RecLIFE Spring 2021
Rec Sports DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
Learn all about James Welford's experience working withRECLIFE Rec Sports since 1977. MAGAZINE | PAGE 1
Thanks & Gig ’em Usually held for the closing of a letter or note, I have decided to start my remarks with "Thanks & Gig ’em." My reason for this unusual start is to express the closing of one chapter of life and the beginning of another. After 41 years of serving the students of Texas A&M University, I have decided to retire. This decision has been very difficult because my job as Associate Director of Philanthropy for the Department of Recreational Sports has been a life choice and not a job. Visiting with former student staff and their families has allowed me to stay connected with friends of the department. These interactions over four decades have resulted in support of the department. This "Howdy" is also written to ask those that have a passion for living healthy lifestyles to take that passion a step further by donating to the Department of Recreational Sports. Donations can be made to support any of the 36 sport clubs. Many of the endowed accounts that go through the Texas A&M Foundation assist current students through scholarships. Other endowments benefit the clubs by providing funds for equipment, travel, and other club needs. To my wife, Sheryl, and my daughter, Lauren ’08, I thank you for supporting my attempts to improve the lives of students and staff. Howdy! To the start of a new lifestyle: retirement.
JAMES M. WELFORD Director of Philanthropy Department of Recreational Sports
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Rec Sports App
4
New at Rec Sports
5
Polo Road Rec Center Grand Opening
6
Southside Rec Center
7
6 Questions with James Welford
8
Gymnastics Team
10
Triathlon Team
11
Staff Highlights
12
Student Staff Scholarship Recipients
13
Walk of Champions
14
James Welford...Through the Years
15
RECLIFE MAGAZINE COORDINATOR
Haley Castro '21
RECLIFE MAGAZINE GRAPHIC ARTIST
Drew Spooner '21
Director of Philanthropy - James Welford Marketing Manager - Michelle Briggs Communications Manager - Kelly VonDrehle Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications - Mary Kalafatis
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THE OFFICIAL
Rec Sports App
SCAN TO DOWNLOAD
Rec Sports App Aggies, get excited! Rec Sports has officially come to your smartphone. This new addition to Rec Sports has been a work in progress for the last two years. The goals of the app were growth, accessibility, development, expansion, and accommodation within Rec Sports, and it seems that the app has achieved just that. The app launched in the fall of 2020 and has been successful in allowing students more accessibility to all things Rec Sports via a smartphone. The app is convenient, accessible, and provides students with excellent customer service. It allows students and members the ability to sign up for group fitness classes, receive Rec Sports notifications, and more. One of the best features of the app is the ability to scan a student's ID if they have forgotten their ID, which improves customer satisfaction. The Rec Sports Marketing and Communications team pushed advertising of the app heavily on social media in order to reach those who already use their phone daily for many tasks. Last fall's virtual Rec-A-Palooza, which saw roughly 500 attendees, also proved to be a fantastic opportunity to get the word out about the app; attendees were eligible for “swag bags” and prizes if they downloaded the brand new app. The Rec Sports app is available in the App Store and Google Play.
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NEW at
REC SPORTS New ways to recreate!
Virtual Fitness
Intramural ESports
Group exercise made its way into Aggies' homes in 2020 in order to offer a way to stay active while following COVID-19 guidelines. Live fitness classes with Rec Sports fitness instructors became one of Rec Sports' greatest offerings. Students who purchased a Group RecXercise All Access Pass for the semester were able to attend any and all classes that were offered virtually. This allowed students to maintain their activity, even from home. Many Aggies enjoyed the community and opportunity to stay healthy during the stay-at-home order. Today, Aggies are enjoying the opportunity to attend in-person group fitness classes again. However, Rec Sports continues to offer a few classes on demand via YouTube for easier access at any time of the day.
