Beruflich Dokumente
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WCU CAMPUS
RECREATION
AND
WELLNESS
INTRAMURAL
SPORT
ASSESSMENT
REPORT
PREPARED BY
MEGHAN BLIZZARD,
SOPHIA CALHOUN, &
WILLIAM CRANDALL
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Message from the Team
About Intramurals
Literature Review
Theoretical Framework
Methodology
Findings
Recommendations: Environment
Limitations
References
Appendix
PAGE 1
MESSAGE FROM
THE TEAM
Our team was asked to work with WCU’s Campus Recreation and Wellness (CRW) team
to assess WCU’s Intramural Sport program and identify reasons for limited female
student participation. We were asked to suggest recommendations on how to improve
the program for greater female engagement and participation. In this report, readers will
find information on intramural sport at WCU, a literature review and benchmarking data
on the subject of trends in intramural sport and sport and exercise participation prior to
college, details on our methodology and assessment design, an analysis of our findings,
our team's recommendations for moving forward, and a brief synopsis of the limitations
of our assessment process. The information given in this report is written to provide
WCU’s Campus Recreation and Wellness team as well as the WCU community with
tangible data and recommendations for finding ways to engage female students in
intramural sport at WCU.
Sincerely,
Meghan, Sophia, & William
PAGE 2
ABOUT
INTRAMURALS In the beginnings of higher education,
university-sponsored physical education
and organized sports were virtually
nonexistent (Stewart, 1992). On campus,
students had to create their own
unofficial group sport activities to occupy
their free time outside of classes
(Stewart, 1992). However, the idea of
unorganized group sports on campus took
off and thus intramurals were born. By
the early twentieth century, college
institutions began to employ higher
administrators tasked with overseeing
intramurals and making it a permanent
part of campus life (Stewart, 1992).
Today, intramural sports are an option for
physical activity students can participate
in during their free time on campus.
Western Carolina University’s Campus
Recreation Center (CRC) boasts 40
different activities focused on providing a
variety of options for students. In
Intramural sport, students are
encouraged to gather friends to form
teams and can incorporate members from
across campus. All demographics of
students are welcome to join and even
create co-ed teams. With no cost or
eligibility for participation, Intramurals
offer an opportunity for Western
Carolina students to interact together
and stay healthy.
PARTICIPATION DEMOGRAPHICS
A wealth of research exists surrounding the demographics of intramural and A REVIEW OF
exercise participation in college. In 2015, The Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported that 25.9% of individuals aged 15-25 engage in physical activity on THE
a regular basis (BLS, 2015). The level of regular physical activity drops to
18.5% in adults aged 25-54 (BLS, 2015). Within those age groups, males LITERATURE
were reported to engage in physical activities increasingly more than their
female counterparts (BLS, 2015). Age plays a significant role in determining
preferred activities. Individuals aged 15-25 preferred to participate in team
or competition based sports, while adults aged 25-54 engaged in solo
activities, such as hiking or running (BLS, 2015). It is also important to note
that the types of activities preferred differed along gender lines. Sports such
as baseball, football, and soccer attracted male participants. Women, by
contrast, were more interested in engaging in yoga or aerobics (BLS 2015).
GENERAL BARRIERS AFFECTING PARTICIPATION PAGE 3
Beyond age, gender, and type of activity, literature presents other barriers that
affect participation in intramural sports. Phipps, Cooper, Shores, Williams, and
Mize (2015) found that a student’s community engagement is a factor when
considering intramural participation (p. 115). Younger students, typically
Freshmen, participate in intramural sports more often because it provides
them an opportunity to develop a campus community (Phipps et al., 2015). As
students reach their junior year, however, they become more invested in other
outlets, such as their academic department, and no longer require the
community intramurals provided to build community (Phipps et al., 2015).
