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About Recreational Sports

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HokieBird posing in McComas Hall

Recreational Sports Mission

The Department of Recreational Sports enhances the quality of life for the university community by educating and encouraging participation in activities that promote healthy lifestyles, social interactions, and leadership skills. The department creates an atmosphere that encourages individuals to develop life-long involvement in recreational activities and is dedicated to meeting the changing needs of a diverse community by offering quality structured and informal recreational opportunities.

What we do

Recreational Sports provides opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage in physical activities to create healthy lifestyle habits. We also provide opportunities for youth in the community to start living an active life. We do this in a variety of ways:

  • Open Recreation: Students, faculty, and staff are invited to come to one of our two gym facilities to workout (just swipe in with a Hokie Passport) - hop on your favorite cardio machine, lift weights, play a pick-up sport, swim, run on the track, and more!
  • Fitness: We offer group exercise classes, personal training, small group training, and instructional dance classes as ways to stay active.
  • Aquatics: We have a pool in each of our gym facilities that are available for lap swim. We also offer youth and adult swim lessons.
  • Intramural Sports: This is a great way to play a sport you love – or maybe just one you want to try! Intramural teams play against other teams here on campus. We offer more than 30 options, so find some that you want to try.
  • Sport Clubs: We have 30 sport club teams that practice during the week and travel to compete against teams from other schools. Continue a sport that you've played your whole life, or find a new one that you want to learn!
  • Venture Out: We live in a beautiful area of the country. Venture Out is your best way to get outside and explore the area – sign up for one of their many trips, rent or buy equipment from their shop, or use them as a resource to plan your own outdoor adventure!
  • Youth Programs: We offer swim lessons, gymnastics lessons, yoga, and Zumba ® to children and youth in the community. No university affiliation required!

Aspirations

In partnership with the Division of Student Affairs, Recreational Sports aspires to influence students to commit to unwavering curiosity, pursue self-understanding, practice civility, prepare for courageous leadership, and embrace UT Prosim.

Rec Sports builds a Healthy Hokie community by...

  • Creating opportunities for student to practice healthy behaviors
  • Developing employment opportunities and leadership programs for students to grow and practice leadership skills
  • Offering programs and activities that allow students to practice and exhibit sportsmanship, respect, and civility
  • Providing activities for students to seek involvement, form relationships, and try new activities
  • Teaching students the importance of goal setting and sharing helpful strategies they can use to successfully accomplish them
  • Contributing to a student's ability to develop meaningful career paths by assisting him/her to identify individual interests, values, skills, and abilities.