation and fitness facility. The facility includes a comprehensive variety of strength and cardio equipment, an indoor swimming pool, multi-purpose wood-floored gymnasiums and rubber-floored activity courts, five fitness studios, and a functional training area complete with turf flooring.

Burdick Hall contains:

Two multi-activity courts with rubber athletic flooring lined for volleyball, badminton and futsal.
Three multi-purpose wood-floored gymnasiums.
A cycle studio with sound, lights and a video display.
A “skills studio” with a retractable heavy bag system, speed bags and other equipment used for boxing and skill-based training.
Three studios upstairs including our mind-body studio, group fitness studio and instructional studio.
22,000 square feet of open fitness floor space for cardio, strength and functional training.
A functional fitness area which encourages training the body for the way it lives and moves, using independent fitness tools such as kettlebells, suspension ropes, body weight and gravity. Two Queenax structures facilitate this functional fitness concept as well as a variety of self-powered cardio equipment.
A dedicated personal training and health assessment area.
Strength training machines, Olympic-style weight lifting platforms, free weights, plate-loaded machines, accessible strength training machines and selectorized equipment.
More than 100 cardio machines with personal digital displays that allow users to login to their Netflix, Hulu, Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The Jungle, a Ninja Warrior-inspired course that provides 15 different challenging elements of jumping, climbing and balance to create a fun and engaging fitness workout.
A sprint hill with a 20% incline and simulated stadium stairs.
An outdoor adventure trip and education center with a 33-foot climbing wall.

Burdick Turf Fields

The 200,000-square-foot turf fields offer a variety of sport and recreational opportunities. The fields are used primarily for campus recreation programming, but are accessible for open recreation at designated times.

The turf fields have inlaid lines for the following sports:

Three – Flag Football Field
One – Men’s Lacrosse Field
One – Women’s Lacrosse Field
One – NCAA Soccer Field
One – International Rugby Field

PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

Outdoor Adventure Center

The indoor climbing wall offers numerous opportunities for TU members to climb, including top rope belaying, lead climbing and adaptive climbing. TU Campus Rec’s certified staff possess the knowledge and skills to help first-time and seasoned climbers alike.
Clinics to teach the fundamentals of climbing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding.
A gear rental program provides students access to outdoor gear to promote their own exploration. A wide range of equipment is offered for any adventure including backpacks, tents, hammocks, snowboards, paddleboards and life jackets. For $20, students can rent a bike, lock and helmet for the semester
A typical offering of 20 off-campus outdoor trips each year varying from hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding and climbing trips. Trips are led by experienced and wilderness first aid certified trip leaders and create opportunities for students to build community outside of the classroom.

Fitness

Nationally certified fitness instructors typically lead 70 group fitness classes per week including cycle, Zumba, HIIT and Step, Lift, boxing bootcamp, vinyasa yoga and yin yoga.
Certified personal trainers work with members to help accomplish and achieve lifestyle goals by creating individualized programs for student’s specific needs, providing individual attention and giving students the opportunity to enhance performance after they have reached a plateau.
One to three workshops each semester for group fitness national certifications.
Special events are hosted throughout the year such as the annual 5k race named the “Tiger Trot,” group fitness bingo, Learn and Lift clinics, and Exercise is Medicine.
- Open recreation is offered daily and includes games such as badminton, table tennis, volleyball, pickleball, futsal and basketball.

Aquatics and Safety

A 25-yard, eight-lane pool offers a lap swim, recreational swim or special programming.
Burdick pool is home to the Towson men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams.
An American Red Cross CPR/AED for professional rescuers with first aid courses, which provides training for individuals to respond effectively in emergency situations. This course blends methods of instruction, including videos, demonstrations and hands-on learning. Those who pass the course will receive a certification that is valid for two years.

Intramural Sports

Intramural sports features teams comprised of Towson University students, faculty/staff and alumni competing against one another in less structured, more social events.
Intramural sports passes for the academic year and the semester. These passes allow students to participate in any season or tournament.
There are typically over 24 intramural sports offerings each year including open, women’s and co-ed leagues in both recreational and competitive divisions.

Sport Clubs

Sport clubs are student-led organizations that compete locally, regionally or nationally against other colleges and universities. There are over 30 active sport clubs each year resulting in approximately 100 home events, all covered by the campus recreation athletic training team.
Club leaders develop valuable leadership skill throughout management of administrative affairs and intra-club dynamics.

Adaptive Recreation

The climbing wall is able to accommodate individuals with hearing, sight or mobility impairments and has an assortment of adaptive equipment. The staff are trained to assist individuals with a variety of abilities and disabilities in their rock-climbing experience.
A pool lift is provided for any participants requiring extra support entering and exiting the pool.
The adaptive recreation offerings in intramural sports includes goalball, bocce ball and seated volleyball. Goalball is also offered as a competitive sport club.
Several pieces of adaptive fitness equipment with greater levels of accessibility than traditional equipment.

FUN FACTS

The Jungle is a professionally designed Ninja Warrior-style training course where students can try navigating the obstacles inspired by the popular television show, American Ninja Warrior. Towson University was the first university campus recreation center to create an indoor Ninja Warrior-style course for its participants.

Project Explore is one of the longest running traditions at Towson University. Established in 1977 and originally named Project Marj, Project Explore is a “Wilderness Pre-Orientation” program for incoming freshman and transfer students of Towson University. During each Project Explore session, students are paired with up to seven other incoming students for the duration of the experience. Each group is led by two student Project Explore instructors who will provide instruction in outdoor living and travel skills, as well as an introduction to life as a Towson University student. The project is used to enhance orientation experience and allow incoming students to establish relationships with current students and create an on-campus support network. It also allows students to begin fostering well-being by experiencing the benefits of spending time outdoors and being active.

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