Intramural Sports is one of the most communal and important parts of Rec Sports, so a pandemic wasn’t going to stop a little friendly competition—virtually, of course. In the spring of 2020, Rec Sports launched ESports, which is “something that had been on the radar for some time,” says Kaulin Andric, Intramural Sports coordinator. The launch of ESports was a new way students could still compete, even if it was virtual. Rec Sports opened up this method of competition to anyone with an IMLeagues account who had already purchased their pass with Intramural Sports. ESports offers games like Madden, NHL, Fortnite, and many more. Implementing ESports was a great way to keep Aggies involved in the Rec Sports community. Even though Intramural Sports has returned to regularly scheduled programming, ESports will be sticking around for the time being. Log on and get to playing, Ags!
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Polo Road Rec Center
Ags, it’s here! The Polo Road Rec Center is now open! The grand opening of the brand-new Rec Sports satellite facility this past January was a huge success. The ribbon cutting ceremony consisted of giveaways with swag bags, prize drawings, and other promos from Rec Sports to get students active at the new facility. Extra square footage, additional student employment, and extra opportunities to get healthy on campus have commenced with this new addition. The facility offers free weights, strength equipment, cardio machines, group fitness classes, free day-use lockers, towel service, and more. The crowds haven’t slowed since the grand opening, and Rec Sports couldn’t be happier to provide this amazing new space for students to recreate in a central location on campus.
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SOUTHSIDE
REC CENTER
COMING IN 2022
Rec Sports is expanding, again! Aggies are excited to see the groundbreaking of the new Southside Rec Center. The vision to expand Rec Sports across the Texas A&M campus has been in the works for some time with the building of the Polo Road Rec Center. To see the expansion efforts continue with another addition is an amazing accomplishment for Rec Sports. The vision and desire to grow has been inevitable for the Department of Recreational Sports over the decades. When the Student Recreation Center opened in 1995, there were about 41,000 students attending Texas A&M. Today, the campus serves nearly 65,000 students. To accommodate the consistently growing student body, Rec Sports was strategic in convincing more than fifty percent of students who voted in a 2018 referendum to vote in favor of increasing the Rec Sports fee. The referendum passed, providing the funding needed to build two new satellite recreation facilities.
The mission “to promote activity, wellness and development by providing high quality, inclusive experiences and facilities for the students and community of Texas A&M University” continues with the expansion of the Southside Rec Center, expected to be complete in 2022. The new Southside Rec Center will be a 2-story building complete with basketball courts, a group fitness studio, cardio area, indoor/outdoor turf area, weightlifting area housing many machines, and a bouldering wall. Located on Bizzell Street, the nearly 63,000-square-foot facility will offer a pretty well matched ratio of facility size to students. In addition, the Southside Rec Center will be accessible from any location on campus via a roughly 10-minute (or less) walk. Opportunities for student employment will increase once again with the opening of the Southside Rec Center. With the Department of Recreational Sports already being the largest student employer on campus, Rec Sports is ecstatic to offer even more positions for student staff, making them part of the Rec Sports family. RECLIFE MAGAZINE | PAGE 7
1. How did you get started with Rec Sports and what led you to becoming the director of philanthropy? “Well, it all started back in 1971 when I was a freshman at the University of Southern Mississippi. I became heavily involved with Intramurals while supporting myself through college, and I needed to make a little money. Back then, Intramural officials were paid $4 an hour! That was big money at that time, so I would work three games a night and this would help me pay the bills. The first year I was a sports official, and then, as a sophomore I was assigned to train the new officials. Once I graduated, I went back for my masters and did the same thing—worked in Intramurals. My director was Lou Marciani, who became the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) president and knew Dennis Corrington. At the time I met Dennis, I was teaching at a local high school. The next thing I knew, I was offered the opportunity to come to Aggieland and be a part of Rec Sports at Texas A&M. I arrived in College Station with a new wife and job in 1977. I was thrilled. I originally came to Rec Sports to only train Intramural officials. Back then we had about 600-700 flag football teams, and large numbers of basketball and softball teams, so the program needed many officials which required a lot of training. Another aspect of my early years with Rec Sports involved creating the training program for softball officiating through NIRSA. It was a lot of fun back in the day as a young professional. In ’79 I was promoted to associate director, so I had to change my focus toward the sport clubs program. Since then, I’ve done just about everything from facilities to aquatics to marketing. It was really a lot of fun. In August of ’95, we moved into the new Student Recreation Center and I was still a part of sport clubs. I received an offer to go to LSU Recreational Sports in 1998. I was with them for a few short years and returned to Texas A&M Rec Sports in 2000 to serve as the assistant to the director. I then was promoted to associate director and placed in charge of sport clubs, intramurals, medics, and a few other things. After a year or so, Dennis and I
