RecLife Magazine | Spring 2024

RECLIFE

HOWDY

Read all about Mike Waldron’s experience at Texas A&M Rec Sports and his upcoming retirement on page 6!

The spring 2024 semester completes 98 years of operations for Rec Sports on the Texas A&M campus since Dr. Walter L “Penny” Penberthy arrived from Ohio State University to start TAMU Intramural Athletics in 1926. One can only imagine that Penny was in synch with the vison that Dr. Suess so eloquently phrased in the 1990s: “Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.”

Who could have imagined that a brash young Irish Catholic guy from inner city Boston would find his professional home in Penny’s program for 41 great years working with the students of Texas A&M? When I arrived in 1983, our staff was located under the east stands of Kyle Field in the old East Kyle building, which was our primary facility along with DeWare Field House and the old Penberthy Outdoor Field Complex located on the current site of the Rec! Now, Aggies get to utilize stateof-the-art facilities in the Student Rec Center, Southside, Polo Road, Penberthy Rec Sports Complex, PEAP, and Omar Smith Tennis Courts!

My 41-year professional journey will conclude with my retirement in July having enjoyed the interactions and lasting relationships with literally hundreds of thousands of Aggies over the years! Thank you for the journey; I know that only great things are in Texas A&M Rec Sports’ future, or as Dr. Suess reminds us, “Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.”

As I bid you adieu, I leave you with my favorite Irish Blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand!

Michael G “Wally” Waldron Associate Director – Human Resources & Contracts

SPRING 2024 ISSUE

Many first-generation Aggies are the first in their families to brave college life; learn how some students found a home with Intramural Sports.

For the first time in five years, Texas A&M Racquetball sent a full men’s team of six to USA Racquetball National Intercollegiate Championships.

The Kinslow family makes working at Texas A&M Rec Sports a tradition, from mother to daughter. See how Rec Sports supports student employees, generation to generation!

VonDrehle

Alex Gonzales

Mason Kautz

Devanand Mahesh

Dhruv Ruttala

After 40 years of service to the Texas A&M community, Associate Director Mike Waldron retires this summer. Walron exits with decades of experience guiding student staff, leading multiple program areas within Rec Sports, and excellence in business management.

RecLIFE magazine is the departmental publication for Texas A&M Rec Sports. We pride ourselves on fostering community with Aggies over decades and across the country by showcasing success stories, welcoming new members of the Rec Sports family, and keeping you informed on what’s new with the nation’s best collegiate recreation program.

IN BLUE TRENDSETTERS

First-generation Aggies find their home in Intramural Sports

Finding a community can be difficult for students as they transition to college, even in a place as welcoming as Texas A&M University. That challenge can be even greater for first-generation college students.

Such was the case for Jose Duron Montelongo ’24 and Caleb Will ’25. Both students, first-generation Aggies, worried about taking the right steps on their path to college—finding the right direction to success, building networks to last a lifetime, and making memories every step of the way.

“As a first-gen student and immigrant, there was not much first-hand information or advice from any family member or friend,” Will said.

Yet both students found their place of work, play, and community in the intramural sports program with Recreational Sports. Both started as intramural participants and collected fond memories with teammates in their time in the

intramural leagues before joining a new team: the intramural staff. Montelongo now works as an intramural official and supervisor for flag football and soccer; and Will fills the same roles for flag football.

“Intramural Sports helped me find a community at Texas A&M by allowing me to connect with other people that love watching and participating in sports,” Montelongo said.

“After two years of officiating and supervising, I can comfortably say Intramural Sports has helped me make lifelong friends with my coworkers.”

“Meeting the people that I’ve built friendships with, playing the sports I grew up playing, and having a job that fits my class schedule has maximized my student

experience,” Will said.

While many of today’s college graduates are secondor even third-generation college students, the courage of a first-generation student “making it” by their own determination is truly remarkable.

When asked what advice he would give to students looking to be their first in their family to don an Aggie ring a rock a college degree, Will said, “Regardless of skill level or athleticism, there is something in the Rec Sports program that you will enjoy. I would also suggest that any student looking for a job should

consider applying to work with the intramural program for all the pluses it brings.”

The intramural sports program had 13,775 unique participants during the fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters. While the department is proud of the size and scope of the program—one of the largest in the country—it is the individual impacts that matter the most. We are proud to have Montelongo and Will as staff members and participants and appreciate their efforts to make the intramural program a welcoming place for all Aggies.

