Departments & Centers
Campus Recreational Sports
Description of Program
Since its start in 1975, IU Campus Recreational Sports has been providing a diverse array of programs and services for students, faculty, and staff of all skill levels and interests, including programs that meet the needs of students with families, people with disabilities, and international students.
The mission of IU Campus Recreational Sports is to connect, inform, and inspire people to lead active, healthy lifestyles. The vision is to be the most comprehensive, inclusive, and progressive recreational sports program in the country, through diverse sport and fitness opportunities, advancing a culture of wellness, offering student development opportunities, distinctive facilities and equipment, an enhanced sense of community, and leadership to the profession.
All students receive recreational sports membership through a portion of their student activity fee, providing access to programs and facilities at two convenient campus locations: The Wildermuth Intramural Center and the Student Recreational Sports Center (SRSC). Opened in 1995, the SRSC is a 204,000-square-foot facility with three multipurpose sport areas, a five-court field house with a 1/8-mile elevated running/ jogging/walking track, nine racquetball/squash courts, six outdoor tennis courts, a cycle-fit studio, a cardio studio, a strength circuit, a free-weights area, an auditorium, locker rooms, and a fitness consultation room.
The Counsilman/Billingsley Aquatic Center is also located inside the SRSC and features an Olympic-size pool and a diving well with competition towers. Recreational Sports facilities available in the 60,000-square-foot Wildermuth Intramural Center include 10 basketball/volleyball courts and a three- lane track, a strength and conditioning room, 11 racquetball/ squash courts, three multipurpose gyms, a gym with basketball/ volleyball courts, a martial arts fort, table tennis, and Royer Pool and diving well. Additional outdoor recreational sports facilities include the Recreational Sports Field Complex at North Fee Lane, Woodlawn Field, Woodlawn Tennis Courts, the North Jordan Tennis Courts, and the Evan Williams Club Sports Field.
Campus Recreational Sports makes maximum use of all campus recreational sport facilities for aquatic, informal sports, intramural sports, club sports, fitness/wellness, and special event activities. For students who enjoy recreational activities at their leisure, informal sports hours are available during prime time at both the HPER Building and at the SRSC. Opportunities for indoor soccer are also available, with the installation of dasherboards in SRSC MS2 and dedicated time for friendly challenge matches. Equipment check-out is also available at no additional charge to students with a valid Indiana University identification card. Locker rentals are available at both the HPER Building and the SRSC.
The intramural sports program sponsors men's, women's, and co-intramural tournaments in team, dual, individual and special event competitions. Students interested in tournament competition will find leagues that accommodate all skill levels.
The club sports program offers students more than 44 club sports opportunities ranging from aikido to fencing to tennis to water skiing. Clubs help students share a common interest in a particular sport, whether the emphasis within the club is social, instructional, or competitive.
For students who enjoy the water, the aquatics program offers three heated indoor pools and a diving well with competition boards and towers. Noncredit swimming and diving instruction is available. Campus Recreational Sports also offers lifeguard training sessions and Water Safety Instructor (WSI) sessions for students who want to learn the techniques of water rescue or swimming instruction. With the Olympic-size pool and diving well at the SRSC's Counsilman/Billingsley Aquatic Center, Campus Recreational Sports is able to host NCAA swimming, diving, and water polo competitions. It also hosts special events such as USA Swimming Speedo Junior Championships, as well as other state and national swimming events, intramural and club events, and family swim times.
The fitness/wellness program offers students the expertise of fitness/wellness consultants in two strength and conditioning rooms, with more than 400 pieces of variable resistance, free weight, and cardiovascular equipment. The fitness/ wellness program also offers over 80 group exercise sessions a week - no fee or registration required - in a variety of formats, such as cardio kickboxing, cardio core, deep water exercise, trekking, step, dance, strength, flexibility & balance, conditioning and sampler sessions for CycleFit, Mind Body and CircuitStrength. For an additional fee, a variety of specialty programs are available, including CycleFit, Mind Body, and CircuitStrength. A staff of highly qualified personal trainers is also available to provide fitness assessments, personal training services, and wellness education.
Special events include the Jill Behrman Run for the End Zone 5K Run/ Walk, the proceeds of which benefit the Jill Behrman Emerging Leader Scholarship Fund and Jill's House-a temporary residence for patients undergoing outpatient cancer treatment at the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute in Bloomington. In addition, free Family Night programs are offered monthly at the Student Recreational Sports Center and open to IU and Bloomington-area community members. Campus Recreational Sports is also an active partner in the IUB new student orientation program, hosting interactive events for all incoming students, including "Sneak Peek" events at the SRSC during the summer orientation period and RecFest, held outside HPER Wildermuth during Welcome Week in the fall. Spring Semester Kick Off events are also programmed each January to welcome back students after the winter break and encourage them to experience a variety of Campus Recreational Sports options.
Campus Recreational Sports is committed to providing educational avenues for student development, leadership, and professional preparation for undergraduate and graduate students. As one of the largest employers on campus, with over 800 part-time student hourly positions, Campus Recreational Sports hires students for positions across all program areas, including lifeguards, intramural sports officials, informal sports supervisors, member services associates, and graphic designers. Two-year graduate assistantship appointments are available in the areas of Research, Aquatics, Fitness/Wellness, Informal Sports and Equipment Operations and Intramural Sports. Campus Recreational Sports also offers more than 500 volunteer opportunities through its student advocacy body-the Student Recreational Sports Association (SRSA), special events and outreach programs, including the Jill Behrman Run for the End Zone, the Family Night Program, and through the RS Guide editorial and production team.
For students interested in a career in recreational sports management, IU has one of the country's leading programs, through the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies. A fitness specialist option is also available through the Department of Kinesiology. The fitness specialist program provides specialized educational and practical experiences to those interested in a career in emerging industries related to fitness, health, and wellness.