Annual Highlights - IU Campus Recreational Sports

Table of Contents
Please click on a link below to go to a specific page.
Mac users, please use the scroll bar to navigate the pages.
Campus Recreational Sports
“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the
basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” –President John F. Kennedy
What President Kennedy said so many years ago still rings true today. A persuasive body
of scientific evidence accumulated over the past several decades indicates that regular,
moderate-intensity physical activity confers substantial health benefits—physical,
mental, emotional and social.
• For example, one significant issue on college campuses is the increase in anxiety, stress
and depression. The Harvard Medical School recently released an analysis of research that
concludes that regular exercise can be as effective as medication in treating depression.
• Additionally, research has begun to illustrate the impact of physical activity and campus
recreational sports on academic performance. A recent study from the University of
Minnesota demonstrated that for freshmen, the use of campus recreation facilities
(controlling for academic, financial and social fit factors) had a positive association with
academic success.
Through Recreational Sports (RS) programs, students, faculty and staff find an emphasis
on healthy living and the enjoyment of sport and fitness participation. They have fun, meet friends, learn new skills, and reduce the
stress of demanding academic expectations. Over 33,000 students report use of our facilities, and 60 percent participate on a weekly
basis while 1,800 faculty and staff hold memberships.
We provide all of these benefits to our participants by offering a variety of facilities along with inclusive programming that is driven by
the expressed needs of the users. The success of these programs and services drew 1.7 million facility uses this past year. RS facilities
are often at, or near capacity, as we strive to meet the burgeoning needs of a wellness-conscious campus community. The section of
this report entitled “Imagining the Possibilities” will tell you more about the efforts the Student Recreational Sports Association took
to work in partnership with other major student organizations as advocates for the Facility Master Plan.
This report also provides highlights about the extensiveness of participation along with personal stories from volunteers, employees,
leaders and members of RS. Their stories illustrate the relevance of President Kennedy’s statement and serve as further motivation for
our efforts to serve all students, faculty and staff.
To Your Health,
Kathryn G. Bayless
Executive Director, IU Campus Recreational Sports
Assistant Dean, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation
Recreational Sports 1