Recreational sports program ranked No. 1

At IU there are about 38,000 students and roughly 87.5 percent have at one time or another participated in recreational sports.\nThe high participation rate may be one reason Sports Illustrated On Campus listed IU as having the best recreational program in the country. IU was ranked sixth in "Best College Sports Towns." SIOC highlighted IU's prestigious basketball and football programs, but the light shone on the recreational sports program. \n"When students aren't trying to live up to that lofty mantle, they spend plenty of time enjoying the beautiful campus and taking advantage of perhaps the nation's top recreational-sports program," Chris Ballard said in the article.\nDirector of Recreational Sports and Assistant Dean of HPER Kathy Bayless understands the success of the program.\n"We're here to support active healthy lifestyles and add a sense of community," Bayless said. "We are committed to excellence."\nIn 2002-03 there were 21,360 participants in just the intramural sports program, a 4 percent increase from 2000-2001. The two largest intramural sports are basketball with 435 teams and flag football with 402 teams. There are 46 club sports, which had about 1,500 participants last year. The largest club activity was ballroom dancing.\nClub and intramural sports make up a large number of the participants, but last year more than 446,000 people played on the basketball courts at the SRSC or HPER. Also there were about 2,000 training sessions in the fitness and wellness department, a record setting number. \n"We listen to our participants," Bayless said. "We are their advocates. We want a great product for them -- our programs and services."\nBayless also said the department provides informal sports for everyone's well-being and enjoyment.\n"We hire team members that are really dedicated to serving students well," Bayless said. "The students are the primary audience. Without the students there would be no program."\nThe recreational sports program is watched over by the Campus Recreational Sports Committee. Debbie Allmayer, vice president for Information Technology, said the committee is divided into four task groups, and these groups are proactive in looking for ways to improve the program.\n"The committee helps out with fund-raising, and they also provide different ideas for the recreational sports program," Allmayer said. "They suggest different activities for the program to try."\nThere are thousands of participants every year. One of those participants is senior Amanda Madden, who has been involved as an official, conditioning coach and a participant.\n"I have been a participant for four years now," Madden said. "I play soccer, basketball, softball and flag football with my sorority Kappa Delta. I have been playing sports since I was a little girl. Intramurals gives me the opportunity to continue playing, stay fit and have fun." \nBayless said all the work and effort that went into this program has now been validated. She said it has been recognized throughout the nation and everyone involved seems to have the same feeling about the program.\nBayless said she was ecstatic that someone recognized the program above all else, but was not surprised by the SI ranking.\n"I think the biggest joy for me is that this has been in my heart for years," she said.\n-- Contact staff writer Chris Hopper at chopper@indiana.edu.