Inside RecSports: Fall/Winter 2001

INSIDE RECSPORTS Published for friends and supporters of UT Recreational Sports. vol 1 Fall 2001

The University of Texas at Austin • Division of Recreational Sports

A Letter from the Director Dear Friends, Welcome to the inaugural edition of Inside RecSports. This publication is being introduced as we acknowledge the 85th Anniversary of Recreational Sports, and celebrate our rich and diverse history. In looking back at the evolution of this program since its inception in 1916, we began to realize just how many people have played an integral part in making RecSports what it is today. And so, we have decided to initiate this newsletter as a means to stay connected – and get reconnected – with as many RecSports Friends as possible.

Recreational Sports is about people... and it’s about participating, being part of a team and making friends. It's also about creating memories, the kinds of memories that last a lifetime.

And for those of us who have made Recreational Sports our life's work, coming in contact with thousands of individuals on a daily basis is truly awe-inspiring. Although each of us differ in our ages, backgrounds, experiences and lifestyles, we all have one common link: a genuine interest in RecSports. From past Intramural champions, Sport Club participants and Early Birds, to former student employees and current participants, the RecSports family is large and constantly expanding. While this common bond is cherished, it can become easy to lose contact as our lives expand beyond the Forty Acres.

We hope that Inside RecSports will help you stay connected, get reacquainted and reflect on your own experiences. In this first issue of what is planned as a semi-annual newsletter, we have focused on our history, while providing updates about the new and dynamic developments that are presently underway and planned for the future. We also plan to regularly give updates about where you are and what you are doing. So take a moment to catch up, consider your past involvements and get reunited with Recreational Sports. We look forward to hearing from you, and keeping you apprised of what’s happening inside RecSports.

Warmest regards,

Thomas W. Dison Associate Vice President and Director

The Division of Recreational Sports Celebrates Its 85th Anniversary Celebrating a University Tradition • Education Through Recreation As the Division of Recreational Sports marks its 85th anniversary this academic year, there are many reasons to celebrate. From its meager beginnings in 1916, Recreational Sports has served The University of Texas at Austin community – making it one of the oldest recreational sports programs in the nation. What began as a men’s intramural program 85 years ago has grown and evolved to become one of the largest and most comprehensive university Recreational Sports programs of its kind in the country.

Students, faculty, and staff enjoy a vast array of leisure-time activities. Attesting to its popularity among students is the fact that over 88% of the student body participate in recreational sports activities, the highest level in RecSports history. This amounts to over 2 million hours of participation each year.

With the renovation and reopening of Gregory Gym in 1997, the Division has positioned itself in the “heart of campus” and continues to expand its campus-wide involvement. By hosting activities such as commencement, freshmen orientation, lock-ins, student elections, and numerous other special events, RecSports has become a central player in creating a sense of community on campus.

Clearly, RecSports is growing and becoming an increasingly vibrant and vital part of campus life – touching the lives of students from their freshmen year to graduation day, and beyond.

RecSports began highlighting its 85th anniversary this Fall. A new “History of RecSports” section now appears on the RecSports Web site, which can be reached at www.rs.utexas.edu. This addition to our Web site, along with the Inside RecSports newsletter, served to complement the RecSports anniversary celebration on September 29, 2001, during Parents’ Weekend. At that event, participants enjoyed a slice of cake, toured facilities, viewed the intramural champions “Wall of Fame,” and were given the opportunity to purchase a special anniversary edition T-shirt.

A Brief History of RecSports: 1916 Men’s Athletic Director L. Theo Bellmont hires Berry M. Whitaker to organize and run an Intramural Program for Men at The University of Texas.

1919 As part of the Physical Training Department for Women, Anna Hiss organizes the first women’s intramural activity, and in 1921 she becomes the Director of Women’s Physical Training.

1922 Men’s Intramurals separates from Athletics and is incorporated into the Physical Training Department. The men’s and women’s programs continue as two distinctly separate entities becoming part of the Division of Student Life in 1930.

