Jack Bevington
University of New Hampshire

Please provide a statement of your personal views on the role and contributions of collegiate recreation in higher education. In your response, describe how collegiate recreation has influenced your development.

Collegiate recreation has played a massive role – both personally and professionally – in making my time at school meaningful. In the late fall of my freshman year, when I first joined Campus Recreation as an intramural basketball referee, I didn’t expect it to be anything more than a simple job to keep me involved and active. As soon as I started, my perspective changed. What we do on the courts and fields ricochets across campus, helping students forge friendships (and rivalries!), test their endurance, and stay healthy. Suddenly, I felt this job might very well be a stepping stone to my future. Physical activity has always been a way for me to relieve stress and build strong connections with friends. After the end of my first year, I knew this was a job that I wanted to continue and work my way up in the program. When I was given the opportunity to become a supervisor, I took it in an instant. Since the first meeting I had with my fellow supervisors and boss, I knew this job was going to push me and teach me new skills. Every shift this past semester brought up new challenges, from injured players who needed attention, to equipment malfunctions and referees not showing up to their assigned shifts. The need to adjust and adapt is what makes this job and Recreational Management exciting to me. This role has given me the opportunity to push and work for change in my department that I believe will better our program. This past semester I worked alongside my colleagues and boss to propose a personal instagram account for Intramural Sports only, to the head of the department. We were successful and now have been granted the creative freedom to promote intramurals in a more effective way to our student population. This was the first time I was ever able to build a proposal and create real change to something I care about, that hopefully will have a lasting impact on our department. Having these opportunities has opened a door in job opportunities that I never knew I was interested in or could have. It has pushed my education in a new direction and given me extremely useful experience that I will be able to grow from for the rest of my life in whatever job I chose to do.

Within the context of the NIRSA Strategic Plan, what area/item would you say is a major issue students face today? How would you address this issue during your term?

One major issue that I feel students (and myself) face today is getting the most out of their campus athletic experiences, and the countless athletic job and leadership opportunities they might enjoy.

I know so many classmates who tell me that sports have always been the most important and meaningful part of their lives, yet when they arrive at campus, often far from home and existing social networks, they find it hard to restart their athletic interests, or even find a team. NIRSA already works hard to get us athletes through the door, but when we can get them to stay along with us that is the true cherry on top. By building this positive relationship with as many students as possible it trickles down to other students and then hopefully for years to come. With these students, their best memories are playing and being involved in competitive athletics, yet when they reach campus, and are suddenly without daily practices and regular games, it can feel like they’re missing a part of themselves. For the many students who do come and participate in intramurals once a week for an hour, they often head back to their dorms after the game. That’s it. They need to know what they’re missing! They could have a job and be involved in athletics every day. Yet, these people pack up after the final whistle and walk right by the front door to this new opportunity. They simply don’t know what they’re missing. We humans are visual learners, and when we can see people we know go into a workforce where they can be involved in sports everyday it suddenly puts that idea into their head. By being able to truly get the word out to college students about all that not only their school has to offer, but what NIRSA can do for them it can change their life forever. Schools need to show their students just what is possible. The best way to show students this is by having simple events like job fairs. But targeting their target audience. Where else to find people who love being physically active than having your job fair in the gym. Now people who had no idea, suddenly have an opportunity to hear what could be. By working with schools and NIRSA to set up physical opportunities to bring organizations and jobs to a school for their students allow for their students to become interested. I would work with connecting schools to the job market and alongside NIRSA set up the opportunities for schools to host events for their students, setting the first steps to hopefully a long and lasting relationship.

Describe your contributions to NIRSA (i.e. presentations, volunteering, previous leadership roles, etc.) and identify how your involvement and experiences qualify you to advocate for and serve the students of the Association.

I am new to the NIRSA community, and look forward to leaning into the community with energy. I learned about their important work this past fall semester from my boss, Gabby Merrill. Since then, I have applied for a UNH grant to have the opportunity to travel to Orlando, Florida, to attend the NIRSA National Conference. If I am fortunate enough to attend, I will use that experience not only to learn from attendees, and expand my professional horizons, but especially to explore ways to improve the UNH program for students to enjoy. I have taken a fondness to intramural sports, since joining a year ago. It is a great experience that I believe everyone in college should take advantage of. I want to see people find the same joy from it that I feel. That is why I’m focused on helping my manager, fellow referees, and classmates nudge the program in new directions, so that it can be running at its highest possible output. Knowing that I could be responsible for students having fun, letting off steam, and forging new friendships is a feeling I love, and hope to see expand through an even busier program at UNH. In addition to seeing my own program at the University of New Hampshire move in the right direction, I’d relish the opportunity to play a role in my district’s success in the future.

The Student Leadership Team focuses on student development and Student Member recruitment and retention. What skills, talents, and perspectives would you bring to the Student Leadership Team that would contribute to this focus?

I have always had a very outgoing personality. My mom has always said that I could make a friend anywhere. This is my biggest strength. Being able to strike up a conversation, and build a connection with someone who is completely different from me has allowed me to thrive in a range of situations, from waiting in line for a bus to joining a pickup basketball game during orientation, or going on a ski club trip without having a single friend by my side. When I find myself having strong feelings and being passionate for goals, it is hard to stop me. This relentless obsession and care for the work I do and love is what pushes me the most. When you truly care about something, you’ll do whatever it takes to see it succeed. This is how I feel about my work right now with intramural sports. I love it and want to see it succeed as a way to thank the campus rec family – we are something of a family! – for everything they have done for me so far at school. Being involved in team sports my whole life has played a massive role in how I work in a team. I’m okay stepping back to let my teammates step up to the plate in order for the group to succeed. Success is always the most important thing for me. Seeing positive change in something I care about is all I need. No glory. I know that I will still make my mark on the group, or raise important points if I need to. One of my biggest skills is my ability to adapt to change, and my openness to it. I’m definitely not a stubborn person and am always trying to look forward to the future, rather than being stuck on old ideas and beliefs. This ability to be open minded is perfect when trying to create a new culture and foster new ideas to help my campus rec family continue our goal to improve our work, and perhaps that of other NIRSA organizations, too.

Describe your leadership style. How will it benefit you and the rest of the Student Leadership Team?

Leading by example is how I conduct myself in a leadership position and it is what I have always found to be the most valuable and effective ways when learning. By showing your care and putting in the effort and hours to a common goal it can uplift your team. If I can show even one person my dedication and care to the goal it can help motivate them and build a better structure for the team. The best kind of teams are the ones that act if they are a family. My team with intramurals right now is as close as it gets. We can joke with one another and also push them to work hard for our common goal. This builds us into one solid unit and team. I know that if I get the opportunity to be a part of the leadership team I will work hard for the team and also work to bring us closer together as a team in order for us to reach our goals.

As a member of the Student Leadership Team, you have the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on the field of collegiate recreation. However, we acknowledge and respect that you are a student first. Explain your strategies for maintaining a healthy balance between your various roles (student, volunteer, athlete, employee, etc.).

I have found over time that when I have very little on my agenda I struggle the most to stay on top of work. Yet, when I have intramurals, work as a Residential Assistant, fraternity involvement and clubs all on top of my school work, I’m getting the best grades I can. I set specific times and dates for each task I need to complete. By setting up specific days for certain assignments or activities it means I get into routines on those days, allowing me to maximise my effort, and forcing me to complete my work to keep the schedule running smoothly. If I were selected as UNH’s regional representative, I would find the days that worked best to fit into my schedule and continue this pattern. Too much free time can be a curse for me and so I’m always looking for a new position or job to keep my mind occupied.