JOSE DURON MONTELONGO ‘24

CALEB WILL ‘25

MAKING A SPLASH

First year GA, Leah Bolitho, surpasses Graduate Assistantship expectations

When Leah Bolitho first considered her grad school options, trading in her Florida State’s garnet and gold for Texas A&M’s maroon and white seemed daunting. When packing away her whole life and moving almost 800 miles away from Florida—the place she grew up, went to school, and where her family still resides—she never thought that Texas would be the home it is. But after a year as a graduate assistant with Aquatics, everything is going swimmingly.

“I found such a community in the people at Rec Sports,” she said. “Looking back, I really wouldn’t have it any other way. I was meant to end up here.”

As a GA, Bolitho is responsible for managing Aquatics staff, facilities, and events.

Her schedule varies from day to day, but she mainly works with full-time staff to support student employees. Sometimes, that means sitting and talking with a lifeguard after challenging training exercises.

“Knowing that I was able to coach someone through something that they were having a tough time in gives me a lot of confidence,” Bolitho said. “I think our staff doesn’t realize enough how much we truly care about all of them as individuals and how much we care about their development.

Working in Aquatics often means high stakes, but Bolitho finds a unique reward in risk management; she is credited with completely changing the culture around audits and training.

“At the end of the day, this is a really important job, and you can save someone’s life,” she said. “Know-

ing that our lifeguards and our staff are trained, capable, and confident in doing so gives me a lot more peace, not only as a patron but as someone who’s trained them and now has my name behind their training.”

Her time with Rec Sports is not quite over yet, though. As she prepares for her second year as GA, Bolitho knows exactly what she wants to add to her repertoire.

“Something that I’m looking to work towards moving into my second year is making this place feel even more like home for our staff and lifeguards,” she said. “Making them feel like

they’re a valuable and important part of this team is something I want to learn how to be good at.”

After a year of advocating for student staff, revamping the audit system, training lifeguards, and managing events, Bolitho personifies much more than a model Rec Sports graduate assistant.

“The Rec has defined, for me, what it means to be an Aggie,” Bolitho said. “Working here, I embody a lot of the values of Texas A&M, and I’m able to work with a lot of different user groups within A&M. I think that Rec Sports has a great way of bringing people together.”

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FINISH LINE WALDRON REACHES THE

Mike Waldron retires after 40+ years with Rec Sports

Mike Waldron joined the Department of Recreational Sports (then the Intramural-Recreational Sports Department) at the beginning of the fall 1983 semester. Like several of his coworkers at the time, he planned on spending 2-3 years in College Station before taking his talents elsewhere, but Aggieland has a way of making an impact on folks, even when they least expect it. Earlier this year, Mike was recognized for 40 years of service to Texas A&M University, and in July 2024, he’ll retire from the department, leaving behind a great legacy within Rec Sports and the campus community.

When Mike arrived in Texas, he had just completed graduate school at the University of Miami. Before that, he had grown up in Boston and achieved his undergraduate degree at the University of Massachusetts. At a conference, Mike met some of the A&M staff and said that he, “Liked their spirit.”

The rest is history.

It is likely that he is the only Rec Sports staff member with experience as a vendor in Fenway Park. His accent was then and still remains an indication that perhaps he isn’t from Texas; he’s glad to share that he could “Pahk his cah in Hahvahd Yahd” without ever needing to use the letter “r”.

Mike’s primary responsibility then was training sports officials in the

intramural sports program, often the supervisor for flag football and basketball. In those days, it wasn’t unusual to have 100-120 officials for basketball as well as 500-600 teams. Additionally, he oversaw the emergency medical care program. Mike was a proponent of student development from the beginning, seeking to train and trust his student staff to create positive outcomes. Mike’s approach to management and personal interactions with students created significant loyalty in the program, especially among student supervisors. As Kyle Dicke ’92 recalls,

“Wally’s larger-thanlife personality and his northeastern accent always made him the life of the party, the center of attention, and oftentimes the target of some good-natured humor. Wally took it all in stride, smiled through it all, and often gave it back, just as much as it was given to him.”

In 1992, Mike transitioned from intramural sports to facility operations, just in time for preparations of the new Student Recreation Center, set to be on-location of the then-Penberthy intramural fields. Mike was selected to be the facility manager, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the facility. Until the Rec Center opened,

however, he managed the Read Building/G. Rollie White, DeWare Field House, and the golf driving range spaces true Rec Sports veterans remember. Mike got to experience his first locker clearing; Bobby Byrd ’92 recalls working with Mike to generate the clean out report, order the pizzas, get the bolt cutters (just in case), and see what would be discovered. In reminiscence, Bobby said, “Thankfully, funky workout clothes were the worst things encountered that night.” As if planning for a facility opening wasn’t keeping him busy enough, Mike was also working on a second graduate degree and completed his MBA in 1995, joining the ranks of the Association of Former Students.

