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NEWSWIRE
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5 rec centers 'head and shoulders above the rest' |
By Brian Davidson, Managing Editor - 04.10.2008
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AUSTIN, Texas - Five college recreation centers were named outstanding facilities of the year last week at the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association's annual conference and expo.
Of the 22 schools that applied for the award, NIRSA honored California State-San Bernardino, William and Mary, Georgia Southern, Maine and Richmond.
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"These are the facilities that others in the recreational sports world should be modeling their own after," said Mitch Nettesheim, recreation director at Purdue and chair of NIRSA's judging panel.
Each facility was judged on its unique architectural features, use of innovative and sustainable materials, overall impact on the rec department and correlation to the mission of the campus.
Nettesheim said the five winners "rose head and shoulders above the rest."
Whether it was the hand-key operated doors at Richmond's facility that caught the judges' attention, or the natural materials used to construct the Maine complex, all of the winning facilities are new, green and wired.
"The most dramatic change I've noticed over recent years is how much interest there is in building green," said Nettesheim. "And some of the technologies and entertainment systems going into these buildings are incredible."
Tom Roberts, Richmond's recreation director, said the school was hoping to achieve a "wow factor" with its new Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness.
"We definitely succeeded in that department," he said. "It's helped to draw in some of the students that otherwise wouldn't be inclined to come here."
Since the $13.5 million facility opened last March, "student usage has doubled and the campus has been buzzing," Roberts said.
"The impact that the winning rec centers have had on their institutions as a whole, the way they have changed the entire culture of their campuses, has been astounding," Nettesheim said.
At San Bernardino, rec director Rick Craig said the $11.3 million facility has turned a businesslike commuter campus into a bustling one.
"The image of students just coming to campus for class and then leaving is very much changing," he said.
Craig said staff and student usage has increased tenfold since the center opened last year.
"It's been incredible. We went from 100 people a day to 1,000 people a day, and that number continues to grow."
Now fully operational for its first academic year, the $29 million center at Georgia Southern has drawn more than 500,000 visits, according to recreation director Gene Sherry.
"We've always had a successful program, but this has helped us accommodate that success and grow even more."
Among the most popular features? An outdoor equipment rental center and a 28-person spa.
Roberts said the previous rec center wasn't even a stop on the campus tour. Now, he said, the Weinstein Center is one of the schools top selling points.
A rec center "may not be the number one reason why students choose a university, but it's an influence," he said. "When someone is on the fence about where they want to go and they walk into a facility like ours, it can definitely close the deal."
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