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both knew change was needed, so in 2003 I began working in philanthropy for Rec Sports. That was really my purpose for coming back to Rec Sports; I wanted to really help support the department. There was a lot to be accomplished with the Vice President of Student Affairs, Dean Bresciani, and with the Texas A&M Foundation. Dean was very supportive of fundraising and philanthropy. One of the Foundation's staff members worked directly with Dean, and they invited me to attend numerous events in Houston and cities around Texas. At these events, we would run into many former students and former Rec Sports student employees. After returning from one trip, Dean gave the approval to start a full-time employee position and I received access to the Texas A&M Foundation's former student database. And that is how it all started with me serving as associate director of philanthropy here at Rec Sports.” 2. What has been one of the biggest changes or one of your favorite things at Rec Sports? “My favorite thing has always been working with students. Holding numerous positions and supervising different programs through the years afforded me the opportunity to engage with many students. When I managed sports clubs, I worked with their leadership team, and when I worked with Intramurals, I trained their officials… I loved that. Now that they are former students, I am able to talk to people that I had an impact on early in my career. It comes full circle. Aggies are amazing in the fact that when they are able, they give back. When any of them have a passion for something, they will donate. There have been times when I get calls from former students that want to donate without me even calling them. They tell me how they would not be the person they are today without their work in Rec Sports. If you find out what people’s passions are and they are willing to support that, you don’t really have to do a lot of asking. This program is anything but ordinary in the fact that they are a family that stays in contact; I will always appreciate that.”
3. Throughout your career, what has been one of the biggest challenges that you have faced? “I think in any position everything doesn’t always go your way. You would have liked to have been promoted to a specific position or worked on a certain project that did not come your way. I enjoy what I do, so I adjust and move on. I have done just that. From 1978 to about 2011, I was given the opportunity to take vacation and to take the weekends to umpire NCAA Women’s Fast Pitch Softball. It involved a lot of late Saturday nights and early Monday mornings, but I was given the freedom to be able to do this. I was leaving to go somewhere every weekend, whether it was California, Arizona, Florida, or working in Texas. In 2000 and 2001, I had the opportunity to umpire the Women's College World Series. That was really a great experience that I had worked very hard to reach. If I had not been involved in training officials and umpiring, I just would not have had those opportunities.” 4. What has been the most profound or rewarding accomplishments with Rec Sports over the years? "Early in my career working as a state director through NIRSA was really great for me. But here at Rec Sports, I received the President's Meritorious Service Award and the Randy Matson '67 Association of Former Students Award a few years back. Knowing Randy, I thought it was kind of cool to receive that award. I was really happy to have that happen. I meant a lot that Dennis Corrington supported me in coming back to Rec Sports. I enjoy meeting people. I love to meet former students and see where they are, see graduates come back, and see new students become a part of the department.”
long and hear the passions they have, and many of those passions stem from their time here at Rec Sports. Whether students realize it currently or not, they will one day find themselves thinking about how they can give back… and they will. Even if it’s five, ten, or fifteen years down the road.” 6. As you close the doors to this chapter with Rec Sports, what is your biggest goal for the next chapter in your life? "We are moving to Mississippi; our house is finished. I am very proud of that. I want to enjoy the moments with my wife and family. I want to fish, crab and flounder on the gulf coast. I just want to enjoy this time as I will be reunited with my Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida family. I want to do a little bit of traveling within the United States because there are so many things that I have not seen here in the U.S. I will miss my Texas A&M Rec Sports family. I know I will stay connected with many former students and staff and look forward to opportunities to visit Aggieland. Lastly, I have been honored to be selected as a namesake for Fish Camp 2021. I am looking forward to this event. CAMP WELFORD, SESSION B, RED! Thanks & Gig ’em."