The Rec Center would open on August 26, 1995, and while it’s easy to take the department’s flagship facility for granted almost 30 years later, the opening of the Rec Center was a transformative moment for Rec Sports and the Texas A&M campus. The student staff had to grow significantly and quickly, and this led to utilization of student hiring committees that are now commonplace in the department. According to Mike, “We learned that our student interviewers got great experience and bought in even more to the overall operations having been given the responsibility.”

In terms of building a customer service culture at the Rec, Jason Boyle ’97 said that Mike’s saying for the staff was, “There’s no such thing as it’s not my job.” Jennifer Boyle ’97 recounts that Mike would often answer your questions with another question− which was challenging at the time but helped make the staff better thinkers. She said that, “I still consider my time in Rec Sports as a major contributor to my ability to problem-solve, think on my feet, and deal with others. Wally took us under his wing, but he also let us shine very brightly!”

In 1998, Mike was promoted to an associate director position, providing leadership to both the intramural

sports and sport clubs programs. Using his prior experience with intramurals, Mike was able to find good synergies between the two program areas.

In 2000, he was placed over the business services area of the department, combining his passion for creating positive recreational opportunities with his skills and expertise from his MBA. Mike has helped ensure that Rec Sports is a good steward of students’ money as well and implementing programs consistent with the department’s mission. Among other responsibilities, Mike has played a key role in risk management, budgeting, capital projects, professional development, pricing, contracts, information technology, and human resources.

Mike is most proud of developing the Rec Sports Student Wage Scale with Rick Hall back in 1994, ahead of the

Rec’s opening. Mike commented,

“I have continued to oversee the evolution of the Rec Sports Wage Scale to this day which, while not perfect, has been a mainstay in allowing Rec Sports to recruit and maintain the largest student workforce on campus.”

While Mike’s impact has been recognized on campus with the Randy Matson ’67 Association of Former Students Award, his legacy is not confined to the Texas A&M campus. He has been an active member of NIRSA, the professional association for collegiate recreation; served as Texas state director in 1992-94; vice president and member of the board of directors in 2006-2008; and finally as president

of the association during the 2010-11 academic year. He was also recognized with the NIRSA Region IV Award of Merit in 2013. Mike is highly regarded for his impact on not only the NIRSA organization but the numerous professionals and students he has mentored over the years.

In retirement, Mike will remain happily in Bryan; he recently built a new home with his niece, her husband, and their two kids next door. “I see a lot of baseball, softball, and youth activities in my future,” he said. Mike will still be a member of the Texas A&M staff, working for the Athletic Department as a statistician for football and basketball games as well as operating the action clock for baseball games. He also plans to become a marshal at the Texas A&M Golf Club and enjoy visiting his many friends and family throughout the country.

INTRODUCING THE OPERATIONS TRIAD

Operations & Events GAs transition into professional roles, leveraging Aggie ‘magic’ for future careers

There’s no one, all-encompassing list of responsibilities that could even begin to fully address the many tasks allotted to the Operations & Events graduate assistants. If there is a matter to be addressed around any of the seven facilities across campus, one can expect to find a grad student seeing to it.

After almost a year now of being an Operations graduate assistant, Demaris Darnell is no stranger to a to-do list littered with diverse undertakings.

“I like to say that I’m a ‘yes man,’ so whatever our bosses give us to do, I’m going to be one of those people running around helping with all of the facilities, equipment and our associates,” Darnell said.

With innumerable athletic and recreational spaces catering to the needs of hundreds of students at a time,

Operations & Events graduate assistants are essential to Rec Sports’ smooth and efficient, well, operation. Second year graduate student Sean Moran, for instance, was not satisfied with former equipment tracking methods−a survey of yes or no questions–and took matters into his own hands.

“Last year I developed a whole intricate spreadsheet to track all of our equipment,” Moran said. “Instead of having to search through hundreds and hundreds of sheets, I can just look at the spreadsheet. That's something I take pride in. When I was doing equipment, that was a big change, and it freed up a lot of my time.”

The projects that assistants take on absolutely streamline the many aspects of facilitating Rec Sports, from equipment to associates. However, it’s not always about efficiency. Coming into their own as young professionals, the graduate assistantship also encour-

ages students to venture into the world of community building, a calling any Aggie is well-suited for.

“Trying to make a family out of such a large staff has been one of my bigger projects,” Darnell said. “How we can break down our staff, get them [to be] friends that come in and are excited to work together instead of just seeing each other day-to-day is one of the projects that I’ve gotten to work on.’”

