Inside RecSports | Spring 2020

INSIDE RECSPORTS SPRING 2020

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5 4 F to Embracing Exercise Trends through the Decades

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 02 04

alumni spotlight KEDRA ISHOP From Fonda to f45: Embracing Exercise Trends through the Decades

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staff spotlight PETE SCHAACK your recsports story

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kedra ishop Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Michigan

UT RecSports alumna Kedra (Thomas) Ishop, Ph.D., was one of the University’s 2015 Outstanding Young Texas Exes.

She holds three degrees from UT– a bachelor of arts in sociology in 1997, a master of education in higher education administration in 2000, and a doctorate in educational administration in 2008. In addition to her position at the University of Michigan, Dr. Ishop is a nationally renowned expert on issues in higher education related to diversity, assessment, admissions and enrollment who serves her profession on national and international boards, organizations and committees.

While an undergrad on the Forty Acres, Dr. Ishop was not all work and no play. A self-described small-town athlete,

ISH OP ’ S I N T R A M UR A L TEA M, DA’A N G E LS , WO N TH E WOM E N ’ S F L AG FO OT B A L L CH A MPI O N SHI P I N 19 9 5.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

she played on the Women’s Volleyball Club team, captured intramural women’s and coed flag football championships and held part-time jobs with RecSports as an intramural sports official and intramural supervisor. Dr. Ishop also pursued Outdoor Recreation activities, learning to kayak, pitch a tent, navigate a hike and, most importantly, gaining an appreciation of the wide-open spaces of Texas. Apart from RecSports, Kedra was a two-year softball letter-winner which she credits to her intramural softball experience.

“When I began working for RecSports, first as an intramural official, then as a RecSports staffer, I really began to marry athletic hobbies with a life experience that impacts me still today. And transitioning to supervision was a great training ground for management, conflict resolution, multi-tasking and a host of other skills,” she said.

“ RecSports provided that early community for me and was my steady partner during my university experience.” — K E D R A I S H O P

Also while a UT student, Dr. Ishop volunteered and later took a paid position in the UT Office of Admissions before beginning her professional career in that same office in 1998 as an admissions counselor. She later left Austin for four years to manage UT’s admissions offices in Dallas and Houston.

Upon her return to UT in 2003 she was promoted to associate director of admissions. In 2008 she completed her Ph.D. at UT and became the vice-provost and director of the Office of Undergraduate and International Admissions.

“My career at Texas provided me with an equally unexpected immersion in higher education law as it was bookended by legal cases that have had a profound impact on university admissions and afforded me an opportunity to see our case defended (successfully) at the U.S. Supreme Court,” she said. This experience at UT was vital to her accepting her current position at the University of Michigan where she is responsible for providing strategic leadership for the offices of undergraduate admissions, financial aid, the university registrar and new-student programs.

Outside of work Dr. Ishop enjoys spending time with her husband, Jon, and their two “wonderfully smart and active boys” –Aedan, 17, and Zachary, 14. Jon is an athletic trainer for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Both of their sons are carrying on the family tradition of being active and engaged by playing multiple sports as well as perfecting the art of pitching a tent, starting a fire and shoveling snow.

Embracing Exercise Trends through the Decades From its humble beginnings as two separate offerings, the Non-Student Program and UT Aerobics, RecSports Fitness & Wellness has grown into a large, diverse and dynamic fitness program. Forever evolving to meet the needs of the Longhorn community, we take a look back at fitness trends and their impact on the RecSports Fitness & Wellness program.

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FROM FONDA TO F45

the 1990s The 90s saw the birth of “grunge music,” Seinfeld dominated the television airwaves and MC Hammer pants were quite the fashion statement. In the fitness world, we were introduced to step classes, kickboxing and a wide variety of celebrity workout videos. Billy Blanks started Tae Bo®, a Tae-Kwondo martial arts themed workout and Cindy Crawford’s “Shape Your Body” video was extremely popular.

The fledgling UT “Aerobics” program benefitted from the 1990 opening of the Recreational Sports Center and its two 4,000 square foot group exercise studios. Class numbers continued to increase dramatically as almost 3,000 individuals registered for classes. “TaeBevo,” a format created to capitalize on the Tae Bo® craze, was very popular. So popular that the department received a letter from the creator asking that RecSports stop using the name. RecSports complied but the popular format stayed on the exercise schedule.

