Division of Student Affairs
2009-10 Annual Report
Department: Intramural and Recreational Sports
Person Completing Report: Dale Ramsay
Executive Summary
The Department of Intramural and Recreational Sports continues to be a major force in
engaging the UofL student population in the out of classroom experience. Approximately
16,000 members of the UofL community participate in at least one aspect of our program.
The participation in all aspects of our program continues to grow. The Intramural component is
up an incredible 1,127 participants this year. We had record numbers of participants in 8 sports
(Ultimate Frisbee, Flag Football, Tennis, Sand Volleyball, Basketball- both our leagues and 3 on
3, Table Tennis, and Court Dodgeball). Our Sports Club program now has 19 clubs, up from 8
just 4 years ago. The Health Science Campus Fitness Facility had record participation this year,
and all of our facility usage remains strong. A total of 133 different UofL and community groups
reserved one of our facilities for an activity or program. Our fitness classes had another 13%
increase in participation this year. These statistics indicate how vibrant our program is with the
UofL student body.
Given our record participation in Intramural Sports, part of the increase in participation goes to
our continued emphasis on marketing our program to our students. We have created a
Facebook page for our Intramural program that has approximately 1500 “friends”. This
communication medium and our ability to leverage it has definitely helped increase the
participation in our program.
Our Fitness Director, Debby Woodall, was involved in the “Fit Into College” program, designed
to promote healthy lifestyles to first-year students. A multi-disciplinary involving the School of
Nursing, the Department of Exercise Physiology, Campus Health Services, and IntramuralRecreation Sports was used to teach first-year students how to maintain a high level of fitness.
This program was chronicled in both a professional journal and on WAVE-3 television here in
Louisville. Debby will again be involved with this program this year.
We continue to promote our “Dare to Play Fair” campaign emphasizing good sportsmanship.
While sportsmanship is on a rapid decline in most areas of sports, the overall sportsmanship
displayed in our program is exceptional. In 2009-10, we had a total of 5 player ejections for
inappropriate conduct out of a total of approximately 1300 games played. This number is
incredible given the intensity of competition and the varying maturity level of college students.
Our level of sportsmanship is envied by many programs in the country. It is a tribute not only to
our staff and their commitment to sportsmanship, but also to our students who know they can
play a game without demonstrating inappropriate behavior.
We continue to remain proud of the fact that the University continues to have Intramurals
listed as a link on the main University web page. Having such a prominent listing is a testament
to both the popularity of our program and respect we have throughout the UofL community.
While our program enjoyed another outstanding year, the year was highlighted by the support
to construct a new Student Recreation Center. This initiative was a priority of this year’s
Student Government Association. In expressing our desire for a new SRC to University of
Louisville President, Dr. James Ramsey, a committee of University administration staff and
students was formed to explore the feasibility of such a project. The Student Recreation Center
Finance and Scope Committee explored the financial and programmatic considerations for the
construction of the SRC. The report was forwarded to the University administration for their
review, which was viewed favorably. The economic climate of the state unfortunately has put
off the University’s ability to move on this project for probably a year. The primary benefit that
came out of this process was the strong support for the construction of a Student Recreation
Center that was expressed by our students and the University administration. With this support
we are convinced a Student Recreation Center will become a reality.
We appreciate the continued leadership and support that we continue to receive from Dr. Tom
Jackson, Vice-President for Student Affairs and Dr. Michael Mardis, Dean of Students. They
were both instrumental this year in advancing the Student Recreation Center project as well as
other initiatives important to our program. Dr. Mardis is a former employee of our department
and he continues to be a tremendous benefit tour program.
The Department of Intramural and Recreational Sports had another excellent year. Our
participation remains strong and we maintain excellent relationships throughout the University
of Louisville and the community. Our strengths continue to be a dedicated staff, a commitment
to improving our program, strong customer service, and our continued ability to accept change.
At the College Personnel Association of Kentucky (CPAK) State Conference this year, Dr. Susan
Komives, a prominent Student Affairs professional and faculty member at the University of
Maryland gave a presentation entitled “Enhancing Student Leadership Education”. She stated
that the number one organization for student involvement on college campuses was Intramural
and Recreational Sports.
We realize the opportunities we have on a daily basis to affect positive change in our students.
Sports and Fitness are the vehicles we use. The opportunity to serve our students continues to
be our privilege.
1. Programs and Services:

Our primary initiative in 2009-10 was working with the Student
Government Association, the Vice-President for Student Affairs, the Dean
of Students, and other University departments on the creation of a
Student Recreation Center. Our department did a great deal of research
and provided data to the Student Recreation Center Finance and Scope
Committee. This committee put forth a recommendation to President
Ramsey. At present, it is currently still being evaluated by the
Administration.