These blooming professionals, however, are still students. First-year graduate assistant Emma Baker’s time management approach was complicated by academic responsibilities.

“Being in grad school and still working every day has been something I’ve had to work on managing,” Baker said. “Balancing homework, social life, and work was a learning curve but we’re doing a lot better now.”

Work/life balance is one

Demaris Darnell MS Sport Management

Sean Moran MS Sport Management

Emma Baker MS Sport Management

of many skills graduate students enhance during their assistantship. Moran learned to love his job. Baker settled into a newfound confidence. Darnell learned to separate herself from the student she was so used to being.

“The soft skill that I’ve developed the most is learning how to be a professional in my own skin,” Darnell said. “It's an interesting transition from undergrad to being a graduate student because you’re so used to being the ones who are down at the desk and now being upstairs and being considered one of the professionals.”

Transitioning from student employee to graduate assistant was, although a big undertaking for Darnell, still just a small step in the right direction−whole careers lie ahead.

“We have seven facilities that we overlook on cam-

pus,” Moran said. “That is a big advantage coming from a smaller school. Seeing the large scale prepares graduate assistants in their future if they stay in campus recreation or universities. It’s much easier to apply everything we’ve learned here into smaller programs.”

“It’s a great developmental position,” Baker said. “You get to work with so many different people from so many different backgrounds which prepares you to go into the workforce. You also have so many great mentors here with so many great connections that are really trying to help you succeed. They all want the best for you.”

Texas A&M University may be known for the networking opportunities, but the real “magic,” according to Baker, lies in the resulting community. From connections to experience to being a part of something magic, graduate assistants manage to grow the Operations & Events team and their own careers with every item they check off of

“Being at A&M means a lot to me,” Darnell said. “They gave a chance to someone who had a lot of smaller experience. Being able to come and learn on such a bigger scale is awesome. To see that culture, how people care so much about their school, and how their school spirit drives them has really rubbed off on me.”

“You get to work with so many different people from so many different backgrounds which prepares you to go into the workforce.”

Emma Baker MS Sport Management

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the to-do list.

Sean Moran (left), Emma Baker (center), and Demaris Darnell posing in front of the Member Services desk inside the Student Rec Center.

Demaris Darnell (left), Emma Baker (center), and Sean Moran meet on the Student Rec Center terrace to create action plans for upcoming events.

A FAMILY BUSINESS

The Kinslow family makes working at Texas A&M Rec Sports a tradition, from mother to daughter.

Rec Sports has been proud of the fact that so many of our current and former student staff have recommended working with our department to their siblings, children, friends, and significant others over the years. It’s very gratifying when former students keep in touch over the years and then recommend to their children that Rec Sports might be a great place to work. While the names and faces may change with time (although a lot of them stay the same in Rec Sports!), we strive to continue offering great experiences to the next generation.

Once such case is Laura Kinslow ’99 and her daughter, Katelynn Kinslow ’22. Laura joined as a new staff member just as the Rec Center was opening in 1995.

“I heard about the Rec Center opening at my New Student Conference during the summer of 1995,” Laura said. “I was lucky to be one of a few freshman student workers to be hired when the Rec Center opened in the fall, and I worked for Rec Sports all four years.”

Working for Rec Sports was a great fit for Laura—not only was she working in a brand-new facility, but sports and fitness had always been a part of her life.

Laura began as a facility attendant, worked her way up to a supervisor position, and worked as a student assistant in the office, tasked with making the staff schedule. While the department utilizes software for developing and posting schedules online these days, Laura was confronted with paper availability, conflict forms, and battling the copier every week or two to create schedules for the 100-150 staff members on the facility operations team.

As Katelynn came to A&M in 2018, Mom advised, “Working for Rec Sports was the perfect way to meet new people and plug in at Texas A&M. Best college job ever.”

It wasn’t too difficult convincing Katelynn to join the Rec Sports team. She said, “Both my mom and my aunt worked at the Rec while they were students, and

growing up I heard lots of stories about how much they enjoyed their time working there. I always hoped that one day I would get to follow in their footsteps.”

Just like her mother, Katelynn began as a facility attendant but was promoted through the ranks to facility supervisor. Much like her mother, Katelynn said her favorite part about working at the Rec was the people.

“The entire staff created a family atmosphere that made campus feel like home away from home,” Katelynn said. “It was especially comforting for me as several members of the professional staff knew my family well, so I felt like I always had people who cared and looked out for me.”

Speaking of professional staff, another common thread in Laura’s and Katelynn’s experiences was Evelyn Dorsey, Rec Sports’ Member Services Coordinator. According to Laura, “We always had Evelyn looking out for us!” Katelynn described working morning shifts with Evelyn

and enjoying some of the quieter times.

