Inside RecSports: Fall/Winter 2006

InsideRecSports Published for friends and supporters of UT Recreational Sports

Vol. 6, No. 1

Fall 2006

Letter

From

the Director Attend our Dear Friends: Open House As the Division of Recreational Sports marks its 90th anniversary during the Pre-Game Oct.14 2006-07 academic year, there are many reasons to celebrate. What began in 1916 as UT vs. Baylor a Men’s Intramural Program has grown and evolved to become one of the largest and most comprehensive university recreational sports programs in the nation. Today, 90 percent of the student population participates in intramurals, sport clubs, outdoor recreation, fitness/ wellness and instructional classes, and informal recreation.

Five years ago the first edition of Inside RecSports was distributed as part of our 85th anniversary celebration. With this 10th edition, over 20,000 friends will read about the evolution of UT RecSports during the last 90 years. While it is exciting to see the progress with new and renovated facilities and to realize the expanded and unique opportunities for students beyond intramural competition, the link to you – past UT students who were part of our programs – is of great importance. We are reminded of how many people have played an integral part in making RecSports what it is today. As I said in the Recreational Sports is first newsletter, Recreational Sports is about people and about participating, being part of a team, making about people and about friends and creating memories that last a lifetime.

In closing, we encourage you to keep in touch. participating, being part Your calls, e-mails and letters are welcome additions to the history of this organization. If you are on campus, of a team, making friends drop by Gregory Gym for a visit. Even better, join us pre-game on Oct. 14 for a 90th anniversary open and creating memories house. Tour Gregory Gym. View the Intramural Wall of Fame. See the new aquatic complex and have some that last a lifetime. cake on us!

Best wishes in 2006-07,

Cover: ‘20s Fiji basketball champions (1919– 20) ‘30s Tee club (1937) ‘40s 11th annual Fite Night in GRE (1941) ‘50s Men’s football action (1955) ‘60s Women’s football action (1966) ‘70s Backpacking the wilderness (1978) ‘80s Intramural basketball in GRE (1987) ‘90s Faculty/staff work out in the RSC (1992)

Thomas W. Dison Associate Vice President and Director

Visit our Web site and let us know “where you are” or drop by Gregory Gym the next time you’re in Austin.

Spotlight 90% of UT students participate in RecSports

(1) Intramural Golf This UT foursome, teeing off on the seventh hole, enjoys the annual Intramural Golf Tournament at The University of Texas Golf Club. Since spring 2004, UT students have been afforded the opportunity to play this 7,154yard Bechtol Russell designed course – the official home of The University of Texas golf teams. Nestled between Lake Austin and Lake Travis in Steiner Ranch, the course offers an exciting and scenic venue for the intramural golfer.

yoga classes offer choices for the beginner as well as the advanced participant. Iyengar yoga is perfect for beginners; Ashtanga (power yoga) is light on meditation but heavy on developing strength and stamina; Hatha yoga is a mellow form of yoga with simple poses moving at a comfortable pace; and Hatha Flow yoga moves more quickly from one pose to another. New for 2006 is Yoga Tone which uses more progressive postures to increase muscle tone.

(2) Ultimate This field sport combines the nonstop foot speed and cutting of soccer, the aerial beauty of basketball and the scoring of football. It is played with a disc and everyone is a quarterback and everyone is a receiver. Created in the 1960s, today the sport attracts a large following from youth leagues to college teams. At UT, RecSports sponsors both a men’s and women’s club that plays locally as well as nationally. Here, the men compete in the nationals in Corvallis, Ore., in 2005.

(4) Outdoor Recreation UT students enjoy a day of rock climbing at Reimer’s Ranch, which features outstanding climbing for every skill level. Students, faculty/staff and friends can put skills learned on the Climbing Wall in Gregory Gym to the test on this trip. Transportation, guides, park entrance fees and climbing gear are provided for a nominal fee.

(3) Yoga As a popular alternative to traditional group exercise classes, yoga focuses on connecting the body and mind in a series of poses coupled with breathing and relaxation techniques. Different levels of

(5) Learn to Swim Parents experience the thrill of helping their child learn to swim through the aquatic classes offered in RecSports’ new Instructional Program. Aquatic classes are ideally suited to the Gregory Gym Aquatic Complex and continue to gain in popularity. The program also offers classes in sport skills and safety education.