The Department of Intramural and Recreational Sports continues to offer
a comprehensive program for the University of Louisville community.
These program areas include Informal Sports, Intramural Sports, Sports
Clubs, Fitness, and Special Events. We also offer membership programs
for Alumni and for Dependants of Students, Faculty, and Staff. All
programs saw an increase in participation in 2009-10.

The Department of Intramural and Recreational Sports has placed a great
deal of emphasis on marketing the various aspects of our program, which
we credit as one of the reasons for our continuous growth. Our Facebook
page has 1500 members. We continue to have a link on the main
University web page. We also develop a comprehensive marketing plan
each year to ensure we aggressively promote our program to the campus
community.

Promoting good sportsmanship within our program is something we
place a great deal of emphasis on. Our “Dare to Play Fair” campaign
encourages our students to conduct themselves in a positive manner.
There were only 5 player ejections in nearly 1300 games in 2009-10.

Recognition of students continues to be another strength of our
department. Each year we honor our participants with our end of the
year Intramural Awards Luncheon. We also create our annual All-Campus
Champions Board. For our student staff we have both our Annual
Thanksgiving Luncheon and Year-End Cookout.
2. Major Accomplishments:

Participation in all aspects of our program had an increase in 2009-10.
Informal Sports had an increase of approximately 14,000 users.
Intramural Sports had an increase of 1127 participants. Our Fitness
classes had a 13% increase. We now have 19 Sports Clubs.

One of the strengths of our program is both the volume and quality of
collaborations that Intramural and Recreational Sports has with other
departments across campus. A few of the collaborations are listed below:
o Athletics- We use several of their venues for our different events
(Cardinal Arena, Natatorium, Trager Stadium, and the Bass-Rudd
Tennis Center).
o Yoga Classes- We co-sponsor Yoga classes with Campus Health and
Get Healthy Now.
o Marching Band- We were thrust into a collaboration with the
Marching Band as a result of the Extreme Home Makeover Project.
The Marching Band uses the Intramural Field for practice and is a full
financial partner in the upkeep and maintenance of this facility.
o University Emergency Medicine- Dr. Price of University Hospital
provides oversight of our Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs).
This enables our staff to use the AEDs to respond to a cardiac
emergency.
o Nelligan Sports Marketing- Nelligan continues to do an excellent job
of procuring sponsorships and providing much needed revenue to our
department.

Another strength of our program is the wide array of special events that
we offer each year. They are all well-attended and extremely successful.
Listed below are a few of the Special Events we conducted in 209-10:
o Faculty/Staff Golf Scramble- Over 120 golfers enjoyed an excellent
day of golf and fellowship at Nevel Meade Golf Course. This was our
18th Annual event and it enables us to thank many of the people
throughout the University who help us throughout the year. The
event was sponsored by Texas Roadhouse.
o Canoe Regatta- This event has been a part of the Intramural program
since the 1970’s. Nearly 270 students participated in this year’s event,
which is held at McNeely Lake.
o Late Night with Intramural Sports- This novel event incorporates a
variety of activities including a Slam-Dunk Contest, Intramural All-Star
Games, food, and even a $5000 Shot. Late Night provides a positive
activity on a Saturday night during the winter when our students are
looking for something to do.
o The Department of Intramural and Recreational Sports sponsored the
Division of Student Affairs end of the year luncheon. Qdoba Mexican Grill
is a sponsor of the Intramural-Recreational Sports program and provided
the food for the luncheon held at the George J. Howe Red Barn.
3. Staff Summary:
o The Department of Intramural Sports has 15 full-time employees. During
2009-10 we also employed 158 student employees who served as facility
workers and sports officials. The strength of our staff is their dedication
and loyalty to the Department. The full-time staff has in excess of 245
years of service to UofL in the Intramural Sports Department.
o We did not have any additional hires in 2009-10. We continue to have a
close working relationship with the Department of Financial Aid to ensure
we are able to get an ample number of Federal College Work Study
students to fill our need for hourly student employees.
4. Activities that Support Academic Units:

We have an outstanding relationship with the Health and Sports Studies
Department (HSS). HSS uses both the SAC and Humana Gym for the
activity classes during the Fall and Spring semesters. We currently
provide space for over 30 classes. These classes benefit our program due
to the fact that the HSS students use our facilities and get exposure to
our program. We also provide valuable internship opportunities for the
HSS students. Dale Ramsay is also an HSS faculty member, teaching
classes in Recreational Sports Management and Sports Officiating.