However, research did indicate that students who habitually participated in
intramurals in their early college years, continued to engage even as an
upperclassman (Phipps et al., 2015). Artinger, Clapham, and Hunt (2006) found
that intramurals assisted in campus social integration for students who
participated. Freshmen were found to benefit socially and participate at higher
rates than upperclassmen (Artinger et al., 2015). On-campus living factored
into participation as well, with residential students partaking in intramural
activities more than commuters (Artinger et al., 2015). Cho and Price (2018)
found that cultural factors may also influence intramural participation, noting
that multicultural students cited a distaste of competitive activities as a reason
for not participating.
To obtain direct information from female students at WCU with regards to their
involvement in sport and recreation, as well as intramural sport specifically, we spoke
with roughly 30 female students to understand their reasons for either participating or
not participating in intramural sport at WCU. We asked these women about their
knowledge of intramural sport at WCU, whether or not they participated, and then why
they did or did not choose to participate. The women we spoke to included first-year
Honors students in a USI 101 College Transitional course, student workers in the UC,
students involved in the International Programs and Services office, Orientation
Counselors, and students involved in the Center for Service Learning. We compiled the
responses from these conversations to determine themes that emerged of similar
responses to our questions.
At the request of the CRW team we also conducted a semi-formal focus group with
female students that were known participants in sport and recreation through the
Department of Campus Recreation and Wellness. The purpose of this focus group was to
understand their motivation for participation and continued engagement with the CRW,
their thoughts on the intramurals program, as well as what they believed to be possible
barriers to participation for other women. We had 3 women participate in our
coversation, all of which had participated in intramurals at WCU at one point or were
currently participating. Our questions focused around their previous sport experience
prior to college, their preferences regarding sport and exercise as college students, their
thoughts on the intramurals program, and any thoughts they had on recommendations
for improving the program (see Appendix D).
PAGE 7
FINDINGS
National and State
U.S. FEMALE
Trend Data
Comparisons
POPULATION: %
The Bureau of Labor Statistics NC OVERALL
(BLS) reported less than 18% of
the national female population
POPULATION: %
was engaged in sports or WCU FEMALE
exercise between the years of POPULATION:
2003-2015 (BLS, 2015) (see %
Appendix B, Figure 1). On the
State level, the BLS reported NC Public School
that in North Carolina, the
Requirements and
percentage of the overall
population (both male and Incoming Student
female) engaged in daily sport Expectations
or exercise between 15%-17% As mentioned previously, we also reviewed NC public
(BLS, 2015) (see Appendix B, school requirements in order to determine what
Figure 2). Over a 3-year period, WCU's incoming students have likely experienced in
WCU reported an average of high school with regards to sport and exercise (NC
17% of the female student Department of Public Instruction, 2017).
population participating in
intramural sport on campus We found that NC High School Graduation
with the highest participation Requirements dictate only 1-Credit Hour
being 22% and the lowest being of Health and Physical Education is
12% (see Appendix C, Figure 1). required to graduate
When compared with national
and state trend data, WCU
aligns closely with expected
sport and exercise participation BLS data also showed the average time spent
levels with respect to engaged in daily sport or physical exercise between
intramural sport given common 2009-2015 was less than 2 hours for both males and
trends of female sport
females, and 1.2 hours for women (BLS, 2015) (see
participation.
Appendix B, Figure 6). This data can serve to inform
and set expectations as to the level of sport and
exercise involvement we will see at the college
level.
FINDINGS
PAGE 8
Informal Conversations
with Women at WCU
Through our conversations with women on campus about why they did or
did not participate in intramural sport, we found that 3 themes emerged:
The majority of the women we spoke to were unaware of the Intramural sport program at WCU.
They expressed a lack of knowledge both of what the program was, and also what the term
"intramural" meant in reference to sport and exercise. Another common response was the reality
of available time commitment among students. Many women noted that they were currently very
involved on campus, indeed so involved that the possibility of taking on participation in
intramural sport would pull their time from other responsibilities and engagements, including
their academic endeavors. Finally, a smaller number of students expressed that they had indeed
registered for an intramural sport at one point, but had never participated. Some noted that male
friends had requested they register to form a team but had never intended to include the female
players, and instead only needed a female on the roster to form the team. Others said they had
signed up but then found they could not honor the time commitment.