Celeste Hamman was hired in 1990 as the first full-time staff member to direct the Non-Student Program. She became what many term as the first director of “Fitness & Wellness”

the 1980s Ahh the 1980s, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, J.R. Ewing’s Dallas and wine coolers ruled the decade. In the fitness world the 80s gave us Jazzercise’s little sister “aerobics” even though that phrase was first coined in the 1960s book by Dr. Kenneth Cooper. Cooper’s book that championed running, walking and cycling as a way to improve cardiovascular fitness would lead to a world-wide fitness craze when Jane Fonda published her first workout book and exercise video in 1981.

On the UT campus, the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education (KHE) offered aerobics as a for credit student activity class. With its popularity skyrocketing, KHE

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was soon overwhelmed and could not offer enough sections to meet the demand. In the summer of 1985, a group of students led by PE Teaching Assistant James Clark formed the UT Aerobic Dance Association (UT Aerobics). The original group met weekly for a one hour workout in Anna Hiss Gym. Self-directed fitness classes for faculty and staff were also started and members of the Non-Student Program (later to become RecSports Fitness & Wellness) enjoyed this format as well as a series of aerobic fitness workshops focusing on running, swimming and cycling.

In 1987 UT Aerobics become a sport club within RecSports and a $10 fee was assessed to club members. Classes were expanded to Jester Center and Bellmont Hall. Despite the expansion, membership was capped at a max of 500 individuals in order to ensure classes were available to all.

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for the department. Her expertise in health and fitness promotion as well as a master’s degree in exercise physiology increased the credibility and viability of the program. Celeste led efforts to raise the visibility of the new area by offering presentations and workshops around campus and writing a monthly column in Austin Health Fitness Magazine.

In 1993 the UT Aerobics Sport Club was absorbed into RecSports and became its own program area. By this time plans were underway to renovate Gregory Gym and with that the long term idea to consolidate UT Aerobics and the NonStudent Program into a single program was formulated.

That idea came to fruition in 1997 when a renovated Gregory Gym re-opened and RecSports Fitness & Wellness was born. The renovated facility offered the opportunity for new formats such as yoga, kickboxing and a new Instructor Training Series where students could learn how to become an instructor in the program. Collaboration was also beginning with other campus agencies and the program participated in Body Image Awareness Week, StressFest and WellFest.

By the late 90s the new program had quickly become the fastest growing area in the department and an important component of overall campus wellness.

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FROM FONDA TO F45

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2010–15 The beginning of the new decade saw Facebook dominate the social media scene and Angry Birds was played by millions on their phones. Fox network’s Glee brought the musical back to life and AMC’s The Walking Dead first aired. Fitness trends moved away from the sole concept of exercise for “thinness” and the concept of “body positive” messages and total wellness emerged. Worldwide, over 45 million people purchased a gym membership and Zumba® emerged as the trendy new group exercise format with its Latin dance styles.

the 2000s The new millennium saw Apple’s release of the music changing iPod, NSYNC and Backstreet Boys were fighting for boy band supremacy and Halle Berry won an Oscar for her performance in Monster’s Ball. Fitness trends included street dance, pilates and kickboxing. Measuring heart rate became a focus to learn how effective workouts were.

RecSports Fitness & Wellness continued its role as the fastest growing area within the department. Jennifer Speer was hired in 1999 and is credited with coining the term “TeXercise.” The new name was used to brand the group exercise schedule as it grew to well over 100 classes per week. The Fitness Assessment Center opened in 2003 and pilates reformer classes first appeared in the program. The Gregory Gym Aquatic Complex opened in 2005 with additional water aerobics classes and coached swim classes being offered. Personal training also debuted as a way to get individual workouts with a certified “exercise coach.”

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Zumba® became part of the TeXercise program and the dance style workouts had students and staff hooked on the fancy footwork. Cycling continued as another popular offering attracting participants to the Recreational Sports Center cycling studio. Demand for personal training continued to grow and a large staff of certified personal trainers was hired to meet the demand. RecSports partnered with Nike and Nike Training Club classes were integrated into the schedule making UT-Austin the first campus in the nation with such a partnership. Massage and spa services also were very popular and those offerings began to add a more holistic approach to the program.

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2015–Present The evolution of fitness continued in the final half of the decade as functional fitness workouts such as Cross-Fit and F45 Training emerged. At the most basic level, functional fitness refers to exercises that improve daily activity— walking up a flight of stairs, lifting a gym bag or standing on your toes to reach for something in the kitchen cupboard.

