The Department of Recreational Sports (Rec Sports) was formed in 1992.
The Department was formed to encompass the Intramural Sports and Sport Clubs programs, which were moved from the College of Health and Physical Education (HPE) (now HMSLS), as well as the Perry Field House, which was under construction.
Visit our website to learn more about the History of Recreation and Wellness.
Sport clubs are an integral part of Recreation and Wellness for BGSU students. Freshmen are invited to a special Welcome Fair on Wednesday, August 24, where a representative from each sport club is on hand for students to learn more about what their respective club offers. Other students can attend Campus Fest on September 1 and receive information on sport clubs.
There are currently twenty-three active sport club teams on campus including baseball, bowling, curling, cycling, dodgeball, equestrian, gymnastics, men’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, men’s rugby, women’s rugby, sailing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s softball, tennis, track and field, men’s ultimate Frisbee, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s volleyball, women’s volleyball, water polo and wrestling.
“More than 500 students are involved annually in sport clubs over the last couple years,” said Scott Sehmann, assistant director – intramurals/sport clubs. “Sport club teams are equally as large as the varsity teams. They have all been thriving lately and we are pretty happy with the growth.”
A student participates in sport clubs for a variety of reasons. Some students, who were very good high school athletes, want to continue playing their sport, but not at the varsity level. They like the competitiveness and want to continue working out. A sport club gives students an opportunity to compete against other universities in organized leagues with officials, in a structured program, with practice only two or three days a week. Sport clubs’ athletic level is in between intramurals (more recreational and little practice) and varsity sports in athletic commitment. Students who participate in a club sport benefit by gaining leadership and organizational skills. They have more structure to their lives, have an opportunity to travel and meet students from other universities. These athletes continue to stay fit, are in shape and have a competitive spirit.
There are many popular sport clubs. “Men’s rugby is one of the popular sport clubs which placed third in the nation this year,” said Sehmann. “The equestrian team is three years old and growing with around fifty participants. Baseball has a good size as well.”
All sport clubs are student organizations and must be registered with the Office of Campus Activities. Required forms must also be completed with the Department of Recreation and Wellness. To be eligible for membership, an undergraduate student must be enrolled in at least 10-credit hours or a graduate/non-traditional student must be enrolled in 6-credit hours. Each club needs at least ten active members with a faculty or staff advisor. Existing clubs may not be duplicated. However, if a student would like to organize a new sport club, he/she must petition to become a student organization. Based on the activity, competitiveness and safety level, a decision is made to be an acceptable new sport club.
Sehmann cautions all sport club teams regarding the importance of leadership within the club. The leadership team comprising of the president, vice president, treasurer, safety coordinator and travel trip leader must continually bring in new and younger students into the program and train those individuals to carry on the program tradition. The annual change in leadership roles is necessary for the success of the sport club organization.
For additional information see the Recreation and Wellness Resource Guide, visit www.bgsu.edu/recwell, or contact Scott Sehmann at sehmans@bgsu.edu or 419-372-2464.
Are you looking for an on-campus internship or practicum for the spring semester? Look no further, Recreation and Wellness is now accepting applications for next semester from a wide variety of majors.
The internships and practicums are open to all majors including recreation and tourism, sport management, marketing and journalism.
“We base the jobs on what the academic credentials are of the student,” Lona Leck, Assistant Director of the Department of Recreation and Wellness, said.
Students can apply to the various departments within Recreation and Wellness including the Ice Arena, Intramurals and Sport Clubs, Youth and Family, advertising, Forrest Creason Golf Course, Perry Field House, Student Recreation Center and Wellness Connection.
Leck believes having interns and practicums within the department helps the staff and broadens the knowledge of the department overall.
“We want to get those new ideas from students,” Leck said. “You know what our programs are lacking more than we do.”
Leck also said the department sometimes gets lucky enough to find an intern or practicum student who they hire full-time.
Not only does interning or having a practicum with Recreation and Wellness benefit the department, but also the students.
“It’s a great experience to put on a resume,” Leck said.
Chris McDaniel, a senior Tourism and Event Planning major, interns with Recreation and Wellness and works on marketing in the Perry Field House. McDaniel said he feels he is gaining a lot of valuable knowledge that is going to help him in his future career.
Carolyn Deas, Senior Sports Management major also enjoys having her practicum at the with the Department of Recreation and Wellness.
“As a practicum student, you learn how to plan an event from the very beginning, from contract to execution,” Deas said. “And it’s rewarding to see it progress over time.”