5. Focusing on philanthropy, what is a lesson or piece of advice that you would give to someone working at Rec Sports or someone in your position in the future? “Listen to the people that you are talking to. Always. If you know of a potential donor or if someone has previously donated, listen. They will usually express to you what their passion is, even if they don’t come out and say it. If it was being in a club with so many other people like themselves or being an employee at the Rec Center and enjoying the company of the people they worked with, then you already know they are wanting to find a way they can give something back. Some of the Sport Clubs do not have the funds needed to acquire new equipment or attend all of the tournaments for which they qualify, but with donations… they just might! I can talk to students and alumni all day
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Texas A&M Sport Clubs
GYMNASTICS TEAM The Texas A&M Gymnastics Team is one of the oldest sport clubs at the university. Through the years, the team has developed their talents through practice and competition. The team practices five days a week, Sunday through Thursday, in the PEAP Building. Since the pandemic began, the team has worked hard to maintain their stamina due to the lack of competitions. Before the pandemic, the team was able to hold “Flips for Tips” near the Student Recreation Center during Aggie home football games. The turnout would be great for only a few hours of work. Every year, the team also holds a letter drive, in which each member sends out 5 to 10 letters in hopes of receiving donations for the Gymnastics Team. Any donations the team receives go toward equipment needed for practice. (Currently, the team does not have their own equipment and is grateful to share with the Department of Kinesiology.) The team works hard year after year to obtain enough money to buy their own equipment. However, this is a challenge because gymnastics equipment is expensive. The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to the team's ability to grow their budget and altered the way the team is able to raise money. Having enough funding for all new equipment has not been in the cards due to added expense. In addition to this, members are required to pay their own way to Nationals
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if they wish to attend. The team would like to make this opportunity available to every team member who wishes to attend by providing funding for all members. The Texas A&M Gymnastics Team needs your support. If you are able to give back, please contact the Department of Recreational Sports.
Gymnastics Team members performing a routine.
Members of the Gymnastics Team at a recent competition.
Texas A&M Sport Clubs
TRIATHLON TEAM The Texas A&M Triathlon Team strives for the best in all they do. With the club consisting of almost 70 members, they do the extra work needed each week to accommodate COVID-19 guidelines. This means holding extra time slots and practices in seven groups across different locations. Each team member travels to Bryan at least once a week to practice at the lake. In March, the Triathlon Team competed in their one and only race for the year in Dallas. The team has made it a priority to maintain consistency by practicing weekly since there are currently few opportunities to compete in races. With high spirits, the Triathlon Team doesn’t let much get in the way of showing up for one another. Race wheels for bikes are shared amongst the team members due to their high cost. In addition, the race wheels are very old and can be an added challenge to work around. Each member owns their own bike, which can also be expensive. A bike trailer is a necessity for the team due to the travels made during a normal year with competition. One of the largest struggles for the Triathlon Team is finding a pickup truck to tow the bike trailer. The team would like to be able to have a steady volunteer or way of obtaining or renting a pickup truck for events when needed. The renting or buying of a pickup truck is an expense the team budget does not cover. Traveling is the Triathlon Team's biggest expenditure by far, due to the cost of flights, hotel rooms, and gas.
have the opportunity to take as many members as possible to races. The Triathlon Team has established a goal to raise money to purchase new race wheels, bike trainers for stationary bikes, and funding for reliable pickup truck usage. All of the team members cannot wait to get back to racing many times per year, and they are asking for your support. If you would like to donate to the Triathlon Team, please contact the Department of Recreational Sports.
During a normal academic year, the Triathlon Team usually takes part in four races in the fall and about three in the spring. The team likes to Triathlon Team member competing in a race.
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REC SPORTS
STAFF HIGHLIGHTS
Featuring outstanding staff accomplishments and recent team additions.