1960 Upon Berry Whitaker’s retirement, Albert A. “Sonny” Rooker assumes the directorship of Men’s Intramurals. Under Mr. Rooker’s leadership, the Gregory Gym Annex is constructed.

1972 The departments of Men’s Intramurals and Women’s Intramurals are combined into one administrative unit and renamed the Division of Recreational Sports.

Betty A. Thompson is named director, becoming the first woman to be appointed to a position of this stature at a major university.

1988 Thomas W. Dison is appointed director of Recreational Sports upon the retirement of Betty A. Thompson. Under Mr. Dison’s leadership, the Recreational Sports Center is built, Gregory Gym undergoes a major renovation and student approval is gained for the construction of the Gregory Gym Aquatics Complex.

Continuing a University Tradition RecSports facilities are designed and maintained to serve generations of students. The Gregory Gym experience will be enhanced with the completion of a new Aquatics Complex featuring the renovation of the indoor pool and the addition of outdoor leisure pools, spas and related facilities.

For more RecSports history, please visit our Web site at www.rs.utexas.edu

• Gregory Gym opens 1930 • Anna Hiss Gym opens 1931 • Whitaker Fields and Clark Field renovated 1981 • Recreational Sports Center opens 1990 • Gregory Gym renovated 1997 • Clark Field renovated 2001 • Gregory Gym Aquatics Complex - anticipated opening: Fall 2003

New Intramural Trophy Memorializes Charles Alan Wright Charles Alan Wright 1927 - 2000 “The University’s Most Esteemed Professor” “The Winningest Coach in Texas Football History”

Never before in UT history has the greatness of one individual been so monumental as to warrant the establishment of an intramural sport trophy. This Fall, RecSports will debut the newlycreated Charles Alan Wright Trophy to honor the memory of the distinguished law professor known as “The Winningest Coach in Texas Football History.” Professor Wright earned this distinction by founding and directing the Legal Eagles, an intramural football team comprised of UT law students that dominated the leagues for 45 years. The team achieved an incredible record of 330 victories, 44 losses and 5 tied games.

Beginning this Fall, the Wright trophy will honor the All-University Champion Intramural Flag Football Team in tribute to its namesake.

The prestigious Wright trophy is on display at Gregory Gym in a new memorial exhibit that chronicles the professor’s extraordinary life as a legal scholar, law professor and intramural coach.

“The University’s Most Esteemed Professor” accrued a multitude of accolades, awards and recognition, and will go down in history as one of the most respected legal scholars in the country and a leading authority on federal courts. He is credited for bringing national prestige to the UT School of Law. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said that Wright stood “like a Colossus...at the summit of our profession.”

Intramural Program Remains Popular Attraction Today’s student may live in a technological age, but when it comes to leisure time activities, good old-fashioned intramural sports are still an immensely popular diversion from the classroom. The Intramural (IM) program at RecSports is enjoyed by both men and women in individual and coed activities. Last year’s program offered 42 events in 25 different sports, involving nearly 2,000 teams, 21,000 participants and 270 student officials. The traditional sports remain the most popular - basketball, which attracted 470 teams; football with 450 teams; softball, 300 teams; volleyball, 200 teams; and soccer, 220 teams. Two new sports – indoor soccer and floor hockey – were added in recent years and are gaining a following.

Members of The University of Texas Officials’ Association continue to work both intramural contests as well as over 1,500 youth games in the Austin community. This past year two intramural football officials, Steve Anderson (‘01) and Andy Deck (‘01), earned All-American honors at the National Collegiate Flag Football Championships.

Over the years many intramural officials have continued this avocation and progressed up the ladder to collegiate or professional levels. Included in this group are Mark Baletka (‘75), college baseball; Michael Carter(‘72), Big XII Volleyball; Carlos Rodriguez (‘95), college volleyball; Brian Ernest (‘87), Pete Tao(‘83), and Jeff O’Connor (‘90), college football; Brad Fowler (‘89), college basketball/State Tournament; Jeff Cockrum (‘97), pro softball; and Vince Cortes (‘97), college and pro soccer.

