Sport and Recreation Professions

Introduction to Sport, Recreation, and Leisure Services

Designed for all students who desire to explore the varied professions of recreation/leisure services as a possible career goal or for personal growth and development. Recreation and leisure in historical development and today's contemporary society and leisure education are the major areas of concentration. Includes a practicum in which students are required to investigate local recreation/leisure agencies. Prerequisite: first years/sophomores only; juniors/seniors by consent. Offered every semester.

Leadership and Management of Sport, Recreation and Leisure Services

This course is designed to cover the principles of leadership and management found in agencies providing sport, recreation, and leisure experiences. Emphasis is upon practical application and a "hands-on" focus is provided. Course requires a weekly lab section for practical application of content to participant and agency experiences. Prerequisite: REC 101 or by consent. Offered fall and spring semesters.

Disability in the Media

Explores various disabling conditions and related challenges/prejudices experienced by individuals with disabilities and how these individuals are portrayed in popular film and other media. Examines physical, psychological, emotional, and social life-conditions and allows students to examine their own attitudes and perceptions regarding disabilities. Offered intermittently.

Teaching Assistant

Provides recreation/leisure service majors or other students who qualify the opportunity, under supervision, to organize and lead recreation, physical education activity courses, and selected introductory content courses. Students are required to prepare lesson plans. Prerequisites: REC 207, or prior teaching experience. Students must be interviewed and accepted by the course instructor. Offered every semester.

Race, Gender, and Leisure

Investigates the past, present and future roles of leisure in the lives of individuals within the context of gender, race, and ethnicity. Leisure patterns and pursuits will be examined through a review and analysis of ideals on equity, empowerment and social values. The course will also incorporate a personal examination of leisure philosophy, behavior and constraints related to one's identity. Offered intermittently.

Travel and Tourism

Introduces the principles of travel and tourism as an element of leisure service delivery. Covers tourism development and promotion from both the public and private sectors. Students investigate various socioeconomic factors of travel and tourism and visit various travel and tourism agencies. Offered intermittently.

Historical, Cultural, and Professional Dimensions of Sport, Recreation, and Leisure

Provides students with knowledge of the history, philosophy, development, purposes, values, and interrelationships of recreation delivery systems from both the private and public sectors. Focuses on the professional dimensions of recreation and leisure as they relate to diverse cultures served in contemporary practice. Prerequisites: ENG 105 with a grade of C or higher and junior/senior status. Offered every fall.

Research Methods in Sport and Recreation

This course is designed to cover the various methods employed in research related to sport and recreation. Focus is upon descriptive methods, sampling, surveying, participant observation, and data interpretation in agencies providing sport and recreation experiences. While introduced, this course does not concentrate on experimental research design. Corequisite: RT 409 or SRM 409. Offered intermittently.

Introduction to Recreational Therapy

Provides an overview of the profession of recreational therapy, including the philosophy, practice, procedures, and foundation of services for individuals with disabilities. Students develop an understanding of professional preparation, service settings, and consumer groups that utilize recreational therapy services. Fieldwork required. Prerequisite: first-year or sophomore status only; juniors and seniors by consent. Prerequisite: REC 101 or by consent. Offered every semester.

Topics in Recreational Therapy

An in-depth study of a Recreation Therapy focused topic, including the study and investigation of related themes of interest. A sophomore-level topics course to provide those students who possess an understanding of the foundations of recreational therapy an opportunity to delve into more diverse and related themes of interest. Prerequisites: Sophomore/Junior/Senior Status. Course may be repeated as topics change. Offered intermittently.

Junior Internship in Recreational Therapy

Offers the opportunity to investigate the leadership, programming, operation, and management of leisure service agencies while gaining paid or volunteer experience. Through a comprehensive focus on individual areas of administration, the course is tailored to the individual needs of the student and agency to maximize experience and reflection. Prerequisite: REC 207. Offered every semester and summer.

Recreational Therapy: Physical & Neurological Conditions

Introduces students to various physical and neurological conditions that typically receive recreational therapy services. Adaptive, corrective and progressive recreational therapy techniques are explored for various chronic conditions. The course focuses on treatment interventions and life skills as they relate to specific disorders and the habilitative or rehabilitative goals for each. Prerequisite: RT 210. Offered every spring.

Recreational Therapy: Mental Health Conditions

Introduces students to the various disabling conditions that typically receive recreational therapy services. Explores adaptive, corrective and progressive recreational therapy techniques for a variety of disabling conditions. Emphasizes treatment interventions and leisure skills as they relate to specific disorders and habilitative or rehabilitative goals. Prerequisite: RT 210. Offered every spring.

Recreational Therapy Management and Organization

Provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to organize, conduct, and evaluate recreational therapy programs in healthcare agencies. Students develop a written plan of operation for an agency providing recreational therapy services. Field experience is required. Prerequisite: RT 210. Offered every spring.

Recreational Therapy Analysis and Assessment

Provides the rationale, procedural methods for, and applications of assessment in recreational therapy. Students examine and use standardized instruments and develop a functional assessment based on the use of activity/task analysis. They learn methods of clinical assessment, establishing client rapport, and interpretation and documentation of assessment results. Prerequisite: RT 210. Offered every fall.

Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Recreational Therapy

Prepares students in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of recreational therapy services. Includes the selection of appropriate treatment techniques and clinical skills to be used with various client populations, intervention strategies, and methods of evaluating client and program outcomes. Prerequisite: REC 210 (source says REC 210 — almost certainly should be RT 210; flagged for Academic Affairs).

Internship Preparation in Recreational Therapy

Provides guidance and direction in all phases of internship procurement for all students majoring in Sport and Recreation Professions and enrolling in RT 409 the following semester. Emphasizes each student's self-assessment, documentation of personal/professional goals, strengths, and areas for improvement in relation to the agency's attributes and compatibility with the student's goals. Graded pass/fail. Prerequisite: senior and eligible to complete RT 409 the following semester. Offered every semester.

Senior Internship in Recreational Therapy

Field placement in an approved recreation or therapeutic recreation setting. Students intern under a trained recreation professional and participate in all phases of agency operation. Prerequisite: RT 407. Offered every semester on request.

Sport and Society

Introduces and investigates key issues found in sport that impact society. By looking at the forces that impact individual sports, students will study how sport as a whole has mirrored our society and continues to do so today. Connections between sport and under-represented groups, social equity, ethics, values and politics are some areas to be addressed. Film, podcasts, and other popular media will be used to promote discussion. Offered every January Term.

Junior Internship in Sport and Recreation Management

Offers the opportunity to investigate the leadership, programming, operation, and management of leisure service agencies while gaining paid or volunteer experience. Through a comprehensive focus on individual areas of administration, the course is tailored to the individual needs of the student and agency to maximize experience and reflection. Prerequisite: REC 207. Offered every semester and summer.

Strategic Sports Communication

To explain the theories and principles of sports communication and to provide an understanding of contemporary applications. The course is a foundation for students planning careers in fields that require an understanding of the strategic communication in sports related professions. Identical to MC 329. Prerequisites: REC 207 or consent. Offered every fall.

Sport, Recreation, and Facility Management Principles

Provides students majoring in Sport and Recreation Professions with an extensive knowledge of effective management in a variety of sports settings. Covers specific skills needed to plan and maintain recreation facilities. Private and public schools and sport club environments are explored. Prerequisite: REC 101. Offered every spring.

Sport and Recreation Program and Event Principles

Provides students with an understanding of recreation program practices, including planning objectives, programming principles, organization, group work, promotion supervision, and program evaluation. In addition to the study of programming theory, students plan, organize, and evaluate a variety of recreation programs. Suggested prerequisite: REC 207. Offered every fall.

Administration of Campus Recreation

Covers the planning, organization, administration, and evaluation of recreational sports programs in colleges and universities. Emphasizes practical experiences designed to acquaint the student with contemporary administration practices in the field. Offered every fall.

Outdoor Recreation and Education

A series of experiences, discussions, and readings about current issues and practices in outdoor recreation and education. Students plan, prepare, and implement an overnight backcountry experience. Requires an overnight field experience outside of regularly scheduled class meetings. Lab fee. Offered every spring.

Ropes Course and Group Facilitation Methods

Prepares students to become ropes course leaders and facilitate the ability of groups to better achieve their goals. Through coverage of the factors connected to initial group processes, conflict, goal deliberation, and the role of the facilitator, the course provides hands-on activities, enabling the student to experience the responsibilities needed to become a useful group facilitator. Lab fee. Offered every fall.

Commercial Sport and Recreation

Analyzes the principles of organizing commercial recreation agencies and the factors affecting their success. Emphasizes field evaluation and case studies of specific agencies currently in operation. Offered every spring.

Fitness Instructor Training

This course is designed to cover the principles and skills required to become a personal trainer and manage a fitness facility. Includes the principles of individual fitness, the skills necessary for the creation of a fitness program, and the application of recreation management principles to fitness settings. Prerequisites: REC 207 or consent. Offered every fall.

Maui Sea to Sky: The Impact of Adventure Travel on Culture and the Environment

This course examines the impact that adventure travel has on culture and the environment. To study the impact, students travel to Maui and local Hampton Roads destinations. These trips help students to understand how tourist activities (such as snorkeling, hiking, surfing, luau, and agri-tourism) have an effect on culture, the economy, and preservation of the environment. Offered January Term.

Youth Development Through Sport and Recreation

Sport is a powerful context for youth development because it offers a structured environment for learning life skills, fostering physical and mental well-being, and building social connections through shared goals and challenges. This course examines the role of community-based youth sports and recreation programs in the holistic development of youth. Prerequisite: Sophomore status or higher. Offered every spring.

Internship Preparation in Sport and Recreation Management

Provides guidance and direction in all phases of internship procurement for all students majoring in Sport and Recreation Professions and enrolling in SRM 409 the following semester. Emphasizes each student's self-assessment, documentation of personal/professional goals, strengths, and areas for improvement in relation to the agency's attributes and compatibility with the student's goals. Graded pass/fail. Prerequisite: senior and eligible to complete SRM 409 the following semester. Offered every semester.

Senior Internship in Sport and Recreation Management

Field placement in an approved sport and/or recreation setting. Students intern under a trained recreation professional and participate in all phases of agency operation. Prerequisite: SRM 407. Offered every semester on request.