“We talked about everything under the moon, and Evelyn shared with me some funny stories of my parents back in the day,” she said. “My favorite part of the Rec was getting to connect with the people that make it so special!”

Parents and kids are not going to have the exact same experience at A&M nor with Rec Sports, but we are glad that Katelynn reported that some important things remained the same.

“My experience was similar to my mom’s in that the Rec was how I made my first friends and felt at home at A&M.”

A CAMP OF CODERS BIDS AGGIELAND FAREWELL

OA staff walk from climbs and crags to coding careers

It is by no means absurd to hear the name “Outdoor Adventures” and envision carabiners, tents, and hiking trails, but you would be remiss to assume that the Outdoor Adventures crew consists solely of caricature outdooorsmen without care beyond the rivers and trees.

A kaleidoscopic assortment of Aggies comprise the Outdoor Adventures staff. Students of various ages, majors, and homelands busy the walls of kayaks, maps, and climbing equipment that make the Outdoor Adventures Rental Center, but for Roee Belkin, Ansley Thompson, and Emily Wax, one trait conjoins them: they are all computer science majors bidding Aggieland farewell this May as they step into the workforce.

Though these three could once be seen united in the development of junior OA staff, they will go in separate ways to conquer the world of computer science, each day utilizing skills they developed walking in and out of the Outdoor Adventures Rental Center.

Ansley Thompson, the lively one of the bunch, has served OA in a few different respects. From the standard shift worker, she grew into greater responsibilities as the Rental Center supervisor, trip staffer, and program assistant for Outdoor Adventures. More than her responsibilities in her various roles, however, she shines in establishing connections between her coworkers and clients, teaching others the technical skills needed for different ventures and making the Rec feel more like home.

“Investing in the staff and the community here has been really special for me because I’ve also received so many benefits from that community,” Thompson said. “Being able to teach people how to tie in for the first time at the climbing wall to how to lead climb, how to build anchors, and taking them outdoor climbing for the first time—personally, that’s a really fulfilling thing to me to know that something that I love is being passed on through this organization that I also love.”

She continued, “When you enjoy who you’re working with, you can pass a shift at the wall where no one shows up quite quickly by being able to have fun and talk to each other, and that will make work so much more enjoyable.”

Thompson’s relationship-building over her years with OA illustrated to her a key facet of work: balance. As she looks to join Dell after college, she’sreminded of the “work hard, play hard” mentality that was emphasized during her internship with Garmin.

“I’ve always had this thought in my head that with a big company comes a little more regulation and a little more strictness, but I got there and learned there is such an emphasis on ‘if your employees are happy, they will produce good work’… I was really impressed that there was a big emphasis on work and play.”

ANSLEY THOMPSON

Emily Wax leads an Outdoor Adventures staff climbing trip.

ROEE BELKIN EMILY WAX

Roee Belkin’s story with OA begins as a rock climbing hobbyist. For him, route setting at the Rec entails a creativity and a focus that heightens his practice and allows him to exercise his brain in a setting away from computer science. As the route setting supervisor and a veteran in the program, Belkin has extended his skills to junior staff through various trainings, honing and leveraging constructive feedback to bring out the best that OA can be. This continued practice proved invaluable in the summer of 2022 when Belkin accepted an internship with international sports and outdoor company Garmin.

“I try to notice things and bring things up that I notice are wrong or things we can do better,” Belkin said. “Coding is not too dissimilar to that. One common practice in the workplace nowadays is code reviews.

He continued, “For Garmin, it was at least two people had to approve any piece of code you wrote. They would read through it, see what changes you made, read the comments, and leave you some reviews. So it was pretty much all the same stuff, learning how to give feedback effectively, and especially for me in that role, receiving feedback.”

Of all the wisdom given to him over his years with OA, Belkin remembers one most of all: understand that the product belongs to the customer, not the producer. This primed his thinking towards a customer-first perspective, and with this framework, he looks to strive in his full-time role at Garmin after graduation

Prior to Emily Wax joining the Outdoor Adventures team, the job of scheduling staff was simply that a task to be done. However, Wax uplifted the task into something more after hearing a little proverb among the OA staff: Grow beyond the task and into the responsibility. This helped deliver her into her current role as a staff development supervisor.

Wax facilitates skill audits to ensure that her fellow staff are knowledgeable and capable of problemsolving on the fly; she also oversees the program accountability system, tracking staff performance and considering staff performance as part of her scheduling process. All of this, of course, requires a skill that Wax believes has become her most refined communication.