FINDINGS
PAGE 10
Semi-Formal Focus
Group Responses
Time Commitment:
Of the 3 women we spoke to, 2 women had only participated in intramurals for 1 academic year. 1 of
these 2 women cited academic pressures and other involvement on campus as her main time
commitments, stating she simply could not dedicate time to intramurals anymore. However, 1 woman
had continued to participate for several years saying: "intramurals take priority."
PARTICIPATION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
After reviewing trend data and literature, having conversations with women at WCU,
and compiling focus group responses, we have established 4 possible barriers to entry
for women participating in intramural sport at WCU.
Lack of Knowledge
about intramural sports and their purpose on
campus.
Lack of Experience
with sport, recreation, and exercise prior to
college.
Environment
of the recreation center on campus and other
activity spaces where intramurals are held.
Time Commitment
that students have available to dedicate to
intramural sport.
LACK OF PAGE 12
KNOWLEDGE:
RECOMMENDATIONS
Webpage Development:
The current WCU Intramurals webpage offers limited information on the purpose of
intramural sports, how to get involved, and the benefits of being involved. Providing easily
accessible information via this online resource is important to consider as many women may
choose to independently research intramurals at WCU before seeking to participate.
EXPERIENCE:
RECOMMENDATIONS
Sport Descriptions:
In line with our recommendation to develop the WCU Intramural webpage further, we recommend
the addition of a brief description of each intramural sport offered to this webpage. These
descriptions can provide information to women curious to learn more about what sports are
offered and what skills are needed to participate.
ENVIRONMENT:
RECOMMENDATIONS
Intramural Ambassadors:
As mentioned in the recommendation for coaching, we recommend establishing a group of
students currently participating in intramurals to serve as Ambassadors for intramurals. These
Ambassadors could not only spread the word about intramurals around campus, they could also
serve as a support system and mentors for new student participants.
COMMITMENT:
RECOMMENDATIONS
Availability Surveys:
We recommend releasing surveys to the campus community inquiring information about student
availability. We believe the CRW will be better able to offer opportunities that align with student
needs if there is a better understanding of the amount of time students can realistically dedicate to
recreational activities like intramurals.
PAGE 16
LIMITATIONS
Our team experiences 2 primary limitations while conducting our assessment, these limitations
were: lack of participation in focus group offerings, and lack of intramural-specific reference
data.
We hosted 2 rounds of focus groups (4 times offered in total) in the hopes to conduct formal
conversations with women on campus about whether or not they were involved in intramural
sports. Unfortunately, we did not receive any participants in our initial 2 rounds of focus
groups. Therefore, the only formal focus group information we obtained was through our final
semi-formal focus group which was organized by the CRW team (see page 10). The information
we received from this focus group was valuable, but also limited. For this focus group we were
only able to speak with 3 women, and all 3 of these women had either participated or were
currently participating in intramural sports, therefore their insight was limited as to why other
women may choose not to participate. In the future, we would recommend hosting additional
opportunities for formal conversations so as to continue learning more about women on
campus with regard to participation in exercise and sport. We have provided our focus group
designs as a reference for future offerings (see Appendix D and E).
Our team also struggled to find data specific to intramural participation. Therefore, much of our
sport and exercise data is with regard to national sport and exercise trend data. A member of our
team attempted to contact our regional National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association
(NIRSA) representative, but did not receive a response. In the future we would recommend once
again contacting this representative in order to gather regionally-specific data as well as data
specific to intramural participation.
References PAGE 17
Artinger, L., Clapham, L., Hunt, C., Meigs, M., Milord, N., Sampson, B., & Forrester, S. A. (2006). The
social benefits of intramural sports. Naspa Journal, 43(1), 69-86.
Bussey, K. (2011). Gender identity development. In Handbook of identity theory and research (pp.
603-628). Springer, New York, NY.
