UIS to hold inaugural Prairie Stars 5K run/walk

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Department of Campus Recreation will hold the inaugural Prairie Stars 5K run/walk. The event is open to UIS students, faculty, staff and community members.

WHEN: Saturday, August 27, 2016 at 8:30 a.m.

WHERE: The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) on the UIS campus

DETAILS: The Prairie Star 5K is being held in conjunction with Welcome Week, which marks the first week of fall semester classes at UIS.

The race will begin outside of The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) and go north along scenic University Drive before entering the heart of campus. The race will end near TRAC on Eliza Farnham Drive.

The cost to register is $5 for UIS students, $10 for campus recreation members and $15 for faculty, staff and community. Registration is available online at www.uis.edu/campusrec/.

The deadline to register for the race and be guaranteed a t-shirt is Wednesday, August 24 at 9 a.m. Participants may also register on the day of the race from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., however they are not guaranteed a t-shirt.

For more information, contact Alexandria Cosner, UIS assistant director of fitness and wellness, at 217/206-8400 or acosn2@uis.edu.

UIS to cut ribbon on new team building Challenge Course

WHAT: The Department of Campus Recreation at the University of Illinois Springfield will be joined by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon cutting at its new Challenge Course. The course is available to campus groups, athletic teams, community groups, and local businesses.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Spencer House, 1301 West Lake Shore Drive, Springfield

DETAILS: The low team challenge course (ropes course) consists of events that may occur on the ground as well as utilizing poles, wires, platforms and ropes a few inches to a couple feet off the ground.

The course is designed to teach participants teamwork, communication, problem solving, cooperation, trust and respect. After a series of challenges, a trained facilitator leads a discussion to help the group relate the experience to something relevant to their lives as individuals and as a team.

Most groups utilize the course for a half day (3-4 hours). However, each experience can be tailored to the groups’ needs and could go as short at two hours or as long as eight hours. The course requires a minimum of eight participants, with a maximum of 150 people.

Pricing depends on the desired amount of time, numbers of participants and group objectives. For more information, contact Jay Swenson with UIS Campus Recreation at 217/206-7103 or jswen2@uis.edu.

For more information, visit www.uis.edu/campusrec/facilities/challenge-course/.

UIS hosts Illinois Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Conference

The University of Illinois Springfield is welcoming intramural and recreational sports staff from 12 different Illinois colleges and universities to campus.

It’s the first time UIS has hosted an Illinois Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Conference. The conference is designed to give professionals a chance to network with one another and talk about issues they have in common.

“Everyone will have their own experience and their own opinion and it’s good to gather that information because you’re not always going to have all the answers,” said Matt Panich, UIS Recreational Sports assistant director for facility and member services.

Conference topics centered on developing leadership skills, creating customer service models for reaction staff and included a round table discussion for new professionals entering the field.

Participants also learned what it takes to “go green” with tours of Springfield’s energy efficient Southwind Park & Erin’s Pavilion.

“This year we’re talking about green initiatives and sustainability. You never even would have heard that term 10 years ago,” said Kristin Duitsman, assistant director of facilities for Campus Recreation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The two-day conference concludes on Friday, October 15 with sessions on “Engaging Sport Clubs in the Community” and “Get’em Oriented. Giving your staff the vitals”.

For more information on the Illinois Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Conference visit their website.