We also attend the Internship Fair sponsored by the College Student
Personnel program. We offer internship opportunities to these students
in our program to expose CSP students to IM-Rec Sports, which is a nontraditional area of Student Affairs.

Debby Woodall was involved with several academic units (Nursing,
Exercise Physiology, and HSS) with the “Fit Into College” program.

We also provide our facilities for many academic units who wish to have
recreational programs.
5. Activities that Support Diversity:

One of the strengths of our program is its diversity of participants. Our
motto of “A Sport For Everyone And Everyone In A Sport” promotes
inclusiveness in all aspects of our program.

In Intramurals, there is a high percentage of African-American students
who participate in Flag Football and Basketball. The student group Porter
Scholars became very active in the Intramural Sports program this year.
Our student staff is extremely diverse in both gender and ethnicity. The
majority of our Intramural Sports supervisors and officials were AfricanAmerican students.

In Informal Recreation, the number of users of the recreational space in
the SAC is approximately 20% African-American. It is apparent that
African-American students are active participants in all phases of our
program.

Our program is also popular with International students. We host
International Night both Fall and Spring semesters in the SAC. The
majority of the members of our Badminton Club are International
students. A large number of International students also participate in our
Soccer Leagues.

It is obvious that all segments of our program are popular with the rich
and diverse student population of UofL. It is also apparent that these
students view our facilities as a place where they feel comfortable
participating in our various programs.
6. Activities that Support Community Service and/or Civic Engagement:

The Department of Intramural and Recreational Sports primarily is
involved with community service by providing a wide variety of
community groups with access to our facilities.
o Male High School Project Graduation (Chemical-Free Graduation
Party)
o Louisville Regional Science Fair
o The Blue Chip and Derby Summer Classic Youth Basketball
Tournaments
o Upward Bound
o Metro Parks Senior Games
o Provide student officials for the St. X High School Intramural
Basketball League and the Jefferson County Public Schools Flag
Football League
o NCA Cheerleading Camp
o Deaf Youth Sports Festival
7. Staff Professional Development:
Dale Ramsay-
Taught two classes for HSS (Rec. Sports Management and
Sports Officiating)
High school and college basketball official
Contributing writer to VYPE Magazine
Served as Clinician for Mid-South Basketball Officials Camp
Served as Clinician for KIAC Basketball Officiating Camp
Attended NIRSA Conference
John Smith-
Taught First Aid/ CPR Classes
Red Cross Instructor
Conducted clinics for Kentucky High School Athletic
Association
Assigning Secretary for High School Volleyball and Softball
in Jefferson County
Served on Advisory Board for Louisville Area Red Cross
Chapter
Adam Jines-
Assigned officials for St. Xavier High School Intramural
Sports
Assisted Jefferson County Public Schools with establishing
a Flag Football League
High School Basketball Official
Served on staff at ACIS National Intramural Basketball
Championship
Debby Woodall-
Served on Host Committee for ACPA Mid-Manager’s
Institute and Summer Leadership Academy
Did presentations at CPAK on “Fit Into College”
Coordinated AFAA Personal Training Workshop
David Hatfield-
Attended NIRSA Conference
8. Assessment Initiatives:
The Department of Intramural and Recreational Sports recognizes the value of
program assessment. We annually develop a comprehensive assessment plan to
conduct assessment in specific areas where we need programmatic information.

Injury Report tracking

Participated in Student Affairs SLO project

Healthy Lifestyle SLO

Martial Arts Sports Clubs SLO

Informal Sports Focus Group

Town Hall Meetings with the Intramural Council

Team Sports Satisfaction Survey
9. Departmental Goals 2010-11

Continue to work with the Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of
Students, Student Government Association, and various other University
constituencies on the planning of the proposed new Student Recreation
Center.

Continue to collaborate with Student Health and Get Healthy Now on
offering Pilates and Yoga classes to the UofL community.

Continue to collaborate with Campus Health, Nursing, Exercise
Physiology, and Public Health in implementing the “Fit Into College
Program”.