RecSports Intramural Director Bob Childress said the trophy is a fitting tribute to Professor Wright because of the coach’s love and appreciation for recreational sports and intramural football.

“Professor Wright left an indelible imprint on the Intramural program at RecSports that will live on through the establishment of this trophy,” he said.

UT Law Professor Thomas O. McGarity, a former Legal Eagles player who Wright appointed as head coach in 1992, recalls “Charlie” with fondness and admiration.

“His life had so many aspects and he strove for excellence in all of them. That’s what he did for the Legal Eagles.”

The Legal Eagles’ tradition of excellence continues today through the efforts of currently enrolled law students and team alumni.

Do you recognize any of these Intramural Champions? E-mail your responses to insiderecspor ts@mail.rs.utexas.edu.

Names of champions will be published in the next edition of Inside RecSports along with those who correctly identified the most players.

Fitness is the number one reason students get involved in RecSports.

Both men and women enjoy getting fit with Fitness/ Wellness. A “TeXercise pass” provides access to an array of fitness and mind/body classes offered seven days a week.

Energizing with Fitness/Wellness The RecSports program once known as UT Aerobics underwent a name change many years ago. The Fitness/Wellness program has lost none of its popularity or identity because of this modification. In fact, Fitness/Wellness has gained in popularity, serving an average of 65,000 participants each year. The program offers aerobics, mind/body, coached swim and water aerobic classes, personal training, table and chair massages, training series, and free Wellness Workshops each month featuring a variety of topics and guest speakers. Both men and women participate in Fitness/Wellness classes and activities, which represents a bit of a departure from the early days of UT Aerobics.

Over 88% of students at The University of Texas are involved in some aspect of RecSports.

Outdoor Adventures Offers Fun for Everyone Outdoor Adventures is a popular component of RecSports that is comprised of outdoor trips and clinics, an Outdoor Adventures Center and the Climbing Wall. Participants can choose from a wide range of activities such as backpacking, rockclimbing, kayaking and hiking, or can plan their own trip by utilizing the resource center and equipment rental service.

This year, Outdoor Adventures has planned some special trips for those who want to get away during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend or The University’s January Break. Horsepack Texas Frontier will be a five-day (November 21-25) Thanksgiving excursion to West Texas. Backpack Big Bend (January 5-13) will be nine days of adventure in a place where few have traveled. Both trips include guides, transportation, food and group gear.

UT Sport Clubs Win National Championships The Sport Club program enjoyed another successful actionpacked year. Nearly 3,000 students joined a student-run sport club, choosing from among the 43 clubs offered through the University of Texas Sport Club Association. Some of these clubs brought home national championships this past year in racquetball, gymnastics and baseball. The Women’s Racquetball Club traveled to Las Vegas, Nev., for the 2001 E-Force World Intercollegiate Championships, winning the overall women’s team title, which ended Brigham Young University’s shot at a record-breaking eight straight women’s titles. The Lady Longhorns earned six medals during finals action. Brigham Young placed third in the women's competition behind Texas and Baldwin Wallace, respectively...

The Baseball Club competed at the 2001 National Club Baseball World Series in Syracuse, N.Y., defeating Virginia by a score of 5-2 in the first ever NCBA World Series Championship Game. This action crowned The University of Texas as the 2001 NCBA Champion. The MVP of the tournament was Kevin Michels. Kevin pitched two complete games allowing only two earned runs... The Gymnastics Team earned National Champions honors in Syracuse, N.Y., at the 2001 National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Conferences Championships. The Longhorns defeated Texas A&M in the team competition by a score of 145.250 to 142.875.

Jillian Butt captured All-Around Gymnast honors and Erin Watkins finished 6th in the All-Around competition.

Clark Field: A UT Landmark Returns During the early 1980s, Clark Field (old Freshmen Field) was renovated with the addition of outdoor handball/ racquetball and basketball courts, a turfed playing area, and an outdoor jogging track. Over the next two decades, Clark became the third most popular recreational facility. In the late 1990s, the need to provide more on-campus housing became so great that a portion of this site was needed for the future San Jacinto Hall.

