Category Archives: Youth and Family

Teeing Off for Recreation and Wellness

Golf, Youth and Family

Starting Friday afternoon students, faculty, staff and the community tee off for the fourth annual Recreation and Wellness Fall Fundraiser at the Forrest Creason Golf Course.

“We started it as kind of a fun opportunity to get students as well as faculty and staff together to raise a little bit of money for the student employment foundation,” Kurt Thomas, Director of Golf, said.

Linda Hammer, Administrative Assistant of the Department of Recreation and Wellness, was on the winning duo-women’s team last year and had the longest drive.

“I like contributing to the RecWell Foundation and giving back to the department,” Hammer said.

With the same goal in mind of raising funds for departmental student employee recognition and professional development, Thomas said they changed how the teams are formed this year. Last year there were teams of two, but this fall teams of four compete in order to attract more players.

“It makes it a little bit easier for someone that doesn’t play golf,” Thomas said.  “Last year we had about 72 players, so we’re hoping to do more than that,”

Another difference is participants choose their teammates unlike last year; however, the teams still compete for three different categories of men, women or coed. The winners of each category receive trophies and prizes such as gift cards.

Hammer recalls winning a trophy and a few other goodies for her team win.

Thomas said everyone from students to community members can play as long as they pay the participation fee of $40 for public or $30 for students and members.

Registration starts at 11:30 a.m. along with lunch on the porch of the Forrest Creason Golf Course until the shot-gun start at 12:30 p.m.

Thomas plans on attending the event this Friday.

“I like it because it’s a fun activity,” Thomas said. “It’s a good cause for Recreation and Wellness employees in the development aspect.”

Hammer also plans on returning to the golf course this year.

“I’ve actually ‘recruited’ from outside of the department for this year’s outing,” Hammer said. “I’m looking forward to a fun time!”

Kids Camp 2010 – The Best Yet!

Aquatics, Blogroll, Student Recreation Center, Wellness Connection, Youth and Family

Kids Summer Camp 2010 at BGSU is not just another “Day Care” camp. Things are changing in a big way and we want you to be a part of it! This is a look inside at what your campers are really getting out of this experience. BGSU Summer Kids Camp had its start in 2008 and has been a staple program every summer since then. It has always been a good camp alternative to the traditional baby-sitters or day care facilities. But this year it’s going to be different. Micha Seither, Camp Director, talks about turning a camp that was good in its previous years into something great this year!

It takes a lot more than just wanting to make the camp better. Restructuring, planning and bringing in the best people in their fields were some of the steps taken to get this camp up and running. A host of people from various departments have helped in the transformation of this year’s Kids Camp. Changes in the areas of fitness and exercise, health and wellness, snacking choices, preparation and communication and overall marketing of the camp are what this year’s successes are based on.

“We have components in this year’s camp that were not present in the previous years. These are critical areas that we are so glad to be able to implement every other day in camp.” Laurie Westbeld speaks about the newly added fitness and wellness sessions. The session will alternate days and will be done twice a week each. The fitness session will be coordinated and lead by Liz and will last about an hour. Liz will be focusing her efforts on getting the campers to understand fitness and why it is so important to their daily routines. Latisha is a wellness intern at the SRC and she will be conducting the health and wellness sessions. Latisha’s aim is for the campers to practice good health, such as hygiene. Other elements like community safety and bicycle riding will be discussed throughout the eight weeks of camp. It is truly going to be great to have both Liz and Latisha on board for this year’s Kids Camp.

Included in the price (which has been lowered for this year) for camp, each child will receive two snacks a day. It is really simple to order some snacks that are prepackaged and processed and hand them out to the campers. There’s little thought involved and little mess to clean up afterwards. However, with the new focus of camp being a well rounded experience, we wanted to make sure we followed through in this area as well. This year we have revamped the snack menu with fruits, vegetables and healthier alternatives for ice cream. It has been a task to restructure the snack menu because for the most part, budget doesn’t allow for the kids to have fruits and vegetables for every snack, every day. We have done what we can though and are putting the finishing touches on the snack menu next week. Look for the Weekly Newsletter that will get sent home with your campers for the snack list for that week.

The Weekly Newsletters mentioned above are our way of communicating to the parents or guardians about the activities and events that their campers are involved in. Laurie Westbeld spoke about how camp this year is going to be more informative. “We want the parents to know what snacks their kids are eating and what field trip they are going on this week. We want to communicate this information to the parents to show that we have it organized and planned out.” Laurie and countless others have been hard at work to make this camp the best it can be.

So don’t miss all the new and exciting changes to Kid’s Camp! Sign-ups are going on now! For more information about Kid’s Camp visit http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/sa/recwell/community/page57234.html or click on the picture below to download the guide and forms. We look forward to seeing you all there!

img80992

Racing Towards Awareness

Fitness, Student Wellness Network, Wellness Connection, Youth and Family

According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey, every two minutes someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. Because of these alarming results, the month of April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, 82 BGSU students lined up at the starting line for the second annual Sexual Assault Awareness 5K. The event was put on by The Department of Recreation and Wellness to raise money to increase the awareness of sexual assault and educate the community on how to prevent it.

Director of the Wellness Connection Faith Yingling emphasized the importance of sexual assault awareness, “On average, one in four women are the victim of attempted or completed sexual assault by the time they graduate,” she said. “It is crucial that we pool together and do something about this issue.”