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(3)

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Est. 1916 Continuing a University Tradition

of Education Through Recreation The Division of Recreational Sports at The University of Texas at Austin celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2006-07. What was originally Men’s and Women’s Intramurals became Recreational Sports in 1972, which has grown and evolved to include five additional programs– Sport Clubs, Fitness/Wellness, Outdoor Recreation, Instructional and Informal Recreation. Today, RecSports offers 10 wide-ranging facilities, including the newest addition, the ultra-modern Gregory Gym Aquatic Complex, featuring a completely renovated Natatorium and a new two-acre outdoor complex consisting of two indoor and three outdoor pools, spa, Poolside Café, Reception Garden, deck area for lounging, wireless Internet and lush landscaping.

The new complex offers both recreation and communitybuilding opportunities to students, faculty and staff. A total of 90 percent of currently enrolled students have made fitness, play and physical activity a key part of their educational experience.

For a more extensive overview of the history of RecSports, visit our Web site at www.utrecsports.org.

1916

Men’s Athletic Director L. Theo Bellmont hires Berry Whitaker to start a men’s intramural program at The University of Texas.

1918

Anna Hiss arrives at Texas as an instructor in physical training for women.

1930

Gregory Gym opens.

1931 The Women’s Gym opens (later named for Anna Hiss).

1933

Anna Hiss develops a separate intramural program for women.

1960

Albert A. “Sonny” Rooker assumes the directorship of Men’s Intramurals. Under his leadership the Gregory Gym Annex is built (1963) and the Intramural Fields are relocated to 51st and Guadalupe Streets (1967).

1972

The departments of Men’s Intramurals and Women’s Intramurals are combined and renamed the Division of Recreational Sports under the directorship of Betty A. Thompson.

1981

Whitaker Fields and Clark Field are both renovated.

1988

Thomas W. Dison is appointed director of RecSports upon the retirement of Betty A. Thompson. Under his leadership, the Recreational Sports Center is built (1990), Gregory Gym undergoes a major renovation (1997) and the Gregory Gym Aquatic Complex is completed (2005).

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RecSports programs and facilities may be newer and more modern, but students still play, exercise and enjoy a good time – just like in the old days!

• Gregory Gym opens 1930

1. Women compete in track at Memorial stadium (60s) and at Meyers stadium today.

• Intramural Fields move to 51st and Guadalupe 1967

2. Club sport archery from the 30s and today.

• Recreational Sports Center opens 1990

3. Canoe trips from the 70s and today.

• Gregory Gym renovated 1997

4. Fitness and exercise circa 1920s and today.

• Clark Field renovated 2001

5. Gregory Gym weight room from the 80s and today.

• Gregory Gym Aquatic Complex opens 2005

• Anna Hiss Gym opens 1931 • Gregory Gym Annex added 1963 • Whitaker Fields and Clark Field renovated 1981

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View of UT Tower from GRE Aquatic Complex

Fast Forward Where Are

YOU 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: 1940s

Dr. John Kirkley ’41, attended UT and went on to become a doctor.

John won an Intramural championship in water polo with his fraternity, Phi Kappa Sigma.

1950s

Charles Burke ’53, former handball champion, spent one year at UT in 1941 before joining the Air Force. He returned after six years, finished his degree and spent 31 years with the Texas Education Agency as an auditor.

Charles remembers many great games in the old handball courts with Les and Ben Proctor, Pete Tyson and Dick Roberson. Today, Charles is retired in Austin.

Kitty Harrison ’56, tennis champion, worked in New York, San Francisco, Houston, Mexico City and London post graduation.

A master of arts in classics in 1968 from UT led her to North Carolina to work on her Ph.D. “Things changed,” Kitty says, “and I entered the world of tennis which has been the single constant thread from an early age.”

There, Kitty helped launch women’s tennis and in the process helped pioneer women’s collegiate athletics in general. With a record of 326 wins and 227 losses, she was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004. Today, Kitty still travels extensively, reads, walks four miles a day and lifts weights three times weekly.