RecSports Fitness & Wellness recognized this emerging trend and jumped on board by partnering with F45 Training. The new format specializes in fast and fun high-intensity group workouts. The workouts are projected through video screens and include in person “coaches” to assess participant form and effort. In 2018 RecSports opened a state-of-the-art F45 Training fitness studio in the Recreational Sports Center where over 48 classes take place per week making UT one of the few universities across the U.S. to offer this popular format. Current Associate Director Adrienne MacKenzie states, “I am proud to have been a part of the team that introduced F45 to our TeXercise program in 2018. In addition to having a huge positive impact on participation with our program, this innovative format has been our first step forward in this new era of fitness technology.”

THROUGH THE AGES: FITNESS & WELLNESS

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A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP

Program Directors and Their Impact

CELESTE HAMMAN MARCH 1990 – MAY 1997

ROSEMARY HOHL-CHRISWISSER MARCH 1996 – AUG. 1998

JENNIFER SPEER JUNE 1999 – AUG. 2007

SARAH SCHULZ-JORDAN JUNE 2004 – JAN. 2011

“Expanding the definition of wellness beyond the physical and pushing the envelope of what the program was each and every day.”

“I was looking to expand instructor training on a much wider scale… after talking with some colleagues around Texas we started TexFIT and after 20 years it is still going strong!”

“Merging multiple program schedules into one single offering and branding it ‘TeXercise’.”

“My greatest impact would be the training and education I poured into my instructors.

I knew our program was only as strong as the staff who worked there... and the staff was amazing. I worked very hard to provide top notch education and encouragement along the way.”

BETSY BAKER JUNE 2011 – AUG. 2013

CHRYSTINA WYATT JULY 2013 – SEPT. 2018

ADRIENNE MACKENZIE AUG. 2016 – PRESENT

CIECIE LEONARD JUNE 2019 – PRESENT

“I brought a new energy and perspective to the program.

I made a conscious effort to relate to each of the students I managed and taught them how the skills they would develop working for the Fit/ Well program would benefit them in their professional career later in life.“

“The opening of the Gregory Gym Cycling Studio was one of my proudest moments. It was an idea to expand the program beyond the RSC (Recreational Sports Center) studio and the results were beyond my original expectations. That project is something I’ll never forget.”

“I am excited to continue the growth of wellness programming through specialized series and benchmark research. We will be moving forward a new initiative with campus partners involving prescriptive exercise as a means of combating mental and physical health issues.”

“Since joining the team I have introduced Barre, POUND® and Stand-Up Paddle Board Yoga to the TeXercise schedule with hopes of bringing more fresh formats in the future.”

Camp Gladiator is another recent partnership for RecSports and offers progressive four-week outdoor boot camps led by certified personal trainers and designed to boost strength, stamina and cardio. Participants bring their own dumbbells and mats and enjoy some camaraderie with a side of sweat.

Jennifer currently serves as senior director at Recreational Sports where she oversees multiple areas including the Fitness & Wellness program.

If RecSports members can’t get enough in the F45 Training classes and from Camp Gladiator, they can choose from functional training spaces located in both Gregory Gym and the Recreational Sports Center. These spaces contain kettlebells, battle ropes, boxes, pull-up bars, stretching bands and plenty of other fun equipment to help get the most out of an individual workout.

As 2020 begins Fitness & Wellness continues to be one of the most popular offerings within RecSports. A wide variety of classes catering to group exercisers, high intensity workout aficionados, yogis, cyclists, dancers and reformers will always be a staple of the program. Whatever the future of fitness trends bring, you can be sure the program remains a vital part of producing healthy and happy Longhorns. The UT community doesn’t just exercise—they TeXercise!

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S TA F F S P OT L I G H T

S C HA AC K’ S INT RAMU RAL T EAM, T RIU MPH, WON T HE S OF T B ALL OPEN C HAMPIONS HIP IN 1 98 9.

pete schaack Director of Facility Operations If anyone was destined to work in the recreation sector, Pete Schaack would fit the bill. This Arizona native was born in a two-room hospital located at Grand Canyon National Park and grew up on the grounds of our nation’s park system where his father served in various roles for the National Park Service.

Being surrounded by the beauty of this national treasure, Pete developed an appreciation for the outdoors, foreshadowing a career in collegiate outdoor recreation.