Cho, D., & Price, T. (2018). Leisure Constraints to Participation in Competitive Activities and
Intramural Sports: Comparing International and Domestic Students. Journal of International
Students, 8(2).
Cooper, N., Schuett, P. A., & Phillips, H. M. (2012). Examining intrinsic motivations in campus
intramural sports. Recreational Sports Journal, 36(1), 25-36.
Everhart, B., Kernodle, M., Ballard, K., McKey, C., Eason, B., & Weeks, M. (2005). Physical activity
patterns of college students with and without high school physical education. Perceptual and
Motor Skills, 100(3_suppl), 1114-1120. doi:10.2466/pms.100.3c.1114-1120
Hanson, S. L., & Kraus, R. S. (1999). Women in male domains: Sport and science. Sociology of Sport
Journal, 16(2), 92-110.
Kuga, D. J., & Meacci, W. G. (1989). Intramural sports programming for women: A continuum
1982-1988. NIRSA Journal, 13(2), 45-48.
Lesser, L. I., & Bisogni, C. A. (2003). Organized and spontaneous physical activity in the transition
from high school to college. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 35(1).
doi:10.1097/00005768-200305001-01905
Miller, L., & Penz, O. (1991). Talking bodies: Female bodybuilders colonize a male
preserve. Quest, 43(2), 148-163.
References PAGE 18
Phipps, C., Cooper, N., Shores, K., Williams, R., & Mize, N. (2015). Examining the relationship
between intramural sports participation and sense of community among college
students. Recreational Sports Journal, 39(2), 105-120.
Rothwell, E., & Theodore, P. (2006). Intramurals and college student development: The role of
intramurals on values clarification. Recreational Sports Journal, 30(1), 46-52.
doi:10.1123/rsj.30.1.46
SHAPE America. (2016). Infographic: “Shape the Nation State Profile North Carolina. Retrieved
from https://www.shapeamerica.org/advocacy/son/
2016/upload/SON_-North_-Carolina_-2016.pdf. Copy Right 2016.
Strong, W.B., Malina, R. M., Blimkie, C. J., Daniels, S. R., Dishman, R. K., Gutin, B., Hergenroeder, A.
C., Must, A., Nixon, P. A., Pivarnik, J. M., Rowland, T. Trost, S., & Trudeau, F. (2005). Evidence-
based physical activity for school-age youth. Journal of Pediatrics, 146(6), 732-
737. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2005.01.055
Western Carolina University (WCU). (2018). 2018 Student Body Profile. Retrieved from
https://www.wcu.edu/WebFiles/OIPE/IPE_WCU_Profile_2018.pdf
Young, K. (1997). Women, sport and physicality: Preliminary findings from a Canadian
study. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 32(3), 297-305.
Appendix A: NC Feeder High PAGE 19
School Sport Offerings
Appendix B: BLS Statistical Data PAGE 20
(BLS, 2015)
Figure B.1: Percentage of population engaged in sports and exercise on an average day, by sex
(all ages), 2003-2015
Figure B.2 Percentage of population engaged in sports and exercise on an average day, by state (all
ages), 2009-2015
Figure B.3 Percent distribution by sex of people aged 15 and older who engaged in sports and PAGE 21
exercise on an average day, by specific activity, 2009-2015
Figure B.4 Percent distribution by age group of people who engaged in sports and exercise on
an average day, by specific activity, 2009-2015
Figure B.5 Percentage of people who engaged in sports and exercise on an
PAGE 22
average day, by sex (all ages), in the presence of others
Figure B.6 Average hours that people who engaged in sports and exercise activities on an
average day spent doing them, by age and sex
Appendix C: WCU Female
PAGE 23
Intramural Participation Trends
(all information provided by CRW
team)
Appendix D.1 Focus Group Conversational Layout (Designed for those that were
known to have participated in intramurals)
Appendix E: Initial Focus Group
PAGE 28
Design and Materials
Appendix E. 1 Focus Group Conversational Layout (Designed for those that may or
may not have participated in intramurals)