All of the proceeds made from this event were given to the Cocoon Shelter. The Cocoon Shelter opened its doors to battered women and children on June 14th, 2005. Since then it has been a safe emergency home to the overwhelming amount of women and children in the area that are in need of help.

The event gave participants the option to run or walk during the 5K. There was no pressure as to who would get across the finish line first, but rather an emphasis that everyone who crossed the finish line contributed to a good cause. A lot of students found this as an opportunity to get a good work out in while making a difference.

“College women are a huge target for sexual assault, and because I fit into that category I thought it was more than necessary to come out and run to increase awareness,” said participant Sarah Nitkiewicz.

The Department of Recreation and Wellness strives on making the Bowling Green community a safe and healthy place to live. “We really appreciate all of those who participated in this year’s 5K, and encourage more students to come out next year,” Yingling said. “We are already looking forward to next year’s race!”

“When You Get the Choice to Sit it Out or Dance..”

Student Recreation Center, Youth and Family

Emotions of excitement, exhilaration, and exhaustion were flowing in the BGSU Student Recreation Center this past weekend. Dancers, Moralers, Visitors and more gathered for BGSU’s 15th annual Dance Marathon.

For 32 straight hours students are on their feet raising money for the children of Mercy Children’s Hospital that are ill or injured. This year students provided hope and inspiration to the miracle children and families by raising an impressive $152,119.61.

23429_1414998541819_1438243614_1160803_5968453_n

23989_428939744504_585354504_5151160_2983785_n

Although there was a decrease of 200 dancers this year, the results proved that hard work and dedication can allow students to hokey pokey their way to big achievements.

Sponsorship Chair Amy Helm has been a participant of Dance Marathon for four years now. “There is no better feeling than watching your hard work payoff,” she said. “Seeing the faces on our miracle children and families is a life changing experience.”

23588_1384294813592_1418640043_1071033_3214074_n

In order for Dance Marathon to be successful, a year-long effort is required. BGSU Students play different roles to ensure everything pulls together come the day of the event. Dancers are students who are on their feet for the entire 32 hours raising money with every dance step they take. Moralers are the students who provide physical and emotional support to the dancers, whether it be a back massage or words of encouragement.  Bikers are a different component of Dance Marathon. They bike 180 miles from Cincinnati to Bowling Green, raising money for “Bike for Tikes”. And of course, Dance Marathon would not be possible without the Steering Committee, a group of students selected to run Dance Marathon.

23429_1414977741299_1438243614_1160673_688817_n

First time Dancer Andrea Maas expressed how thankful she was to be able to play a role in Dance Marathon. “Not only are you changing the lives of the kids, but you change your own life as well,” said Maas. “I made so many friends, made money for kids, and made memories that will last a lifetime.”

23989_428939664504_585354504_5151147_5328833_n

25527_1421188852842_1326314642_1092234_3658617_n

For 15 years now BGSU prides itself on having “One of the largest and most active Dance Marathon Organizations in the nation,” according to the BGSU Dance Marathon Web Site. Students are encouraged to continue this successful tradition by signing up. More information can be found on BGSU’s Dance Marathon Web Site. We’re giving you the chance to sit it out or dance, and we hope you dance.

“Attitude Reflects Leadership, Captain.”

Student Development and Leadership Program, Student Employee Programming, Youth and Family

In a riveting scene from the motion picture, Remember the Titans, Julius Campbell says one of the most defining lines of the entire movie. After arguing with the team captain he states, “Attitude reflects leadership, captain.” Although this scene does not exactly represent Recreation and Wellness’ Student Development and Leadership Program, this phrase certainly describes the leaders within.

 

The Student Development and Leadership Program (SDL) is designed to teach and enhance the leadership skills of employees within the Recreation and Wellness Department. The sessions are conducted by professional staff, graduate assistants and other experienced and knowledgeable people linked to the University.

 

SDL is beneficial to RecWell employees because it is informative and motivational at the same time. The program prepares students for their current jobs in RecWell, as well as their future. No matter what career paths they choose, this program will motivate them to be successful.

DSC_0022

Because the program is completely voluntary, incentives are offered to the participants. The incentives include: Learning to be a leader, opportunities for promotion, career development, recognition events, Rec Bucks and of course CASH! Students can make up to $50.00 for attending every session.

 

During the sessions, students participate in a variety of activities both individually and in teams. Student Supervisor Joanna Larkin described the activities as an interactive setting that helps students better understand the message. “At one SDL, we met at the climbing wall and practiced team trust building,” she said. “At our money management session, we did an activity that allowed us to figure out what type of person we were when it comes to saving vs. spending.” Other sessions have included activities such as resume building, a starlit night hike, and a tour of the behind the scenes in RecWell.

DSC_0031

Larkin emphasized the fact that even though most of the sessions are held on a Friday and may seem boring, they are actually very fun. “They are a great way to build your resume, build your relationship with your co-workers and peers, and ultimately build your character,” Larkin said.

DSC_0109

The last workshop for the spring semester is on Friday, April 23 at 3:30 PM. The workshop is titled, “How to Measure UP” and will cover focus groups. It will be held at the Student Recreation Center Youth and Family Room. The session is open to those students who have attended at least one SDL session. In order to attend, sign up at https://sa.bgsu.edu/forms/sdl-classes.php.

 

The “captains” of Recreation and Wellness are obviously aware of the relationship between attitude and leadership. They set aside time in their busy schedules to ensure their employees are receiving the proper training and leadership experience they need.  If it were not for these “captains” reflecting positive attitudes upon their players, the program would not be as successful as it is.