“Clear communication starts with knowing your message,” Wax said. “It’s easy to say a bunch of words that someone tells you you need to say, but especially with Outdoor Adventures, what is the message we want to convey?”

This mastery of intent in her messaging proved helpful in her own internship with Garmin last year, and it is a skill she’s excited to leverage as she begins working in the aviation team at Garmin after graduation.

“This past summer, I had weekly meetings with my boss as is typical in an internship, and one of the things my boss told me that I could do very well is articulate what I’m working on and also articulate the problem he’s given me,” Wax said. “I think that I got that skill from OA, and it translated very well.”

RACK ‘EM

RACK ‘EM

Racquetball Club bring six players to national competition, all place

On March 13, Texas A&M Sport Clubs sent a full men’s team of Racquetball Club members to the Intercollegiate National tournament for the first time since 2019. Six players, over the course of two days, played and won racquetball matches in Arizona thanks to the sponsorship of the Good Bull fund.

Matches were split first into doubles and singles, with numerical divisions in each category. In singles, each division was then split into gold, blue, red, and white subdivisions. In doubles, the divisions were split into a main bracket and a consolation bracket. Across nine different brackets and subdivisions, every Aggie that traveled to nationals placed. These wins put the team ninth overall, earning the players a celebratory sushi dinner.

Freshman Brandon Ausucua and junior Andrew Carpenter played doubles and placed first in the Men’s No 1 Consolation bracket. The match was a part of Carpenter’s first tournament experience.

“At my double’s games with Andrew [Carpenter], it was awesome to be able to help him feel more confident,” Ausucua said. “I want to keep helping

the rest of the team to have better training and to grow at every single game. All of this will help the team to be stronger and be more prepared for the next challenge.”

In a doubles match, players rely on teamwork to secure a victory. In singles, PhD student Sourav Bandyopadhyay had to rely on his own confidence and skills, which paid off when he placed second in the Men’s No. 3 Blue division.

“The unique way I play racquetball is sufficient to compete against anyone,” Bandyopadhyay said. “It’s reassuring to discover that the skills I’ve honed with my club are effective at the national level.”

Experience can definitely make players like Bandyopadhyay confident in their gameplay. But, players with less experience have to rely on the hours of practice time and trust themselves when walking into a match. For Carpenter, that secured third place in the Men’s No. 2 Blue category.

“I am happy with my own performance as far as how much I have

‘EM UP

‘EM UP

Members of the Raquetball Club practiced ahead of the national tournament.

practiced with the club and how I have played the sport,” Carpenter said. “I had not played in any major tournaments up until this point, so this was an excellent lesson on how to prepare for events like this, and also a sign that I have so much to learn.”

For many, winning tournaments is not the focus. With a culture like Racquetball Club has, it’s easy to focus more on learning and camaraderie.

“I engage in sports primarily for enjoyment, and playing with my friends at the club feels like free therapy,” Bandyopadhyay said. “It’s a pleasure to share laughs with my teammates. Despite matches being played individually within the enclosed glass box, the club atmosphere fosters a sense of teamwork and collective spirit.”

This energy would not be possible without every member of the club working together and supporting each other. Senior Courtland Barnett, who placed second in the Men’s No. 5 Blue division for singles, only attributes half of his success to himself.

“My performance was half me performing and half the support I had

around me pushing me to be better,” Barnett said. “I would have never played as well as I did without the help of my teammates coaching me and cheering me on. I think that that speaks highly to the culture we have at our club. We may not have gotten first, but I guarantee we had more fun than any other team.”

But even if winning was not the focus, it sure felt good when every single Racquetball Club member that went to nationals placed. Coming first in his category, Men’s No. 4 Blue, sophomore Jax Dixon knows what this win means for his team.

“I think it helped create a winning culture here at Texas A&M for racquetball,” Dixon said. “We came in without a coach or a girls team, yet still finished 9th nationally as a team, so I can only imagine how good we could be if we were really equipped to succeed.”

For others, this experience meant something a little more personal.

“As someone who, three months ago, never thought I would even go to nationals, the performance was life-changing,” Barnett said. “I would have laughed if, a year ago, you told

me I would be competing on the national level, and it is another thing that I have proven to myself that I can do.”

The final top finisher, junior Nathan Raia, who placed first in the Men’s No. 6 Red series, brings the totals to: three first places, two second places and one third place in singles. In doubles, the team racked up two first place finishes and one in fourth. Raia, and the rest of the team, expect even greater things to come.

“My experience in Arizona gave me more motivation to get better and play even more games against as many people as possible,” Raia said. “I am very excited for next year now that we know just how much we need to train to match the competition.”

