In November 2015, the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) welcomed Richard Hammond as the new director of campus recreation.
In his new role, Hammond will provide overall leadership to campus recreation. He will also oversee the Health Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Center. The center opened in fall 2014 after a series of extensive renovation and expansion.
Concerning the new opportunity, Hammond said, “I’m very excited about it.”
In particular, Hammond explained he’s looking forward to helping expand existing programs and create new ones, including club sports. “[Campus rec] doesn’t really have an existing club sports program,” he said. “We’ve got a couple clubs that are part of the student organization … and we’re trying to implement a good club program and then let the students know that those opportunities are there. Obviously there are more opportunities to create.”
However, prior to implementing any new programs, Hammond said he’ll take some time to evaluate exactly what the department would like to see changed. “The changes we do, we’ll roll out in the fall,” he said. “I’m not big on trying to change mid-stream what’s going on, because I don’t want to get people or participants confused. Usually, working at a university, the fall brings in new students, new freshman, so that’s a good time to start changes so everyone gets on board at the same time.”
Prior to UCA, Hammond spent 18 years at Valdosta State University as director of campus recreation. He also has worked in campus recreation at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Georgia Southern University and Southwest Texas State University.
Up to this point, Hammond has enjoyed his new role. “I think walking into it, the dedication staff have to the students and the program is very good,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know them and so far working with them has been good. I’m excited about the new challenges, about this new opportunity and am looking forward to moving the campus recreation department at UCA forward.”