Barbara (Lit) Horwitz ’58, former shuffleboard champion, lives in Houston with her husband, Dr. Ken Horwitz (1957 IM golf champion). Barbara graduated summa cum laude in education and taught in the Houston public school system. Three children – Jeffrey (UT graduate/pediatric surgeon), Scott (Stanford graduate in San Franciso) and Valerie (UT graduate in Houston) – and three grandchildren complete the family.

J. M. ‘Jack’ Kyle ’59, nine-time All Intramural in football, basketball and softball and Best All Around Athlete in 1959, led his Kappa Sigma fraternity to football championships (1959, 1960 and 1962), a basketball championship in 1959 and a softball championship in 1959. Recently retired after 24 years as vice president-corporate relations and government affairs for Union Pacific Railroad, Jack lives in Baton Rouge, La., where daughter Kristin is a senior at LSU. This former mayor of New Braunfels, Texas, has five children and five grandchildren, including Matt, a 1991 UT law graduate and intramural athlete.

1960s

Jim Williams ’65, ’66, ’69,

Acacia unlimited heavyweight wrestling champion and softball Wall of Famer, is a retired partner with Ernst & Young and a member of the Governmental

Accounting Standards Board. Jim and wife Linda live in Knoxville, Tenn.

Jim Kuch ’69, former 130 lb. intramural wrestling champion in 1965-66 with the Navy ROTC, lives in Celina, Texas.

Dr. Craig Broome ’69, ’72, former Class A tennis champion, still plays tennis today and won the National 50-and-Over Clay Court Tournament a few years ago.

After graduating with degrees in aerospace engineering and working for NASA on Apollo 12 and 13, Craig has been a doctor since 1979 (UT San Antonio Medical School).

He lives in Pensacola, Fla., and practices emergency medicine.

1970s John Lusby ’72, former fencing champion in 1969-70, has been in engineering and sales, working for Honeywell for the last 20 years.

He’s been married to Phyliss Grabbe for 33 years and has one son, Lee (27). Of note: John finished 19th in the country in Foil in the 1974 National Fencing Championships in New York City.

Ray Helmcamp ’72, former All Intramural quarterback for Hill Hall, received his master’s in education and doctorate in organizational behavior. Currently, Ray is a director for Central Counties Center for Mental Health Mental Retardation in Temple, Texas, and will soon publish a book, “The Psychology of Participative Management.” He and wife Cindy have a daughter, Phoebe, age four.

Richard Lawler ’75, basketball and softball champion, graduated with a degree in architectural engineering and worked in structural design before changing careers in the mid-80s to computer programming. In 1994, Richard founded CompuSoft, Inc., where he writes computer software for employee benefit applications.

Married to Carol (Buckner) ’75 and with two children, Aaron (25) and Meredith (22), who just graduated from UT with a degree in chemistry, Richard is a life member of the Longhorn Foundation and a football season ticket holder.

Richard and Carol live in Irving, Texas.

Terry Doyle ’73, ’75, undefeated IM champ in swimming for five years, also played football, basketball, softball and water basketball. Terry was the Best All Around Athlete for independents in 1973. With a chemical engineering degree and an MBA, he worked in various financial and management positions for Exxon and Champlin Petroleum in Houston following graduation. Terry then spent 19 years with Pennzoil mostly as a regional vice president based out of Atlanta, Ga. He and wife Susan have a 14-year-old son. Terry still plays golf and softball and attends several home football games each year.

Theodore Guidry III ’79, multiple champion in IM basketball, lives in San Antonio with his wife of 27 years who he met as a freshman at UT. The family has grown to include three children (24, 21 and 19) and three grandchildren.

Theodore is vice president of Business Risk Management for

Go to www.utrecsports.org/whereareyou to let us know what you’re up to!

Valero Energy Corp., where he has worked for 25 years. He is also a certified public accountant and certified internal auditor with an MBA from Incarnate Word College.

1980s

Larry Kirkland ’81, three-time men’s softball champion, resides in Lincoln, Neb., with wife Linda (Cole) ’81. Larry is a senior consultant with Computer Sciences Corp., a company based in Austin. Larry and Linda have three children.

