By Kurt Klier, Manager, Cole Fieldhouse and Reckord Armory at the University of Maryland-College Park
In Beloit College’s “Mindset List: 2019,” Tom McBride writes, “Members of the entering college class of 2019 were mostly born in 1997 and have never licked a postage stamp, have assumed that WiFi is an entitlement, and have no first-hand experience of Princess Diana’s charismatic celebrity.” The class of 2019 will also know of only one national championship tournament for sport club and intramural basketball and flag football—and, for them, those tournaments have always been a part of the NIRSA Championship Series. They will be able to participate in collegiate recreation sports based on their self-identified gender, and they will always know NIRSA as the Leaders in Collegiate Recreation!
The NIRSA website states that “the NIRSA Championship Series gives college recreational sports participants an opportunity to compete, coordinate, officiate, and connect with skilled peers from other schools and take all the benefits of recreational competition to a higher level.” Yes, the Series is about advancing student engagement through sport, but it also about development; it’s about more than competition! The Series is a “platform for professional development, as up-and-coming professionals build skills and engage in all levels of learning through their programming, staff, official, and volunteer positions.”
My institution, like many others, has been hit with budget cuts, hiring freezes, and travel restrictions. We were asked by our department leadership to consider other, less expensive options for professional development. The answer for me was easy: the NIRSA Championship Series. The Series is a great way to develop as a NIRSA member since it offers an incredible number of leadership opportunities. The NIRSA Championship Series Committee itself has over 100 NIRSA members volunteering for its various sport work teams (Flag Football, Basketball, Club Basketball, Soccer, Tennis) and its many operations work teams (Standards, Student/Professional Development, Brand Marketing, Assessment). And just last year, the Series had over 1,000 student and professional staff volunteering at regional and national events which saw over 4,000 participating teams!
Tom Kirch, Honor Award recipient and past NIRSA President, once said, “Our job is more than rolling a basketball onto the court.” In the spirit of embracing the many roles collegiate recreation leaders have to play, the Series provides numerous development opportunities for students and staff alike. The Series believes that the scope of learning is not limited to the classroom. Instead, it involves all aspects of a student’s experience—including events made possible by the NIRSA Championship Series.
Both regional and national volunteer opportunities with the Series exist. You do not have to be an official, work in intramural sports, or be part of a club program to get involved—you just need to have the desire to develop professionally. The operations side of the Championship Series is often overlooked, but it’s a highly-valuable and necessary aspect of the NIRSA Championship Series—its Committee, work teams, and tournaments.
Thirteen NIRSA members met in Corvallis, Oregon in 2006 to create the NIRSA Championships Series Guiding Principles still used today. Of the 13 members, six were actively serving on the NIRSA Board of Directors—including one as NIRSA President. The other seven were either slated to stand for election or were serving in some other NIRSA volunteer leadership capacity. NIRSA Championship Series Committee members have also served on the Board of Directors for the NIRSA Foundation, the NIRSA Services Corporation, the NIRSA Assembly, the NIRSA Member Network, and the Student Leadership Team. Obviously, Series leaders are as interested in development as they are in competition!
Jacob Tingle, PhD—Assistant Professor of the Practice, Business Administration at Trinity University—and Dan Hazlett—Assistant Director, Campus Recreation at Georgia Institute of Technology—are two of the original six members who created what is today the NIRSA Championship Series while at the 2006 NIRSA National Intramural Basketball Championships in Atlanta, Georgia. More recently, in conjunction with the NIRSA Championship Series, they have commissioned a research project through the NIRSA Foundation: “NIRSA Championship Series Volunteerism: The Perceived Impact on Professional Development.”
The abstract of their proposal reads, in part, “the NIRSA Championship Series is a significant component of NIRSA. Demonstrated, in part, by the fact that many campus recreational professionals contend the events directly relate to both their institution and the Association’s mission.” The study, which will illustrate the availability of development opportunities through the Series, is currently in phase two. The results of this study will assist campus leaders “in making decisions about their level of support for either hosting a Series event or allowing staff to volunteer” at a Series event.
If you want to experience something new or different, help develop students, or develop lifelong skills, the Series has a place for you! As the NIRSA website states, “The rich environment of inclusive competition, sportsmanship, and professional development—from participants to fans to volunteers—supports communities of health and wellness, which is what NIRSA is all about.” The application period for volunteers is currently open for club soccer and flag football—apply today and get involved!