How did you feel when awarded the Randy Matson '67 Association of Former Students Award? Is there anyone you would like to thank or give recognition to? “I was humbled and completely caught off guard. I thought we were there to pay respects to a colleague who was retiring when it turned out I was getting this award. This sounds cliché, but I did not get into this field for awards but because I love what I do and I enjoy the opportunities and experiences it provides. Being recognized by the Division and receiving this award means a lot considering how much of what we do is for the students.
OSCEE WHEATFALL
Randy Matson Award Winner
I would like to thank all the people who have contributed to my ongoing development at A&M. From my first supervisors, Jerrod Jackson and Drew McMillen, to my current team who makes my life easier—Evelyn Dorsey, Christian Miller, Emily Patterson, Alyssa Moncrief, Ryan Madison, and my current supervisor, James Nash, who allows me the freedom to fail and succeed. Our former director, Dennis Corrington, and current director, Rick Hall, for their belief in me; and last but certainly not least, the numerous students I have worked alongside during my time in Intramural Sports and on the Facility Operations side of things. Everyone I have worked with or shared time with, I am the person I am because of them.”
How did you feel when awarded the Division of Student Affairs Award of Distinction? Is there anyone you would like to thank or give recognition to?
CHRISTIAN MILLER
“I was definitely shocked when I found out I won the award. I was back home with my family and my wife had arranged a surprise reveal to let me know I’d received the award. I’m not usually a fan of surprises, but it was very humbling and I feel honored. I want to thank those who took the time to nominate me. I’d also like to thank all of the professionals in the department, especially the Facilities team who have empowered me to be successful in this role. Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank our students who keep me on my toes and make sure that there are no boring days. Seeing them grow and develop is the best part of my job!”
Award of Distinction Winner
Undergrad: Marketing at Texas A&M '21 Graduate: Masters in Marketing at Texas A&M '22 Hometown: College Station, TX
BRITTANY SCOTT
New Marketing & Communications Graduate Assistant
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“I am so excited to have another opportunity to stay here at Texas A&M earning my masters while exploring new education and experiencing new opportunities within Rec Sports.”
Student Staff
Scholarship Recipients Sydney Hilton '20
Jackson Bolick '23
Rec Sports Scholarship
Patsy Kott Outdoor Adventures Scholarship
Erica Harper '21
Madelyn Butler '23
Rec Sports Scholarship
Rec Sports Scholarship
Luke Tillman '22
Jolie Branch '22
David and Mary Chovanec Facility Scholarship
Rec Sports Scholarship
Landree Hancock '22
Caitlin Whiteside '22
Rec Sports Scholarship
Dennis Corrington Rec Sports Leadership Scholarship
Briana Cepeda '22
Kohl Hagee '22
W.L. Penberthy Intramural Scholarship
Rec Sports Scholarship
Alyssa Moncrief '22
Nadia Navarro '21
Nursing
Nursing
Philosophy
Accounting
Communication
Graduate Sports Management
International Studies
Environmental Design
Marketing
Sport Management
Aerospace Engineering
Kinesiology
Rec Sports Scholarship
Rec Sports Scholarship
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Walk Of Champions The Walk of Champions Brick Campaign features bricks engraved with the names of students, employees, and friends of Texas A&M. Together we can ensure that the values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service are instilled in all Aggies. A portion of the funds from the brick campaign go toward the Walk of Champions Endowment. To learn more about getting your own brick in the Walk of Champions, contact the Department of Recreational Sports.
LET US TELL YOUR
AGGIE
STORY
Were you a part of Texas A&M Rec Sports? We love hearing about your experiences with Rec Sports. Everyone has a story, and we want to hear yours! To learn more about having your story featured in RecLIFE Magazine, contact the Department of Recreational Sports.
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JAMES WELFORD... THROUGH THE YEARS
Walter L. "Penny" Penberthy
Rec Sports Staff with Reveille
James Welford & Patsy Kott
2012 Rec Sports Reunion
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Department of Recreational Sports Texas A&M University 4250 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-4250
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID COLLEGE STATION PERMIT NO. 215
POLO ROAD REC CENTER
