Mizzou Rec by matt Buhrow

Introduction

The University of Missouri is known for many things, but after spending my freshmen year there I took one major thing away from it. The recreation center at the University is second to none. In fact in 2005 Sports Illustrated ranked it number one among campus recreation centers in America. This is a huge accomplishment considering the number of college recreation centers throughout the nation. Located in the heart of campus, it is easy for any student or faculty member, with a desire to do any of a multitude of activities, to use.

Background

The massive sports complex that is the Student Recreation Center is home to countless different facilities. Included are three outdoor multi-purpose turf fields, seven basketball courts, two weight rooms, two pools, a lazy river, and much more. Open 5:30 am to 11:00 pm on weekdays ,and a shorter time period on weekends, the rec center offers intramural sports, wheelchair basketball, movie nights, work out classes, and just about anything else imaginable. It is the perfect place for anyone who wants to work out or just have a good time.

Employment Opportunities

An advantage of having such a large facility is that there are numerous jobs that need to be filled. Although there are countless positions available, there are six major areas where students in particular work. These six areas are aquatics, TigerX, lifetime health and performance, facilities, personal training, and rec sports. This allows someone who would like to pursue a career in recreation a chance to specialize in the area they would like to go into. In order to become an employee one must be a current member of the University of Missouri and attend one of the recruitment sessions that are held each semester. Working in campus recreation allows those who want to work in recreation and have an impact on young adults the chance to do so.

Rec Sports

I chose to make this is own category due to the fact that it is what I spent most of my time doing at the rec center. Whether it be sand volleyball, basketball, or flag football any student who wishes to continue their sports career, yet were not good enough to play collegiately, can do so. The programs are run extremely smooth. Each of the seven courts has its own scoreboard and refs are provided to give the students the feel of a real basketball game. The sports are both fun and at the same time taken serious. It is a great option for anyone who wants to play and have a great time doing so.

Current Trends and Issues

During my time spent at the University of Missouri I was fortunate to be able to go to the recreation center several times a week. There were many trends that I noticed while I was attending; however the biggest thing that I noticed was that most of the people there were already in shape. It seemed that those who were not in shape were either to nervous to go or just did not care.This seems to be an issue everywhere, as many people are scared to be seen at a gym out of shape and clueless as what to do once they are here. Thus, the epidemic that is a nation growing more and more obese is not being helped. Something needs to be done to motivate people to come and make them comfortable once they get there.

Definition of Leisure

According to their website, “The Mizzou Student Recreation Complex is a one-of-a-kind, fast-paced adult recreation experience designed to inspire and motivate.” They are able to do this by offering a wide variety of programs to their members. There is something there for everyone to enjoy, even if it is not working out and lifting weights. Therefore leisure to them is freely choosing to do something one enjoys for the betterment of themselves whether it be physically or emotionally. Their sole purpose is to serve the member, however that may be.

Synopsis

The Student Recreation Center at the University of Missouri is by far the best of its kind that I have been to. After being on the member side, I can definitely see myself becoming part of the employee side of the operation. A career in campus recreation has numerous benefits that cannot be offered in any other field. Plus there are plenty of different positions within campus recreation. To be able to work in sports or recreation would be a dream come true for me. Also working with college students would be a fun experience, as I think I would be able to deal with them better than kids or elderly people. The only con of having a job in campus recreation that I can think of is that it would be a lot of work with a lot of hours. But if I enjoy doing it than I do not see that being a problem.