Oakland University has a deep history when it comes to Rec Well Sports as Greg Jordan, the current director of the Rec Well, is the former president of the National Intramural and Recreation Sports Association (NIRSA) which is the governing body of recreation departments across the country. 

Oakland is known nationally for its Rec Well Sports program and looks to continue the deep tradition of success in Rec Well Sports. 

Rec Well Sports, formerly Intramurals, provides year-round sports and games like flag football and Rocket League tournaments. According to College Stats, they can help develop leadership skills and build your network while also getting a workout in.

Since the term intramural was first used in 1913 at the University of Michigan, college students all over the country have been involved with intramural sports.

Sports and Recreation Program Coordinator Kyle Reece is excited to see the new ways Rec Well Sports will engage with students.

“Rec Well Sports used to be the standard softball, football and basketball competitions. Now, it’s a new thing altogether,” he said. “We have cooking as a sport, video game competitions, fantasy bachelor leagues, fitness competitions, you name it, and it’s probably a sport for us.”

Taking the First Step

The easiest way to get involved with Rec Well Sports is through the OU Rec Well app or the MyRecWell website. This is where students can find all sorts of information about OU’s Recreation and Well-Being Center such as memberships and wellness programs. 

Students can go to the Rec Well Sports section on the home menu from the website or app. In addition, students can visit the Rec Center for more information in person.

Once on the Rec Well Sports section, students will see multiple things, but for now, students will select Rec Well Sports registration to see a complete list of sports and activities in the current semester.

Creating or Joining a Team

Once a student selects a desired sport, for instance, 5v5 dodgeball, they will be prompted with five different leagues; co-rec, fraternity, men’s, sorority and women’s. Each league plays on a dedicated day and with dedicated time slots.

When a student sees the time and day that works best for them, they choose to register and are prompted with two options; register a team or register as a player.

If you prefer to be in charge of a team and want to experience the captain lifestyle, you would choose to register a team. On the other hand, if you would rather stay away from organizing a team and want to either join a team or become a free agent, you would choose to register as a player.

From there, you follow along with the instructions, and as of now, all sports and activities are free of charge for students.

To get in right away, the first sports are 5v5 dodgeball and 7v7 soccer, starting on Monday, September 26. The deadline to register a team is this Thursday, September 22, at midnight, but if you are a player, you can join a team at any point until the playoffs begin.

There are opportunities throughout the Fall 2022 semester if you cannot join. Just because you don’t have a team, it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to play since Rec Well Sports can take all the free agents who sign up and make a team from that, so students can still play and meet new people.

Program Assistant and supervisor Stephen Grenn said he is excited to see the future after COVID-19 affected Rec Well Sports and is looking forward to playing on a team.

“My favorite Rec Well sport is 5v5 basketball in the winter. It is the most competitive, and the gym is always full of students,” he said.

Working for Rec Well Sports

If students prefer to become an official for Rec Well Sports, they can do so through the app or website. On the main screen, students can select student employment and fill out a Google Form with the information and position they are interested in. 

Reece isn’t new to the intramural scene, starting his journey as an intramural softball official in 2011 at Eastern Kentucky University.

“I went to college not knowing anyone and wanted to meet new people and potentially make some friends along the way. I got to meet and interact with a ton of people on campus that played intramurals and got to make friends with a lot of them during my time there,” he said.

“Since then, I have made friends across the country that I still keep in touch with today. I look back on my time working in intramurals as an undergrad student very fondly,” Reece added. 

Thoughts on Working at the Rec

Grenn has commended Reece on his work revamping Rec Well Sports and said working for Rec Well Sports has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. 

“My favorite thing about working there is the awesome atmosphere throughout the whole Rec. All the workers and staff feel like family and have your back. Going into next year as the only returning Supervisor and PA is going to be a challenge, but the foundation is set, and we as a whole are heading in the right direction,” he said.

Supervisor Carolina Martinez said she is thankful for the opportunity the Rec Center has given her and did not think when she was hired, being a Rec Well referee would help her, but was proven wrong.

“I applied to several jobs at Oakland and only heard back from the Rec Center. Of course, I accepted the offer even though it was not my top choice. But boy, working at the Rec has changed my life. For starters, I made a lot of friends, which was something I was afraid of since I was out-of-state,” she said.

The Rec Center has also helped Martinez with her aspirations, like when she officiated an intramural softball game with a team of researchers and a professor who eventually offered Martinez a spot in the professor’s research lab.

More recently, the Rec Center has allowed Martinez to be involved with clubs like the Oakland Powerlifting Club, and she was able to create Girl Gains at the Rec — a women’s-only workout experience.