Recreational Sports Journal

Health and student success outcomes are often thought to be associated with campus recreation participation. Thus, decision makers at the university level are interested in the relationship between campus recreation participation, grade point average (GPA), and student engagement. Previous research has called for a clearer understanding of how campus recreation is meaningful for first-year university students and its potential influences on GPA. This study explored the influence of first-year students' campus recreation participation, GPA, and facets of student engagement. First-year university students (N = 171) were surveyed. Demographic characteristics, GPA, and level of engagement on five scales were assessed. Results showed that GPA positively influenced those who participated in campus recreation on four facets of engagement. Results may help academic administrators to target efforts toward making the transition from high school to university easier. Promoting campus recreation participation may be effective for strengthening students' level of engagement and result in positive success outcomes.

This exploratory study applied constructs of self-determination theory to assess college students exercise motivation and to determine the influence on exercise within active college students. Students included 24 college students (12 normal weight, 12 overweight) currently meeting national exercise recommendations. Surveys and semistructured interviews were used to assess exercise motivation. Descriptive statistics and MANOVA were used to analyze survey results. Horizontalization was used to analyze interview responses. It was found that the majority of students were extrinsically motivated for exercise regardless of BMI or gender. Identified regulation was found to be the most common form of motivation. Extrinsic motivation may be a key determinant for increasing exercise and enhancing utilization of campus recreation facilities among undergraduate students. Future efforts should consider the inclusion of extrinsic motivation (e.g., to look good, improve health) in communication strategies and program development.

Recently, two leading organizations on student experiences in colleges and universities (i.e., NACA and NIRSA) issued a call for increased scholarship in the area of transferable work skills (identified by NACE) in student employees within campus recreation programs. An exploratory case study was conducted to provide insight into what student employees learn and what campus recreation staff teach (in regards to these transferable skills) at a campus recreation program at a midsized regional university in the southwestern United States. Data were collected via a survey of both student employees and professional staff concerning the opportunities to learn these skills. Focus groups were also conducted. The results demonstrate that student workers learn through doing. Aquatics was one key area identified where staff clearly teach and student employees must learn transferable skills. The results suggest that student employees need to be provided with opportunities to critically reflect on skills gained.

While recent research has focused on leadership and development in collegiate club and intramural sports participants, many of the findings and suggestions may be deemed applicable to student roles within college fitness and group exercise programs. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to learn about the leadership experiences, motivations, benefits, and perceived limitations to group fitness instruction for students at a small, private, Mid-Atlantic university, and to discover potential influences of these experiences on the overall collegiate experience. The researcher was interested in insights of both current and recently graduated students who serve as group fitness instructors at their college. The researcher interviewed eight participants from one institution selected through convenience sampling. While this study used a small sample from one institution, interviewee responses were consistent, relevant, and may be expanded upon in future research. Participants reported that they improved leadership skills, public speaking, conflict resolution, and developed a campus identity as a result of teaching group exercise. The majority of the participants had not considered the benefits of their experiences in terms of professional development, and relationship building before their participation in the study. These findings demonstrate that campus recreation departments need to provide evidence to students and university administration that their programs not only provide enjoyment and health benefits for participants, but also a litany of “soft skills” and professional experiences that employers will look for after graduation.

This study investigated college students' various motivations to select from a comprehensive range of group fitness class (GFC) offerings at a university. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in motivations to exercise based on the GFC a participant was attending most often (primary GFC, p < .01). A post hoc test determined that Health Pressures was the only motivation subscale of 14 total subscales to significantly contribute to the main effect (p < .003). However, the findings suggested that primary GFC can explain variation in motivations to exercise. This result evidences applicability of the self-determination theory between smaller categories of physical activity than previously tested. Future research should replicate the study at larger, more diverse institutions to explore additional factors affecting motivations to exercise. Practitioners can use this study to inform the design and advertising of GFCs.