By Paul R. Milton, PhD, Kent State University

The Recreational Sports Journal is NIRSA’s scholarly publication. Supported by the NIRSA Foundation, the RSJ collects empirical, theoretical, and applied research in the field of collegiate recreation. Volume 39, Issue 1 of the RSJ is now available, and this long-anticipated issue is devoted to the value of recreational sports programs to institutions of higher education. Additionally, it focuses on the students, faculty, staff and—in many cases—communities surrounding such institutions.

This issue contains seven scholarly articles ranging from such topics as the impact of participation in recreational sports on grade-point average and learning outcomes to how participation in intramurals, sport clubs, and student leader outdoor recreation training impacts leadership development. Other articles consider the overall benefit to a student participating in recreational sports, and accomplishing learning goals through a challenge course experience.

Volume 39, Issue 1 represents a milestone in the history of the RSJ as no other edition of the journal—throughout its 39-year history—has been completely devoted to a single topic. This particular RSJ can assist the recreational sports practitioner in conveying to institutional executive officers—from presidents on down—the value of their programs.

The findings are valid and reliable, and each article contains important statistical and practical limitations to the findings—as one would expect from any quality research study. These are the types of studies that help convince faculty and educational administrators of the important role that recreational sports play in the physical wellbeing of students as well as on their academic performance.

The Editorial Board of the Recreational Sports Journal and I encourage members of the profession to circulate a copy of this edition to their immediate supervisors, academic deans, and other institutional leaders. It presents a powerful argument for the continued high level support of recreational sports programs on college and university campuses.

As a NIRSA member, you have been subscribed to access current and archived issues of the online Recreational Sports Journal, which is published by Human Kinetics. NIRSA members received an email invitation with online access instructions from E-Journal@hkusa with the following subject line: “The new issue of RSJ is online!” If you did not receive this email, please double check your junk mail box before contacting NIRSA Headquarters.

 

For more information about the Recreational Sports Journal, please contact the Recreational Sports Journal Editor Dr. Paul R. Milton.