My campus rec journey has helped to shape my identity

When someone asks you who you are, what do you tell them? Do you tell them about your job or hobbies? Do you tell them about where you grew up or where you’re living now? Do you talk about the impacts your experiences have on who you are today?

College students develop their identity and explore their own meaning in the four to six years they spend on campuses. This period may be the first time for them to experience themselves freely in their lives. They get to figure out what they like, what they don’t like, and who they want to be when they grow up. For myself, this identity exploration came through my involvement in campus recreation.

When I went to college, I knew I wanted to continue playing my favorite sport: ultimate frisbee. I also needed money! I applied for a job at the campus recreation center in the hope I could combine what I needed with what I enjoyed. I was able to join a sport club team while also working for the sport clubs program. All my friends came from these avenues, and I spent most of my time on campus involved with the rec center in some way. Some professional staff at the rec center saw potential in me and entrusted me with more responsibilities and provided me with opportunities for growth. Like most students, I had no idea careers in campus recreation were a possibility! My senior year of college, I was the captain of my ultimate frisbee club team and working part-time as intern for the rec center. I found myself helping out with responsibilities in intramural sports and sport clubs, both new challenges for me!

Throughout my time as a student, I’ve had the opportunity to explore who I am and the impacts my identities have had on my life. I had the room to fail and get back up. I had people believe in me and challenge me. I had people accept me when I wasn’t sure if they would. I made some of my best friends who I will know for the rest of my life. My experiences in campus recreation led to these realizations, and ultimately my growth as a person.

Without my experiences in campus recreation, my life would be completely different. I am currently in my second year of graduate school; I serve as the graduate assistant of Sport Clubs at the University of Central Florida (UCF). In 2023, I tore my anterior cruciate ligament (for the third time) and haven’t played ultimate frisbee in almost a full year, but sports continue to be a large part of my identity. I’m excited to go to work and do what I can to help UCF students. I love helping the club officers I work with now and can relate with a lot of their experiences. I know what it was like to be in their position, and now I’m able to use that knowledge to help them enjoy playing their sports. I can stay active and involved with sports, even if that involvement looks different to what it did 10 years ago. And now, I can help other students develop their identities through sports and involvement in campus recreation.

So, when people ask you who you are, do you tell them about your job or your hobbies? Do you tell them about where you grew up or where you’re living now? Do you talk about the impacts your experiences have on who you are today? I challenge you to examine your identities, how your campus recreation journey shaped them, and how you can pay it forward to the students you serve.