While an undergraduate at Iowa State University, he worked part-time in the Outdoor Recreation program handling equipment rental and maintenance, leading workshops and supervising outdoor trips.

As a graduate assistant he stepped up his responsibilities, planning trips and workshops, supervising employees and processing payroll. His supervisor and mentor, Scott White, who at the time served as manager of the Outdoor Recreation program and who eventually rose to the ranks of associate director in the Department of Recreation Services at Iowa State, vividly recalls Pete as a student.

He says, “Pete had a great combination of outdoor rec hard skills coupled with top-rate people skills. He could communicate and get along with anyone….He did an excellent job of teaching and mentoring younger, newer outdoor rec staff members.”

In the summer of 1987, fresh out of graduate school, Pete relocated to Austin to accept the position of recreational sports specialist for Outdoor Recreation at UT RecSports.

“Pete had an immediate impact on the program,” says Eric Stoutner, former senior staff member of UT RecSports, noting that Pete introduced new trip locations, expanded the inventory of available equipment and increased the number of participants.

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He added, “Pete also soon became a valued member of the administrative staff and was called upon to assist with an array of different projects and events. Others soon came to value Pete for his many skills, stellar work ethic and team-player qualities.”

In time Pete’s career with RecSports grew in breadth and scope, most significantly in the mid-1990s when his responsibilities shifted to Facility Operations. He had found his true calling, utilizing his strong organizational and problemsolving skills with a series of building renovation projects.

The first major one he was called upon to manage, the renovation of Gregory Gym that began in 1995, allowed him to emerge as one of RecSports’ most trusted and respected staff members. One of the main architects entrusted with the project, Anita Moran, recalls how Pete remained on site with the contractor almost continuously and “the results were astonishing.” She added, “The building is still in pristine condition, much of that is due to Pete’s diligence.

He knows every square inch of the building, the size of every pipe and condition of every surface.”

While buildings may be a focus of Pete’s responsibilities, he remains mindful of the students who frequent the facilities. Moran made note that “Pete’s attitude is that his work is all about the students and providing them with the best facilities to support programming and services so that they will continue to participate in RecSports and become an integral part of the UT community.”

In the years following the Gregory Gym renovation, Pete’s professional evolution continued to rise as he was promoted to an associate director position. As a senior staff member, he played a leadership role in the Gregory Gym Aquatic Complex project and served as primary point of contact on the projects to renovate Clark Field and Whitaker Field.

These are but a few of his legacies and ones that anyone would hold with great satisfaction and pride. And assuredly, many more projects are still to come and will benefit from Pete’s expert guidance.

Pete is currently a senior staff member and is responsible for the overall management of Facility Operations to include organizational structure, budgets, business practices, assessments, goals and objectives, initiatives, publications, policies and procedures, strategic planning, personnel and special projects. He has been with Recreational Sports since August 1987.

let us tell your recsports story!

WHAT’S YOUR CONNECTION TO RECSPORTS? WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THESE DAYS? Let us know so we can share your story with other RecSports alumni. Contact us online by visiting utrecsports.org/friends/stay-connected or by email to friends@utrecsports.org.

Caprice Garcia, B.A. ‘92 Caprice, who majored in journalism with an emphasis in public relations, went on to law school in Oklahoma after earning a bachelor of journalism degree at UT in 1992. It was “God’s way of punishing me for my first semester grades at UT,” she quipped. Caprice opened her own law firm in 2005 in Frisco, Texas, where she practices criminal and family law.

While at UT Caprice pursued intramural sports and became an intramural official. She reveals several memorable moments playing intramural sports including tearing all the ligaments in her hand during a women’s flag football game and the staff jokingly asking if she broke a fingernail. Her amused reaction at the time was to ask “what’s a girl got to

Caitlyn Macaluso, B.A. ’06 Caitlyn graduated from the College of Liberal Arts with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

Looking back at her time on the Forty Acres, she remembers having a TeXercise group exercise pass during all four years and signing up for the Instructor Training Series in order to teach group fitness classes. Caitlyn says she was “psyched” when she became a personal trainer and office assistant for the Fitness & Wellness program. Her fondest memories of that time are numerous and include washing and folding endless massage table sheets; helping to plan student development

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do to get some ice over here?” Caprice also fondly remembers officiating lengthy track meets accompanied by an immense insulated mug, presumably filled with her favorite soft drink. She also thinks back at how innertube water polo played havoc on her hair-do and how much fun she had officiating wallyball!

