TIRSA Conference 2024

Due to the water and plumbing issues on campus and throughout the city resulting from last week's inclement weather, we will host this year's conference virtually. (See ticker above for more information.) Further details, including login information, will be shared later this week. We appreciate your patience and cooperation during these challenging circumstances!

Tennessee Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (TIRSA) is a leader in higher education and the advocate for the advancement of recreation, sport and wellness by providing educational and developmental opportunities, generating and sharing knowledge, and promoting networking and growth for our members.

The annual TIRSA conference is the leading event for hundreds of Tennessee collegiate recreation professionals, students and vendors. We convene to learn and network, as well as explore the latest in programming, products and services for collegiate recreation.

Schedule

Friday, Jan. 26

All times are Central Standard Time.

• Fitness
• Intramurals
• Operations
• Wellness

Click on session titles for descriptions.

Educational Sessions

10:30 AM

Non-Traditional Intramural Competitions and How to Expand Your Offerings
Spencer Ryan and James Crider; Tennessee Tech

Over the past couple of years, we have strived to offer a better variety of competitions and contests for students. We have seen an explosion in overall participation, particularly from students who had not previously participated. Some examples are trivia, floral arranging, talent contest, log rolling, floorball, chess, esports and others. I will talk about how we decide what to offer, how to staff certain events and how to keep costs low.

Creative Programming for Wellness Exploration: The T-Flex Initiative
Eric Harrell, Cecelia Tatro, and Dr. Sean Basso; University of Tennessee

Looking for fun (but also intentional) ways to engage your campus community? Do you want to showcase your various facilities, programs, and offerings? If you answered yes to either question, then this is the right session for you! Join us as we discuss T-FLEX and its evolution within the University of Tennessee RecSports department. During this session, we will discuss the "FLEXes," prizes, marketing strategy, and how you can use Fusion to tabulate the results.

Finding Balance: Prioritizing Self-Care in Campus Recreation
Samarah Zamora; ETSU

This workshop is designed to equip you with actionable tools and inspiration to prioritize self-care in your roles within Campus Recreation. Participants will explore practical strategies to prevent burnout, establish boundaries and incorporate self-care rituals into your schedule. By the end of the workshop, you will be equipped with actionable steps to enhance your well-being, fostering a healthier balance in your professional and personal life. This session will also highlight the vital role of self-care in supporting audiences in campus recreation, providing communication strategies and adaptable methods to inspire and guide communities towards prioritizing self-care.

Utilizing your University’s Learning Management System to Maximize Online Onboarding for New Hires
Peter Loomis and Kasey Scott; Belmont University

At Belmont University, we have made online training a substantial component of our employee onboarding, from student staff to graduate assistants. In this session, we will discuss the resources we use when creating our online content and how you can do it at your university. Next, we will discuss how we seamlessly implemented our training information into our university’s Learning Management System (LMS). Finally, we will show how our in-person trainings support and advance the online materials.

1 PM

Intuitive Eating: An Anti-Dieting Approach to Fueling Your Body
Julia Noel, Eva McIntosh, and Holly Wright; University of Memphis

This session will provide intramural and recreational staff and leaders with information about Intuitive Eating (IE), the revolutionary anti-dieting program that is proven to help individuals of all fitness levels prioritize balanced nutrition. You will learn about the 10 principles of IE, understand how IE differs from restrictive dieting, and recognize the many ways in which Intuitive Eating can be an inclusive approach to helping intramural and recreational athletes fuel their bodies for sports performance.

Programming Intramural Sports with One Court, No Fields and 8000 Students
Peter Loomis and Jared Carwile; Belmont University

At Belmont University, we are faced with the unique challenge of scheduling Intramural Sports for a student body of over 8,000 with only one basketball court and no recreation fields. In this session, we will discuss innovative ways to utilize your facilities to their greatest potential and for maximum impact. We will dive into the strategies and opportunities universities may have to increase the scope of their intramural department.

Unleashing the Power of Social Media
Eric Harrell; University of Tennessee and McKayla Gibson; University of Memphis

This engaging discussion delves into the vital role social media plays in effectively connecting with college students. This interactive event will show the significance of leveraging social media platforms to engage, inspire, entertain, educate and influence this tech-savvy demographic. We will explore strategies that make social media content not only captivating but also highly productive. Attendees will learn skills and tips for creating compelling content that resonates with students.

Transforming Staff Training for Fun and Success
Ashley Ingram; University of Memphis

Join me for an interactive session where participants will experience activities that can be used for staff training. These training ideas could be used for aquatics, CPR/AED, First Aid and general team building exercises. We will look at several training topics and go through activities to make those staff trainings more fun and memorable!

2 PM

Building Bridges and Connecting People
Robby Robertson, Collin Dorlan and Kari Albarado; ETSU

Graduate Assistants (GA) play an important role in campus recreation. Connecting with students is a key role a GA needs to fulfill as it allows for better communication with work and can better assist professional staff in running the program. The relationships a GA makes with student staff can bridge the gap between student staff and professional staff. We will discuss ways a GA can be prepared to build these bridges and help lead a successful program.

Enhance Your Fitness Program with a Free Consultation Program
Wesley Williams and Suzanne Apperson; UTHSC

For this session, I will discuss what we do at UTHSC Recreation for students, faculty, and staff. We’ll talk about how the program is formatted within five free sessions to keep clients motivated and less intimidated about utilizing the recreation center. You’ll also learn how we help clients become more confident using the gym's equipment and gain an understanding of health and fitness. Finally, we’ll talk about the changes we have seen and the increase in clients as a result of the program.

Unconscious Bias: The Officials’ Perspective
Anja Shelton; Austin Peay State University

Officiating is more than being physically conditioned, more than knowing the rulebook and it's more than having excellent game management skills. As officials, we have to be able to recognize and overcome our own implicit biases for the sake of the game and its participants. This session will focus on how we can lead our student officials through recognizing and overcoming their own biases, while also guiding our participants on how to navigate perceived bias.

The Birth of a Recreation Center: Understanding the Process to Getting it Done
Jim Gabel and Cindy Bambini; Cannon Design

The decision to renovate or build a new collegiate recreation building is a pivotal moment in every institution's trajectory. For some, it's an exciting once-in-a-career moment that can have generational impact. There are numerous perspectives to consider, decisions to make and steps to take that can help ensure the long-term success of the facility on campus. This session will introduce participants to the full continuum of the design and construction process. Beginning with foundational decisions that can inform the selection of a design firm through every phase of project delivery: planning, campus and community engagement, design, graphics and construction.

2024 Sponsors

This event is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors. Thank you!

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OUTSTANDING SPIRIT

For more info:

Katie Gerstemeier
UofM Director of Programming
krwells@memphis.edu
901.678.3274