To accommodate it, Clark Field was closed in January 1999 with plans to construct the residence hall and again renovate the recreational activity space.

“During the reconstruction process, our primary objective was to protect and redevelop as much green space as possible,” said Facility Director Pete Schaack, noting that the turf area is a major attraction of Clark Field.

On August 29, 2001, the first day of the new Fall semester, Clark Field officially reopened.

The new Clark Field consists of four basketball courts (relocated to an adjacent parking lot to preserve as much green space as possible); a free form 1/4-mile recreational jogging/ walking track; four sets of exercise equipment adjacent to the track; and 2.5 acres of turf space lighted for night time use.

Longhorn Parents Meet and Eat at Gregory Gym Breakfast not basketball took center stage in the Gregory Gym Arena on September 29 as RecSports hosted the annual Parents’ Association Breakfast. Approximately 2,000 Longhorn parents participated in the event to meet other parents, learn more about UT, and to hear UT President Larry Faulkner discuss the state of The University. Dr. James Vick, Vice President for Student Affairs, introduced the Parents’ Association’s Outstanding Students as well as the recipients of the Student Affairs Staff Merit Awards. The breakfast was one of many special events held on campus during Parents’ Weekend, including an open house at Gregory Gym and the Recreational Sports Center.

Two days after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the tragic plane crash in Pennsylvania, 15,000 students and other members of the campus community rallied together on the Gregory Gym Plaza, helping to raise $8,200 in disaster relief funds for those directly affected by the catastrophes.

What should have been a welcome-back-to-campus party called “Party on the Plaza,” was refocused to help those affected by the horrific events of September 11, 2001, and renamed “Together on the Plaza.” The Hearts of Texas Rescue Team, a student-led disaster relief program which had been named the beneficiary of the RecSports event, collected monetary donations and heartfelt messages on giant-sized cards to send to relief agencies in Washington, New York and Philadelphia. In addition, the team offered participants the opportunity to leave flowers and “peaceful comments” on twin message boards erected on the steps leading to the Gregory Gym Arena.

Together on the Plaza also featured some previously planned activities, such as a student organization fair, a free aerobics class and free indoor climbing. Other activities raised disaster relief funds, including a silent auction, a barbeque lunch, and the $1,500 Scholarship Shootout competition, which was won by a freshman chemistry student from San Antonio, Gerardo Puente.

Where Are They Now? Lost touch with former intramural teammates or fellow RecSports employees?

Want to find out what happened to your old workout buddies? Here’s what some of you are doing now: Legal Eagle Mike Tomsu ('82) is now a lawyer for Vinson & Elkins in Austin… Facilities and IM employee Kevin Contello ('98) now lives in Austin and is a manager for Dell Computer Corporation…GRE ad hoc committee member Jeffery Povero (‘95) is living in N.Y. and working as an architect at A.M. Stern Architects…

RecSports retiree Barbara Brimi has moved back home to Tennessee after 30 years at UT… IM Champion and staff member Kim Hendrix ('84) is a senior news anchor for WSFA, an NBC affiliate in Montgomery, Ala., and is married with a 13-month old daughter – Kim's sister Deana Hendrix ('83) is the new Director for Administrative Services at UT RecSports… IM Champion staff member Lynn Fox Utter (‘84) is the Group Vice President for Operations with Coors Beer in Denver, Co., and is married with two children... RecSports Review editor Steve Knight ('82) and participant Mary Yelenosky ('82) have been married for almost 20 years - Mary works for UT Austin as an Associate Vice President and Budget Director… IM Champion John Tarleton ('74) is a veterinarian living in Georgetown, Texas, and his son attends UT... Nancy Johnson ('83) now works in Boulder, Colo., for an independent brewing company…

IM Champion Ron Schroeder ('70) is the head coach of the Westlake High School football team in Austin…