But most of all, she looks back with great fondness at the never-ending quest for the highly-coveted intramural championship shirt and picture on the Intramural Wall of Fame.

Caprice’s connections to RecSports led her from the intramural fields to the altar as she married a former RecSports participant like herself. She and husband Mike tied the knot in 1995 and have two children, Bianca, 23, and Austin, 22.

workshops; meeting nationally-renowned fitness legends Gay Gasper and Patrick Goudeau; scoring an intramural championship shirt for every sport even though she never played intramurals; and constantly having to blow up stability balls. Caitlyn says she learned many valuable life lessons at RecSports. She recalls her supervisor, Jennifer Speer, advising her to never ask a student to do something she herself would not do. “It’s a sentiment I still live by and believe in,” she says. Caitlyn lives in Austin with her dog Milo and for a time worked as a fitness professional with an online business and managed a private gym. She now teaches three classes a week on the side while working full-time as director of marketing for a personal injury law firm.

Danielle Cooper, M.D., B.S.’96 Danielle (Baker) Cooper says she made academics her first priority while on the Forty Acres pursuing a bachelor of science in biology, yet RecSports became a big part of her life. She played intramurals, frequented the gyms, and worked as an intramural official and as a Sport Clubs office staffer. She credits these activities for having helped her to succeed academically, citing the valuable work/life skills she learned including organization and prioritizing. Dr. Cooper earned her Medical Doctorate from LSU Health in Shreveport, La., and today serves that medical facility as an Obstetrics and Gynecology physician, associate director

Ray L. Pollock, B.A. ‘42 Ray, who celebrated his 100th birthday on March 8, 2020, was an avid intramural participant during his time on the Forty Acres. He’s especially proud to have caught the winning pass in the touch football game in which the Oak Grove Co-Op team won a championship for 1940-41. This victory earned them a spot on the Intramural Wall of Fame still on display in Gregory Gym. Following graduation from UT Raymond entered the U. S. Navy as a Carpenter’s Mate-Third Class and later served as a commander with the renowned Seabees, a militarized construction force formed during World War II. His military service took him to various parts of the world including Iceland, Peleliu in the Pacific and stateside in California. After six years of active

Erin Skoff, B.A. ’98, Pharm.D. ‘05 Erin has been working in hospital pharmacy in the Portland, Ore., area since moving to the Beaver State in 2010. She earned two professional degrees at UT, a bachelor’s of fine arts in fine/studio art in 1998 and a doctor of pharmacy in 2005 and earned the Dean’s List Award multiple times. While pursuing her education, Erin participated in numerous intramural sports including soccer, volleyball, basketball and softball–often times serving as team captain. She says she has very fond

of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of residency. In addition to treating patients she also teaches residents and students how to be doctors which she likens to the type of coaching she did with RecSports.

Danielle and her husband, Paul, a pediatrician, have two children who enjoy athletics as much as they do. Danielle enjoys golfing; Paul is an avid swimmer; son Jackson, a 7th grader, plays on the school football and golf teams and is a great soccer player; and daughter Gracie, a 5th grader, is a cheerleader with soccer fever who was recently bitten by the golf bug and who swims year-round. The family travels on medical missions to Kenya in East Africa every other year where the universal language is soccer, so they bring with them lots of soccer balls!

duty, two years in the reserves, and a career as a CPA, Ray earned a law degree at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law. He found great success as a tax attorney and senior partner with Arthur Andersen and Company. He had many high-profile corporate clients including Texas Instruments, FritoLay and Republic Bank. These associations introduced him to the game of golf which he fell in love with and mastered. He played golf well into his 90s! These days, Ray is more apt to enjoy reading, church activities and joining his Problem-Solving Group with his Duncanville, Texas, buddies. He lives with his daughter and son-in-law in Spring, Texas, and remains a Longhorn booster. He relishes recalling stories of his days living in the Oak Grove men’s residence hall.

memories of the wonderful friends and teammates with whom she shared these sports and the championships they earned.

Erin is especially proud and grateful to have been selected to serve on the Intramural and Recreational Sports councils, noting that she treasures those experiences for enabling her to meet new people and acquire valuable business and interpersonal life skills. Today Erin is happy to work the night shift in order to pursue artistic endeavors during the day. She taps into her fine arts background by painting, drawing and sculpting. Over the years, her work has been commissioned for small and private works. She happily still plays sports.

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