Quart Graves ’83, ’86, five-time weightlifting champion from 198084, is now the owner/operator of a Chick-fil-A in Sugar Land, Texas. Quart and wife Carrie (masters of Social Work from UT in ’85) have four children. Quart notes, “Some of my fondest memories were in the old Gregory weight room where I spent hundreds of hours with its rusty weights, dented wood floors and giant fans.” Quart was active in passing a referendum in 1985 to gain approval to build the Recreational Sports Center. Of note: Quart set the record, which still stands, by benching his body weight (147 lbs.) 60 times in 1981.

John Bike ’89, a superb allaround athlete and IM champion in handball, joined the pro handball circuit after graduation.

John has been winning handball tournaments since 1985, with his last national four-wall championship in 2003. Married in 1997 to Lupe Alvarado, John and Lupe live in Hesperia, Calif., where both teach in the Victor Elementary School (John, second grade and

Lupe, fifth and sixth grades.) They have a six-year-old (John) and a five-year-old (Gabriella).

Evy Grace ’87, former women’s handball champion, lives in Austin and works for FedEx Express. With a racquetball class full, she was placed into a handball class by Professor Pete Tyson and has never regretted it. “Handball got me through college,” she says.

Evy is the niece of Charles Burke (see 1950s).

Scott Smith ’88, former IM official and supervisor, lives in Grapevine, Texas, with his three children – Taylor (13), Austin (11) and Garret (8) – all of whom are involved in select level sports. Scott is employed by GE Commercial Credit.

1990s

Jon Alvarez ’90, former rugby player, referee and IM basketball runner-up, is a proud member of the U.S. Army Reserve. He joined at the young age of 39 last summer and graduated number one in his class at Fort Bragg. Alvy currently resides in lovely upstate New York with wife Laura and daughter Rachel. He is a licensed realtor with Coldwell Banker Prime Properties.

Belinda (Williams) Boyd ’95, former building coordinator with RecSports, earned her master’s degree at Iowa State in recreation and worked a year at the University of Virginia before marrying a Navy man and relocating to San Diego, Calif. After five years in the human resources field, she became a stay-at-home mom following the birth of her son, Tommy. With her husband going to test pilot school, the family now lives in Maryland.

Wall of Fame reprints available at www.utrecsports.org

1969 Phi Gamma Delta Class A intramural football champions. Front row (L-R): Ed Junell, Charles Clark, Stephen Head, Stephen Matthews, Carl Johnson and Doug Wiley. Back row (L-R): Jim Geary, Bill Nance, James Nance, Robert Sewell and Danay Covert.

Continued from back page

Ed Junell ’68, ’71, (Law) has been practicing law in Houston for 35 years. In addition to being an outstanding athlete, Ed was the outstanding intramural official in 1967 and won the Berry Whitaker Leadership Award in 1968. Three children – two sons and one daughter – are UT graduates.

Jim Nance ’68, played football for Rice in 1964 before moving to UT and playing as a receiver for the Fijis. Today, Jim is a developer living in North Carolina.

Doug Wiley ‘70, played blocker and rusher for all three Fiji championship teams and is semi-retired today on his ranch west of Fort Worth. Both sons (Doug ‘94 and Barney ‘98) are UT graduates and Wall of Fame members with the 1994 Fijis. Doug spent 27 years manufacturing bags for service industries and today lives with wife Pam and an eight-year old daughter.

Danay Covert ’75, after a stint in pro baseball, was a four-time All Intramural receiver for the Fijis. Today, four sons add to the five generations of Coverts who have been in business in Austin for 97 years.

David Oliver ’70, ’71, is a certified public account partner with the CPA firm Roberts, Cherry & Co. in Shreveport, La. Jim Geary ’73, outstanding quarterback for the Fijis, has been in the automobile business for the past 31 years. He and his wife live in Austin and are the proud parents of a baby girl (12 months and counting).

Steve Matthews ’70,’72, (Law) is the president of Steve Matthews Co., a real estate brokerage company in Austin and acts as counsel for the Barren, Adler & Anderson Group. Steve was a member of all three Fiji teams from 1967-69 and still is active in racquetball and other sports.

