Rec Employee Recruited to Officiate National Flag Football Tournament

Officiating intramural league games is Campus Rec employee Tyler Peabody’s passion. Tyler’s third semester as an Intramural Sports Official was highlighted the first weekend of 2020 when he earned the opportunity to officiate the Regional Flag Football Tournament held at CSU in October. A selection of top student officials from around the country were given this opportunity to officiate the final rounds of tournaments through NIRSA, including the championship game. The opportunity is commendable—proving the dedication and commitment Tyler shows to the position on and off the field. 

Officials for the NIRSA Region V Flag Football tournament in October.

Upon arrival at the tournament at Round Rock, the group completed a number of training sessions reviewing game footage and case plays. This training prepared Tyler for a long weekend of officiating 10 games on Friday and Saturday and the final championship game on Sunday.

Thrown into a whirlwind of the best teams and officials in one place, the environment was certainly higher stakes than local games. Many of the teams in final rounds have coaches and a more rigorous practicing schedule, which is more intense than most intramural teams. Given the magnitude of regional tournaments, officials are understandably held to a higher standard as well.

The increased competitiveness of the games wasn’t a source of nerves for Tyler, even during moments of uncertainty. “It’s easier to officiate because the level of play is higher, so the athletes are usually better,” said Peabody. “When there is a penalty, it’s a lot easier to see than a typical game at the Rec.”

“My favorite part is the relationships I’ve made with other players and officials. You start to get to know them well and build mutual respect for each other.”

Though officials’ job is to keep a hawkeye on the game at all times, they are simultaneously assessed in their own positioning and communication. Officials learn that good practice takes much more than remaining on the margins—staying actively engaged with the players and communicating with them between plays is crucial. As Tyler has learned, there is an emphasis on having a strong on-field presence and maintaining two-way communication between both parties. Players having a sense of trust and respect for Tyler’s calls and the reasoning behind them, were essential to his success while officiating.

“I learned that I am never as good, or bad, as I think I am,” he reflects. “There were games where I thought I absolutely killed it and I got the harshest criticism from the clinicians. Other games I thought I did so poorly, and they thought it was the best game I officiated all day. I learned to just stay level headed and never get too down or be too cocky.”

Tyler is a mathematics major with a concentration in education, looking forward to graduating early in Fall 2020. A correlation, he believes, exists between math and officiating which allows him to seamlessly transfer certain skill-sets on and off the field. Many of the logical and problem-solving skills are present in solving equations and analyzing plays during games.

 “In math, you need to take what you know and apply it in a logical fashion to the problem you are working on. In officiating, you need to understand rules, definitions, and case plays from the rulebook. Then you need to apply all of these ideas while you’re on the field.”

Tyler credits his position at Campus Rec to helping him build a network of connections with players and other officials on campus. “My favorite part is the relationships I’ve made with other players and officials. You start to get to know them well and build mutual respect for each other.”

Looking ahead, Tyler hopes to continue officiating flag football, basketball, and youth tackle. He is candid about his advice for officials who are just starting out: “Don’t be afraid to mess up and trust your instincts. You want to make the games fun and keep them under control, so don’t second guess yourself!”

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Celebrate Body Positivity Month!

This week, take a moment to reward yourself for the miles you’ve traveled or peaks you’ve summited. February is Body Positivity Month — a time to celebrate all the amazing things your body can help you do. Body positivity is more than outward appearance, it’s about respecting our bodies as our home, even if we have fitness goals. It’s a time to practice being mindful of our body’s incredible capabilities, which looks different for everyone. Part of celebrating body positivity is accepting these accomplishments while also being patient and welcoming bumps along the road.

No matter your relationship with your body, the topic of body positivity can be anxiety-provoking in many ways, especially if you feel dissatisfied with your body image. Remember that the mindset of loving and accepting your body is more than hashtags on Instagram or progress pictures, which can bring very real feelings of self-doubt from comparison. It can be a tedious process to see past the small, critical things about our bodies that make us squirm. The journey to self-love is not linear – and it’s okay to look in a mirror and see a beautiful work in progress.

a list of body positive affirmations

Finding affirmations that make you feel confident and assured is one awesome way to practice body positivity. Once you find some that resonate with you, write them in places you see often such as a note on your bulletin board, inside your planner, or even your phone screen. Allow positive affirmations to work their magic by surrounding you and your space with good energy.

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How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions S.M.A.R.T

This is how we Rec!
  • A photo of Intramural Flag Football participants, with one player passing the ball as another dives for their flags
  • A participant summits a rock face while ice climbing.

Whether you’ve declared it on social media or not, this time of year never fails to bring a surge of “new year, new me” talk, especially with the blank slate of a new decade. It might have occurred to you in a late November pumpkin pie haze that once the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1 you’re going to eat less sugar, or maybe you made a list of fitness goals at the dawn of new year’s day.  The most common new year’s resolutions are usually something along with the lines of eating cleaner and exercising more. We’ve all been there. After the resolutions have been set, it’s all too common that the influx of gym memberships and crowded weight rooms dissolve before they see the light of February.

