Abbreviation | NIRSA |
---|---|
Formation | February 22, 1950[1] |
Legal status | Association |
Purpose | building intramural/recreational sports and fitness programs and services |
Headquarters | Corvallis, Oregon, United States |
Membership | 700 schools/institutions, conferences, or other associations |
President | Erin Patchett |
Website | nirsa.net |
The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) is an organization which regulates various sports through the collegiate systems across the United States and Canada . NIRSA serves students who play at the university varsity or club level in athletic sports, but do not participate in the NCAA, NAIA, USports or other sports affiliates.
In addition to providing resources for Campus Recreation Programs through conferences, workshops and symposiums, NIRSA is the host of the National Championship Series events, which offers regional and national extramural tournaments in the sports of Flag Football, Basketball, Soccer and Tennis.
Dr. William Wasson founded NIRSA in 1950 when he presented his study on intramural programs entitled "A Comparative Study of Intramural Programs in Negro Colleges.[2]" This led to the formation of the National Intramural Association (NIA), NIRSA's original title.[2]
NIRSA has eight confirmed core competencies: programming, philosophy and theory, personal and professional qualities, legal liabilities and risk management, human resources management, facility management, planning and design, business management, and research and evaluation.[3] The competencies help professionals to attain new skills, and plan, assess, and refine programs.[4]
Name | Position | School |
---|---|---|
Erin Patchett | President | Colorado State University |
Lashica Thomas | President Designee | Columbus State University |
Andre Love | President Elect | Ohio State University |
Abby Whaley | At Large Director | Purdue University |
Kevin Martin | At Large Director | Texas A&M Univ, Corpus Christi |
Dexter Shorter | At Large Director | Penn State University |
Nicole Olmeda | Annual Director | Univ. Texas-Austin |
Rachael Finley | Annual Director | Rachael Finley Coaching and Consulting |
Pam Watts | Secretary | NIRSA Executive Director |
NIRSA provides a variety of professional development and educational opportunities for members including their Annual Campus Recreation and Wellness Expo.[6]
The NIRSA Championship Series gives American participants of collegiate recreational sports, also known as "club sports", an opportunity to compete and connect with skilled peers from other schools.[7]