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(Film recorded prior to nationals)

THE BALL IS IN THEIR COURT

Five committee members balance the management of multiple clubs in addition to their own.

Maroon polos donned, five students take their weekly seats in squeaky office chairs. Sport Clubs Executive Committee President Jacob Norwood looks up from daydreams of ice skates and hat tricks to meet the eyes of fellow committee members Cole Broberg, Ava Rodiguez, Andrew Jeffery, and Michael Kasper. They, bearing tales of their own about courts or fields, cleats or bowling shoes, sabers or gis, and everything in between, each represent a handful of 38 different organizations offered within Rec Sports. Bringing their Sport Clubs together, the meeting begins.

“It's pretty cool because all of us are club leaders on our respective clubs,” Norwood said. “It’s been an easy process to talk and communicate with each other because we all have that experience. When it comes to actual deadlines, we’re all on top of it. Leadership feels pretty natural when we’re all working as a group.”

While they may be in and out of meetings all week, the five committee members also juggle so much more–they direct policy implementation, provide forums for current and potential new clubs, oversee the budgets, and most importantly, act as a bridge between the individual clubs and the Sport Clubs professional staff.

“We act as a liaison between different clubs on campus and the full time staff,” Norwood said. “Any time there’s some smaller communication that needs to happen, the clubs can come to us and we can relay that message on to the advisors.”

While an executive committee meeting might run smoothly because they’re all on the same page, communication with individual clubs can be rockier to navigate.

“It’s a little bit different, running those meetings,” Rodriguez said. “You’re an officer on your own club and all of these other people are officers on their clubs as well, so making sure there’s that level of knowing where each other are, and knowing that I’m there to help you, not necessarily be above you, is definitely something I

had to adjust to.”

Each committee member oversees a number of specific clubs alongside their own. In Rodriguez' case, that’s Men’s Water Polo, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Baseball, Powerlifting and Women’s Rugby, all on top of being president of Women’s Water Polo.

“It’s fun to get to know all of their officer teams, learn how their club runs a little bit more and try to take back things that they give me into my club,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve definitely learned a lot more about the behind the scenes of Sport Clubs and what it takes to manage clubs effectively and productively.”

Juggling each of the Executive Committee member responsibilities is daunting. Juggling them for each

Ava Rodriguez and the 2023-2024 Sport Clubs Executive Committee

of the eight individual clubs they supervise, even more so. But being a student athlete on top of all of that? To put it succinctly: wow.

“I would say some of the challenges we’ve gone through have been just getting better with communication, time management, having to plan out the events, hearing back from all of the different clubs, [and] making sure that we’re on top of them about deadlines,” Norwood said.

Coming out the other side of a formidable learning curve, the members have plenty to brag about from their year on the Executive Committee, from personal growth to lasting community impacts.

“Definitely a big moment of pride for myself was putting on and running

can drive, having to work with the Brazos Valley Food Bank and with the exec committee, as well as getting the word out to all of the rec centers, students here on campus and the Sport Clubs,” Rodriguez said. “We ended up raising close to 90,000 ounces of food to be able to donate back to the community.”

But, as students tend to do when the year concludes, the Executive Committee members prepare to leave their roles behind. Five new candidates will soon come off of the bench and replace them on the starting line.

“Going into the future of the exec committee, there’s definitely some big things that we have noticed this year that the incoming officers next year could really run with and develop

even further,” Norwood said.

In the spirit of bridging the gap between Sport Clubs and full-time staff, Rodriguez turns to the brand new Sport Club Coordinator as a credit to both the past and future triumphs of the team.

“Kaylee [Connolly] has definitely been a big help in developing exec this second semester of the school year,” Rodriguez said. “Giving her ideas and things like that, I think that the exec community will soon grow a whole lot.”

The Sport Clubs Executive Committee provides feedback during a club’s financial audit.

TWO STEPPIN’ INTO

Rec Sports offers country western dance as part of its Group RecXercise program

As one of the largest universities in the United States, students from across the globe come to Texas A&M for their education, and for many, the first steps in Aggieland come as quite the culture shock. From wildcats to the Century Tree to everything in between, the Texas A&M community is one rooted in traditions and culture unlike any other seen in higher education.

And with such a deep-seated culture awaiting the thousands of Aggies who flock to College Station each year, an opportunity arises to welcome students to the Aggie tradition and the greater Texas culture.

Enter country western dance at Texas A&M Rec Sports.