Making a declarative resolution such as “I’m going to get fit this year” is at the very least intimidating, and sadly 92% of you might be setting yourself up for failure according to a study by the University of Scranton.  According to studies, over half of us ditch our resolution before the end of the first month, and then it’s a done deal (until next year comes around). If you have the desire to improve your health and wellness with the dawn of the decade: congratulations, you’ve acknowledged an area of growth for yourself and you’re one step closer to achieving it. However, it’s important to incorporate intentionality to attain the results you’re looking for instead of expecting a major lifestyle change when the clock strikes midnight. You are capable of conquering your goal no matter how daunting it may seem!

The first thing you should do is address the resolution-making process. Making a resolution implies there’s something you need to resolve and make a firm decision to do so, which could be creating a recipe for failure. The intention is pure, but the execution needs some work. Instead of using this language, focus on making realistic and trackable goals instead. If you’re committed to transforming into the healthier, or a more fit version of yourself in the new year, invest the time and energy into planning specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely goals. If your business 100 lecture is a bit fuzzy, SMART goals outline five criteria that can break down any goal to make it easier to accomplish. Think baby steps! The method has been around for decades and is a reliable way to approach the complex goal-setting process, especially amid the new year’s resolutions craze. If you put in the work to turning your fitness resolutions into SMART goals, you can be sure to not fall into the pattern that many of us are guilty of.

Here’s the breakdown:

There are endless possibilities for self-improvement in the 2020s. As cliche as it may be, don’t forget to celebrate the small successes. If you’re planning on something more long term, don’t be discouraged if you have to take a step back now and then to evaluate your steps of action if they aren’t working out. Embrace the process of making steps forward and an occasional step back. Even if you prefer to hit the gym solo, it can be helpful to have a friend to share your progress with and have another person to hold you accountable and celebrate your wins. Even a small goal can be applied to this method and will give you the tools to make more long term goals that help create healthy habits for the future. With the help of SMART goals, you’ll be ditching the “new year, new me” mindset and working toward your health and fitness goals in the smartest fashion.

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The Rec Hosts Special Olympics Flag Football

Athletes competing in Special Olympics Unified State Flag Football tournament

For the second year in a row, CSU hosted the Special Olympics Unified State Flag Football tournament on
October 26th. The competition took place on the Campus Rec Intramural fields with the
participation of student officials. The tournament aimed to provide valuable college
connections to the athletes who were able to stay active and build connections in a fun and
engaging environment.

The event would not have been possible without the help of the Special Olympics College
Club at CSU who helped recruit volunteers and link athletes to play in the tournament.
Largely due to the hard work of this student group, CSU’s partnership with Special Olympics
was recently awarded in the ESPN Top 5 Unified Champion Schools, recognizing their efforts in
inclusive youth leadership and whole-school engagement. CSU has gained momentum this year
with the student organization’s outstanding leadership and dedication to these types of events.

Adam Walsh serves as an advisor to the Special Olympics College and is also the Assistant
Director of Intramurals for the Campus Rec department. Being in the sphere of CSU athletics, Campus
Rec and Special Olympics, he has witnessed the progress of these events reaching new
heights this year. He’s expressed how the games have made a growing impact on the CSU
community by exemplifying our Principles of Community.

“Seeing students live the Principles of Community and being the driving force is so rewarding,”
he says. “It’s incredible to see the passion students have and using that to have a positive effect
on the community.”

For the upcoming spring semester, future tournaments are on the horizon, and other regional
basketball and flag football games. Riding high with their national recognition, Special Olympics
College will only continue to expand their scale of impact on students, athletes, and the
recreation community.

Click here to view some photos from the tournament!

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Rec Ramble Discusses Intersectionality

In commemoration of Latinx and LGBTQ+ History Month, hosts Max and Sara dedicated Episode 2 of Season 3 to discuss the importance of intersectionality with special guest Maria Moreno. As a grad student working in higher education at CSU, Maria gave valuable insight to help start a conversation about the topic.

Maria spoke about her own experiences with intersectionality and how she came to understand its significance by her enrollment at the University of Georgia. As she came to learn through her women’s studies courses, the term refers to the marginalized identities of an individual and how they create a unique avenue of systemic disadvantage. Being one of the only queer Latinas that she knew of at the university, her own intersecting identities gave her a lens to understand its complexity. She speaks about how being a role model and mentor to others potentially holds different value for different identities in different settings.

“I really understood what it meant to be Latina in the context of a predominantly white institution,” she explains. “That identity has more salience when it’s not as common.”

Maria currently works as an Assistant Resident Director and is proud to be an example to those who carry similar identities. She accredits this responsibility to one of the main reasons she chose to pursue her career path in higher ed.

Carrying multiple marginalized identities while achieving success, she says, is something that goes deeper than the celebrations that come with Latinx/LGBTQ+ history months.

“I’m existing in places that weren’t necessarily meant for me, and that’s a celebration within itself.”  ⏤MM

It’s important that the Rec, being one puzzle piece in the whole of CSU campus continues to have these conversations. Being intentional about inclusivity means asking who is in this space, who is not, and what we can do to make everyone feel comfortable. The hosts discuss this in relation to people with disabilities at the Rec, microaggressions, and how privilege shows up in different spaces.

“People are here in this space which means intersectionality exists, and these aspects of athletics need to be talked about more,” says Maria. 

Stream the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major streaming platforms.

 

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