From Wednesday, Nov. 2 to Friday, Nov. 4, several students and staff from Associated Students Inc. (ASI) Campus Recreation were given the opportunity to present at the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Region VI Conference.
Attendees enjoy lunch as they listen to speakers.
NIRSA prides itself on assisting in the advancement of recreation, sport and wellness in higher education by “providing educational and developmental opportunities, generating and sharing knowledge, and promoting networking and growth for members.” Their annual Region VI Conference was held at the Riverside Convention Center in Riverside, California this year, and was themed “The Art of Recreation”.
While there, ASI student and professional staff made sure to make a lasting impact on all attendees. Students who participated in presentations this year are fourth-year kinesiology student Tyler Wong, fifth-year kinesiology exercise science student Erica Ojeda, kinesiology student Kyle Arabit and fourth-year mechanical engineering student Daniel Evangelista. Staff included Kaycee Tanioka, intramural (IM) sports coordinator.
Evangelista, who is currently an IM sports supervisor for Campus Rec, worked together with Tanioka to present “Creative Ways to Increase Female Participation in Intramural Sports” at the conference. Evangelista referred to the opportunity as the perfect way to demonstrate Cal Poly Pomona’s (CPP) “learn by doing” motto.
“Standing in front of a group of professionals from all across the region, some who have been working in campus recreation longer than I’ve been alive, and sharing my ideas with them was something many students won’t get the opportunity to do,” he said. “This presentation allowed me to grow as a speaker and presenter while making connections that I would never have been able to accomplish over an email or phone call. The experience I gained at this conference could not have been gained any other way and for that, I am grateful for the Emerging Leaders program we have with Campus Recreation.”
The Emerging Leaders program provides opportunities for participants to attend workshops, programs and events (such as conferences) led by professional staff throughout the year. Topics include resume and interview preparation, leadership, management and more.
Tanioka (center) and Evangelista (right) pose with another Campus Rec student.
The conference hosted numerous campuses in the Inland Empire, including but not limited to CPP, Cal Baptist University, Claremont McKenna, Cal State Long Beach, UC Riverside and more. For three days, students and staff had access to educational sessions, campus tours, workouts, activities and student lead-ons.
Ian Navarro, adventures coordinator at Campus Rec, had the pleasure of attending numerous sessions while at the conference.
“One of the best parts about the NIRSA conference is reestablishing connections with colleagues and friends from other universities within similar fields,” he said. “I was able to gain valuable insight into new programming opportunities and information on facility design and the best use of space. Watching the students make new connections and find a new possible career direction is also a very rewarding part of the experience.”
Fifth-year kinesiology exercise science student Erica Ojeda, who is also a fitness supervisor at Campus Rec, had the opportunity to present “Build Your Fitness”, a piece that discussed different ways campuses can improve their fitness programs.
“I think our presentation had a great impact on others,” Ojeda said. “Students from CSU Bakersfield have reached out to us in regards to implementing our programs at their campus. It was a great experience.”
Students from various campus fitness programs pose for the camera.
As the event closed Sunday morning, students and staff from different places and backgrounds walked away with new ideas, information and inspiration to make their own campus’s recreational programs the best they can possibly be.
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