Legal Eagle Ron Kirk ('79) is the mayor of Dallas… IM Champion Kirk Bohls ('73) is a sports columnist for the Austin American Statesman… IM Champion and manager for Section 33 Steve Mjos ('77) is the Men’s Golf coach at Anderson High School in Austin… IM Champion Julie Gillespie ('85) is now a lieutenant for the University Police Department at UT Austin… IM Champion and employee Kim Valz-Reath ('82) is involved in Senior Management-Analysis with the Marine Corps at Camp

Pendleton in San Diego… IM Champion Howard Ballard ('81) is the Dripping Springs High School head football coach… IM employees and sisters Renee and Stephanie DeMunbrun ('85 and '82) both live in the Austin area; Renee married Keith Johnson and has two children, Stephanie works for UT Athletics… IM Champion Larry Goins ('77) coaches football at Crockett High School in Austin… IM Champions Duke and Danay Covert ('69 and '75) operate the Covert car dealerships in Central Texas…IM Champion and Oak Grove resident Jim Cole (‘60) is a retired Chemical Engineer in Houston... Oak Grove resident and All-Around Athlete Jackie Boston (‘60) is a school administrator in Dalhart, Texas.

Spotlight on: Rene Garza Rene Garza and his Acacia volleyball team brought home Intramural Championships year after year in the 70s, and he still keeps up with many of his teammates. After earning his MBA from UT in 1977, he moved to Houston, where he still resides. Garza is a Financial Advisor for Guadalupe Natural Gas. He and his wife, Cindy, have three children: Matthew (16), Leslie (12) and Daniel (9). He enjoys fly fishing, coaching his kids in youth sports, and has season tickets for Longhorn football.

Every Friday morning he eats breakfast with the Houston Longhorn Breakfast Club.

Go to www.rs.utexas.edu/whereareyou to let everyone know what YOU are doing now!

Student Employees Contribute to the Success of RecSports As one of the largest recreational sports programs of its kind in the nation, RecSports augments its professional and support staff positions with part-time student employees to help manage programs, services and facilities. Each semester, RecSports employs more than 1,000 students on a part-time basis in various capacities, from cashiers to outdoor guides, fitness instructors to lifeguards, and building supervisors to intramural officials.

Students learn valuable skills while enjoying the convenience of an on-campus job. Nearly $1.5 million in wages is returned to students each year.

Photo: Student staff members enjoy breakfast at Fall Kickoff, an annual orientation designed to motivate and inform new and returning student employees.

40 Acres Update On August 4, 2001, Thomas Dison, Associate Vice President and Director of Recreational Sports at UT Austin, began serving as Interim Dean of Students following Sharon Justice’s retirement. Meanwhile, the search and selection process for a permanent Dean of Students continues. Vice President for Student Affairs James W. Vick said Dison was asked to serve as interim dean because of his excellent relationship with students and staff. The University’s goal is to interview finalists for the position during the early Fall and to make a selection as soon as possible after the interviews. Dison is continuing to serve in his present capacity during this interim period.

The University of Texas at Austin School of Law and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) have announced a partnership in establishing a pre-law program in San Antonio to better prepare prospective law students from UTSA to succeed in the legal profession.

The new program was based on the successful program at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) developed jointly with The University of Texas at Austin School of Law. Now in its third year, the program has demonstrably increased the number of students who have been accepted into law schools nationwide, including The University of Texas at Austin School of Law, Harvard, University of Virginia, Columbia, Texas Tech and others.

The 2001 Distinguished Alumnus Awards Presentation took place at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library Auditorium on the evening of Friday, October 19, 2001. This year’s recipients are: R. Gordon Appleman – BA 1959, Partner Thompson & Knight, LLP; Betty Sue Flowers – BA 1969, MA 1970, Distinguished Teaching Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, Department of English and newly-appointed director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library; Ricardo Hinojosa – BA 1972, United States District Judge, Southern District of Texas; Ron Kirk – JD 1979, Mayor of Dallas; Joe Long – BA 1951, LLB 1958, Lawyer/Banker/Investments; and Jon Newton – BA 1963, JD 1965, Retired Vice Chairman & Director of American General Corporation.

The University of Texas at Austin Division of Recreational Sports GRE 2.200 (D7500) Austin, TX 78712 www.rs.utexas.edu

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