While in many ways it’s sad that another summer is coming to its end, I always find this time of year to also be exciting, as I look forward to the arrival of new and returning students. A new academic year beckons; it’s a time of new opportunities.
For students, fall means making new friends and reuniting with old ones, settling down into the rigors of school work, and coming to grips with college life.
For administrators, it’s time for all our planning to come to a head—it’s finally time to execute and implement.
The NIRSA Championship Series has also embraced the rush of the approaching school year by recruiting volunteer staff, promoting programs and events, and embarking on a new research project. Last month, I wrote about how the NIRSA Championship Series is more than competition. As we begin another year of programs and events, let’s prove it!
This fall, flag football, soccer and league play for club basketball, offer us great opportunities to make this year the best yet for everyone involved—participants, volunteers, and officials alike. Club basketball offerings have been revamped after valuable feedback from students and members, and flag football is currently open for institutional registrations, which allow teams, student officials, and university staff to be part of the event and gives your University Recreation program an opportunity to be recognized on a national level. I highly encourage you to get your campus involved in the NIRSA Championship Series in some way!
Over the years, the Championship Series has learned to recognize research and assessment as necessary in proving our impact. Recently, the NIRSA Championship Series Assessment Work Team was awarded a NIRSA Collegiate Recreation Research Grant. The grant is funding a research project—led by Dr. Jacob Tringle of Trinity University, and Dan Hazlett of Georgia Tech—that has already launched its first phase of data collection.
The project will focus on volunteerism within our Series’ events and aim to measure the perceived value of both our association and professional development. I am truly grateful for NIRSA’s support, and for both Jacob and Dan’s commitment and dedication.
As the fall begins, I encourage you to enjoy the hopefully cooler temperatures (it’s still 100˚ F here in Texas) and embrace the many upcoming events as a chance to prove the NIRSA Championship Series truly is more than competition.
