ATHLETICS AT EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

The School of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics, sponsors seven interco llegiate sports for men, six in tercollegiate sports for women and two coeduca tiona l intercollegiat e sports. Ex te nsive intramural programs are sponsored providing varied partic ipa t ion opportunities for all.

These programs are an integral part of the total program and development of Eastern students. They offer experiences which contrib ute immeasurably to the h ealth, vitality and preparation of young peop le as citizens and for their leadership contributions to the youth in the nation's schools and elsewhere.

The School of Health, Physical Educat ion, Recrea tion and Athletics offers a variety of degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The coaches of athletics are among the fifty seven full-time faculty members representing more than a score of the finest colleges and universities in the nation, required to produce academic, intramural and varsity athletic programs .

Th e extensive indoor and outdoor facilities are used interchangeably for i nstructio n and athletics as is th e faculty. The School, which is organ ized under a si ngle administrative unit , includes three academic departments under which t here are seventeen undergraduate and graduate degree programs and interco llegiate athletics. This type organization contributes significantly to successful coo rd inatio n of the program, faculty and facilities for maximum co ntributio n to the overall mission of the University.

Th e School of Health, Physical Edu cation, Recreat ion and Athletics (will be Co ll ege of H PERA in fall of 19 79) is headed by Dean Russell Bogue It s three academ ic departments arc: School and Public Hea lth, chaired by Dr. Herman Bush; Recreation and Park Administration, chaired by Dr. Jam es McChesney; Physical Education, chaired by Dr. Fred Darling. The Schoo l's p rogram of intercollegiate athletics is administered by Athleti c Director, Mr. Donald G. Combs, and Assistant Athletic Di re ctor, Dr. Martha Mullins.

Through its departments, t he School offe rs s ix baccalaureate degree programs and four two-year assoc iate of arts cu rricula for undergraduate stud ents . At the graduate level seve n graduate degree pro grams within the Masters of Arts in Education, the Master of Science, and the Specia list in Education degrees are offered. Rank 11 and Rank l teacher certification programs and other certification and endorsement programs are offered.

T he School also serves EK U' s general education program t hro ug h requ ired physical education and health classes for freshmen and sopho mores.

Enrolled in the School's academic programs are some 1,300 majors, in clud ing more t ha n 500 graduate s tudents. To serve this large enrollment, the School boast s a full- time faculty of 57, including 25 members with the earned doctorate. Thirty-five grad u a te assistants perform teaching and other services.

A balanced athle ti c program , intramural, sportS clubs and intercollegia te , is provided by the Schoo l. Intram ura l and sports clubs' programs arc sponsored through the physical e ducati on department by intramural directo rs. Compet ition in numerous sports, including softball, flag football , soccer, racquetball, bowling, vo ll eyball, table tennis, track , basketball and fie ld hockey provide physical outlets for EK U students.

EK U, a mem ber of the NCAA and Ohio Valley Conference, fi elds ath letic teams in basebal l, basketball, cross country, football, sw im mi ng , golf, tennis , track (indoor and outdoor), r ifle and gymnas ti cs. Basketball, field hockey, gymnast ics, tennis, trac k and field and volleyball make u p the intercollegiate program for wom en, under the AlAW and KWlC.

Outstanding facilities a re required to support an o p eration with the scope of Eastern's School of HPERA. The School's programs a r e housed in five major campus structuresThe Robert B. Begley Buildi ng, where it is headquartered , the Alumni Coliseum, the Weaver Health Building, t he P re s nell Bui lding and the G reg Adams Building Numerous tennis courts, recreation areas, Gertrude Hood Field, Tur key Hu ghes Ba se ball Field, and the Tom C. Samuels grass-lex su rfaced ni ne- la ne track with tartan infield are among the other faci li ties of the School. An 18-hole go lf course and an outdoor educa t ionrecreation demonstration area are located at Arlington. There a rc four equ ipped training rooms attached to the intercollegiate locker rooms in four Buildings. Th e Department of School and Pub lic Healt h has an enviro n me nt al health labor a tory in the ne w Rowlett Buildin g.

The seven-story Beg ley Building is designed t o serve nearly 2,000 students hourl y in classes and also provides seating for more than 20, 000 footba ll spec tators. Inclu ded in the structure are thr ee gymnasiums, 12 handball courts, 36 c lassrooms, 60 offices and the dr essing fa cilities for physical education and football. A training area includes two exercise and weight-lifting rooms, a steam room and a lar ge therapy tank. A se minar room and recep ti on area are located on th e second level of the building. Offices on this level have been accoustically treated to absorb sound from the open-top a thl et ic area.

The "Thomas E McD ono ugh I ntramural Fields," which boasts 10 football fields, two of which are va r si t y practice fields and ano t her two wh ich are large eno ugh for soccer pla y, are in use. In season, eig ht softball fields may be superi mposed on the foo t ball layo uts.

Th e Gl e nn Pres nell Building houses football locker and showe r rooms, a t ra ining room, res t rooms and storage , office· and lec ture areas. A n equipment check-out room and ot her service fac ilities are located to serve the studen t s who participa te in th e intramural programs.

Rece ntl y dedicated is the new Greg Adams indoor tennis facility. It became available fo r use in th e fall of 1976. It consti tute s the fifth building on campus devoted to housing the activities o f the School of HPERA.