Leck also said working with the department gives students a “taste of what the work in Recreation is really like.”
Students can only gain valuable resume-worthy experience and enjoy where they work.
We’re really laid back, but we get our work done,” Deas said. “But that doesn’t stop us from taking a few minutes out of our lunch break to fly a kite, which we’ve done.”
While there are multiple internship and practicum opportunities available within the department, students are encouraged to apply early for positions and not wait until the start of the semester.
Leck also recommends students follow the instructions on the web site.
“We’re most impressed with students who follow instructions,” Leck said.
For those interested in applying for a spring internship, follow the link to learn more about the positions offered and apply now. http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/sa/recwell/page32775.html
It’s almost that time of year again. The time of the year for bone crushing hits, jaw dropping passes, and runs that will have you saying, “Wow, I wish I could do that!” Yes, the BGSU Men’s Rugby season is upon us. Coming off a spectacular showing at the USA Sevens Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational, with our own Rocco Mauer being named MVP, the BGSU Men’s Rugby team is hoping to keep the momentum rolling. With an experienced backline, led by Nick Viviani, and a group of young, promising forwards, the BGSU Men’s Rugby team is poised to make another journey to nationals, but this year that journey will be a little different.
The Division 1 rugby landscape has undergone a shift of seismic proportions. 32 of the top teams have left Division 1 to form the new College Rugby Premier League. Unfortunately, Bowling Green could not participate due to financial and travel issues, which left some players and coaches disappointed. “This is going to be a good thing for college rugby, because by having all of the elite teams playing against each other, college rugby will get more exposure, it’s just a bummer though that we can’t be a part of that”, says senior scrumhalf Ben Marshall.
So, where does this leave Bowling Green and the rest of Division 1? Will the BGSU Men’s Rugby team be left without anyone to compete against? The road to the national championship is different for the upcoming season.
The tradition of the Midwest Championship is no more. With Bowling Green dominating the Midwest, winning the last three championships, their competitors are likely pleased. Bowling Green is now part of the Eastern Conference, along with Indiana, Davenport, Miami (OH), and Purdue. There will be a four team playoff to determine who earns a spot in the Division 1 National Championships.
The primary advantage to this format is that travel costs are reduced. The conference tournament is held a little bit closer to home, rather than having to travel to Minnesota, and the first round of the National Championships is more regionally based.
With the landscape of Division 1 rugby changing drastically, so does the BGSU Men’s Rugby team’s goals. It’s all about winning championships, except this time the focus has been put purely on winning a National Championship, instead of a Midwest Championship. With Nick Viviani and Rocco Mauer leading this group of very talented players, that goal is within reach.
Talent and strong work ethic are amongst the reasons BGSU men’s rugby won its third consecutive Midwest Rugby title and continues its season. Sunday, November 15, BGSU defeated Indiana University 21 – 10 in the championship game. The team advances to the Division I Collegiate Rugby National Championships in San Diego, Calif. on April 23 – 25, 2010.
After an October 31 loss to Ohio State, BGSU did not enter into this year’s Midwest tournament as the favorite. However, it was a 55 – 32 BGSU payback win in the semifinals over Ohio State that propelled the team into the championship game, where they would eventually win the title.
The October loss to Ohio State served as motivation.
“We realized we needed to work on the finer points of our game,” said BGSU men’s rugby President Justin Rutledge. “We weren’t able to complete our plays. The mental game was what we needed to work on.”
The wins over Ohio State and Indiana did not only lead BGSU to the conference title. Additionally, the team moves on to the National Championships, continuing what has already been an extremely successful season. The success the team has known has not come easy.
“We work hard at practice,” stated Rutledge. “When we find a weakness we work at it. We work together on and off the field.”
A competitive schedule and resilience have provided the team with the necessary experience and mindset going into the National Championships.
“The loss to Ohio State gave us a punch in the mouth,” said Rutledge. “It made us realize there are teams as good as us. Also, the win against Indiana showed us we can pull out a close victory.”
With the National Championships not starting until April, the team has a long break in action. Maintaining momentum could be a problem, but Rutledge sees opportunities to keep moving in a positive direction.
“I think we can keep this going by taking the winter seriously, but not too seriously,” said Rutledge. “We need to work to get better, but only concentrate on what we’re doing. We can’t be concerned about any opponents.”
For more information on BGSU men’s rugby, please visit the BGSU rugby Web site. For more information on Sport Clubs at BGSU Recreation and Wellness, please visit the Sport Clubs Web site.