Jack Hanks ’68, ’71, (Law) is chairman of the board of the Maple Companies, an integrated energy company doing business out of Peru. Jack lives in Dallas and in Steve Matthews words, “was the second best defensive back on the team.”

Steve Head ’72, is the managing director of UBS – a global investment banking and securities firm. Married for 30 years to Kay (Bailey) ‘71, Steve and Kay have a son, Scott, and a daughter, Anna (twin grandsons). Son and son-in-law were both Fijis. Steve was also past president of the Texas Exes in 2003-04.

Carl Johnson ’69, lives in Dallas with wife Patty (LSU graduate) and is in the flooring business with Carpet Mills of America. Both sons are A&M graduates.

In Memory

Winner’s Circle

of Carolyn Hewatt

Over the 1965–75 decade, Phi Gamma Delta won the Class A intramural football championship five times – 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973 and 1974 – with second place

Front row (center): Carolyn Hewatt. L-R: RecSports Director Tom Dison and Senior Staff members, Bob Childress, Eric Stoutner, Barbara Brimi (retired) and

finishes in 1965 and 1970. Shown here is the 1968 undefeated team. Front row (L-R): Edmund Tresp, Baker Montgomery, Richard Nelms, Jack Hanks, Carl Johnson

Shirley Hoffman Quincy.

and Doug Wiley. Back row (L-R): Stephen Matthews, Bill Nance, Duke Covert, David

Carolyn Hewatt, 77, of Austin, passed away Aug. 8, 2006. Carolyn worked with Betty Thompson in Women’s Intramurals in the 1960s and was a member of the RecSports staff until she retired in 1989.

Carolyn attended The University of Texas from 1946– 50, earning a degree in physical education and completing her master’s in 1955. As an undergraduate Carolyn was very active in Women’s Intramurals and in the Women’s Club Sport Program. In an interview for the Spring 2002 edition of

Oliver, George Hughes, Mike Reilley and Bill Edwards.

Bill Nance ’71, All Intramural receiver for the powerhouse champion Fiji teams in 1967, 1968 and 1969, has been a real estate attorney for 33 years and just recently joined Texas American Title Co. as senior commercial escrow officer. Wife Edith (Williams) ’70 and four children and one grandchild make up the Nance family. Nance’s football days continued with city ball and statewide competitions until he was 44.

Baker Montgomery, former All Intramural receiver for the Fijis known as the “jack of all trades,” is in investment real estate in Dallas. Four kids – all UT graduates – include two sons, Ben ’96, and Jeff ’95, who are Wall of Fame members with the 1994 Fiji championship football team.

Dr. George Hughes ’69, graduated from UT-Galveston medical school in 1971 and today practices as a dermatologist in Houston. George has been married to Donna (Miller) ’69 for 37 years and has three children, two of whom are UT graduates.

Duke Covert ’69, former Fiji quarterback known as “Rapid Fire Duke,” owns the Covert Auto Group with his brothers, Rox and Danay. Duke led the Phi Gams to championships in 1967 and 1968.

Three daughters and two grandsons make up the family.

Dr. Bill Edwards ‘72, member of the ‘67 and ‘68 Fiji champion football teams served as Fiji manager in 1967– 68. Bill and wife Lisa live in Vail, Colo., where he sees a few patients and teaches skiing.

Continued on page 6

Inside RecSports, she recalled that Texas was the second school in the nation to offer touch football for women. Carolyn also noted that she was a pretty good quarterback in her day.

Following graduation, Carolyn taught physical education in a number of schools prior to returning to UT and joining the faculty for Physical Training for Women. She also worked as an associate director for Women’s Intramurals.

With the formation of the Division of Recreational Sports in 1972, Carolyn served as an associate director for RecSports, as well as an associate professor for the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education.

Note: Carolyn was featured in the Spring 2002 edition of Inside RecSports as a “Great of RecSports.” The interview is available on the RecSports Web site in the archived Inside RecSports newsletters.

Join the Winner’s Circle! Let us recognize your team with a story and a picture. Contact Bob Childress at bobc@mail.utexas.edu or call 512.475.7180.

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