Recruit student interns to help implementing the Fitness Coaching
program.

Explore the ACE educational program for students who are interested in
becoming Fitness Coaches.

Institute a Staff Recognition program.

Collaborate with Financial Aid in recruiting Cardinal Covenant students to
work as student employees.

Host the Kentucky Intramural – Recreational Sports Association (KIRSA)
Workshop in November.

Continue to work with the Louisville Visitor and Convention Bureau to
attempt to bring the NIRSA National Convention to Louisville.

Finish having the walls in the SAC Gym painted.

Collaborate with the Athletic Department to assist with the maintenance
of our IM Field complex.

Increase efforts to get more Residence Hall participation in the
Intramural component of our program.

Implement Team Handball, Cornhole, Rock-Paper-Scissors, and Sports
Trivia as new Intramural Sports.

Stay current with upcoming Red Cross changes in First Aid / Safety.

Continue to work to improve the retention of officials in our various
Intramural Sports.

Reinforce Department safety protocols with each of our Sports Clubs.

Have each of our eligible Sports Clubs attain RSO status.

Continue to work with Nelligan Sports Marketing in securing sponsorships
for the Department of Intramural – Recreational Sports.

Continue to recruit youth basketball tournaments and other external
events to the SAC.
10. Departmental Issues and Challenges During 2009/2010 and Beyond:

The Department of Intramural and Recreational Sports has several issues and
challenges. Our primary challenge is a lack of indoor fitness and recreational
space. This need is being addressed through the movement to build a
Student Recreation Center. We have an outstanding program that continues
to have record participation (this year’s participation in our Intramural
component has an increase of 1127). Our lack of fitness space (Aerobics
Studio, weight equipment, cardiovascular equipment, etc.) hurts our ability
to meet our student’s fitness needs. As documented in the SRC Scope and
Finance Committee’s report, we are behind both our benchmark institutions
and other state colleges and universities in this area.

It is imperative that we continue to move the SRC project forward. The
Student Recreation Fee that is being recommended to finance this project
will not only enable us to fund this project but will also provide the revenue
needed to program the facility at the high level our students deserve. It is of
critical importance that Student Affairs keep aggressively advocating for the
Student Recreation Center.

The current university ID system continues to be a challenge for our
department. We are still unable to collect the data we should be able to
obtain from the current system (number of distinct users, breakdown of
users- faculty/staff, etc.). This data is critical to our program assessment.
Another issue we have with the card system is the inability to see the
individual’s picture when we scan the ID card. Our policy requires we must
see a picture ID of the individual. If we had the capability of viewing a picture
on the monitor, it would assist us in verifying the identity of individuals who
do not have their ID card. We have many confrontations in regards to this
issue. Having the capability to view the individual on the monitor would
allow us to improve our customer service. The University needs to make the
financial commitment to significantly upgrade the card system.

The final challenge is our budget situation. We have taken a significant loss in
our student wage accounts due to an increase in the Federal Minimum
Wage. We have been extremely creative and have become reliant on College
Work Study students. While we have not had to reduce facility hours, we are
not able to hire as many non-College Work Study employees, which hurts
students financially and their ability to find a means to connect with the
campus.

Another financial issue we are going to have to deal with soon is replacing
much of the weight and cardio equipment in the SAC Weight Room. The
price tag is in excess of $100,000. If the Student Recreation Center advances
in a timely manner and a Recreation Fee is approved, our problem will be
solved. If not, it is something that will need to be address in the near future.
Department of Intramural-Recreational Sports 2009-10 Metrics

Intramural Sports- 8622 participants in 31 different activities

Informal Sports Facility Users
o SAC
299,119
o Humana
63,183
o HSC
45,843
o Game Room
37,537
o Crawford
24,103

Sports Clubs- 300 participants in 19 different Sports Clubs

1300 Team Sports games played (only 5 ejections)

Intramural Facebook page has 1500 “friends”

There are 15 full-time members of the Intramural Staff with a combined 245
years of service at UofL

There were 158 student employees

We have 22 designated “First Responders” on staff and the Department
issued 82 American Red Cross certifications.

24 Assessment projects were conducted

1770 critical updates and virus protection upgrades were conducted on the
department’s computers

424 individuals participated in one of our Fitness classes

130 different campus and community groups used our facilities

There were over 800 Intramural Champion T-shirts awarded to 172 Team,
Individual, and Dual winners.