Taught by residing instructor Alex Morales ‘99, country western gives curious dancers-to-be the opportunity to learn, rehearse, and practice the movements of many famous western dance styles, including the two-step and the waltz. With guided instruction and a partner, Aggies can build their confidence in a newfound skill each week at the Rec. Best of all, country western classes are currently held for free for Rec members, meaning Aggies can learn their new skills at no additional cost before showing off their skills at the nearest dance hall or wedding.

Learning technique is just one piece of the puzzle, however. Morales’ class also gives students the opportunity

to build their community of fellow country-western dancers.

“When we’re dancing, I have them switch partners,” Morales said. “I want them to not get comfortable with their partner but to get comfortable with the choreography themselves.”

He continued, “It leads to them meeting new people, and it’s really neat to watch them, from the beginning of the semester to the end, connect. When we go out and social dance, they have new people to dance with.”

While learning country western dance at the Rec is not a class taken for college credit, it does provide a space for students to learn a new skill that can help exercise the body, build their community, and express their creativity. Moreover, as a mainstay of Texas culture, country western dance is a skill that can be applied at any age, so Morales’ students today can go on to perform their own dances wherever they go after college.

For the most enthusiastic at Texas A&M, there is yet another avenue to master country western flair and perform alongside other skilled dancers: the Aggie Wranglers.

Instructor Alex Morales ’99 demonstrates a dance routine with his assistant, Madelynn Ponder ’24.

First established in 1984, the Aggie Wranglers are one of the most recognizable organizations at Texas A&M. The team performs at a variety of different events upon request and perseveres through the decades via its public and private lessons as well as their many tryouts that they host each year.

In an interview with Rec Sports staff, Aggie Wranglers President David Roberts ‘24 said, “What’s really special about the Aggie Wranglers is that not only are we country western dancers like the rest of Texas, but we do offer our own style that’s only found here in College Station, that was birthed by

the Aggie Wranglers.”

He continued, “When we go travel to different dance halls…, we will see different dance styles that are not like our own, and when we do travel and dance around, they recognize us as being from Texas A&M and as the Aggie Wranglers.”

While the Aggie Wranglers has no direct association with Rec Sports or Mr. Morales’ country western dance program, both provide a space for novice dancers to learn one of the integral parts of Texan tradition and foster community among their fellow Aggies.

Country Western dance class participants practice new dance moves as part of Mr. Morales’ class.

Scan to learn more!

KAYLEE CONNOLLY

Sport Clubs Coordinator

“I look forward to connecting with and inspiring the students that come through our programs, as well as fostering a fun and memorable experience for them.”

HAWKINS

Operations & Events Coordinator

Human Resources Generalist I

HOMETOWN: Hampstead, NH

ALMA MATER: Texas A&M University

FAVORITE MOVIE: The Notebook

FUN FACT: Kaylee competed with the TAMU Gymnastics Club for four years!

NEW STAFF

“What I am most looking forward to is the opportunity to work alongside the amazing Pro Staff team here at Rec Sports. I can't wait to experience all that Aggieland has to offer!”

HOMETOWN: De Soto, TX

ALMA MATER: Tarleton State University

FAVORITE TV SHOW: The Office

FUN FACT: Ty is a Dallas Cowboys fan and self-proclaimed pizza connoisseur!

“What I look forward to the most working with Rec Sports is the people! My coworkers are a great bunch, I couldn’t ask for better!”

HOMETOWN: Bryan, TX

ALMA MATER: Texas A&M University

FAVORITE TV ANIME: Hunter x Hunter

FUN FACT: Dion never turns down gummy worms!

SCHOLARSHIP TO THE 2024 2024 CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS

WINNERS WINNERS

Dennis Corrington Leadership Scholarship

Jaxon Glenewinkel

Dave Chavonec Facilities Scholarship

Paola Arredondo-Niño

Walter Penberthy Intramural Scholarship

Sam Lee

Patsy Kott Outdoor Adventures Scholarship

Charles Johnson

Graduate Assistant Scholarship

Emily Schneider

Rec Sports Scholarship:

Kinslee Adams

Francesca Breitenfeld

McKenzie Carlton

Regan Chapman

Aika Davis

Darius Devonish-Sanchez

Dhiraj Jeswani

Sebastian Lomeli

Morgan Ponton

Joshua Puca

Alexandra Saenz

Om Waghela

SEIBEL FOUNDATION

The Southside Rec Center strength and conditioning room will bear a new name this year thanks to a generous gift from The Abe and Annie Seibel Foundation. The organization that supports student centers in colleges and universities across the state of Texas determined that our new facility would align well with their mission. We are honored and grateful for this gift that will be used for the upkeep and enhancement of the Southside facility for many years to come.

SEMESTER IN PHOTOS

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS