To mark 50 years of Athletic Business, we polled hundreds of readers from each of our main vertical markets — college athletics, college recreation, community recreation, high school athletics, health and fitness, aquatics and architecture — to gauge the current state of the industry. What follows is a comprehensive analysis of our readers’ perspectives on the verticals they serve. To begin, we asked each of these groups about their operating budgets and deferred maintenance. Despite finding consensus on several topics, the budgetary changes across these verticals varied greatly. Respondents found far greater common ground when describing their deferred maintenance status, with a clear majority reporting less than $2 million of maintenance to be completed at their facilities.
Find your industry segment in the following pages — or get the lay of the land from your colleagues across other industries — to compare your experiences to those of other loyal AB readers. From fan behavior and emerging sports to renovations and staffing challenges, there is no shortage of topics to dive into.
Unlike those in collegiate athletics, college rec leaders indicate a retreat from building bigger and better facilities. Instead, they’re assessing deferred maintenance and putting a renewed focus on programming. Outdoor adventure accounts for a large portion of expanded programming, with 48% of respondents indicating climbing and bouldering as their most popular activities, while 23% cite hiking. Alongside outdoor adventure, 43% of respondents say they are expanding specialized fitness (functional training, mobility work) and 35% are expanding mindfulness and meditation programs. As these modalities take up ever-increasing space and staffing time, a surprising 54% of respondents say that less than 5% of their rec programming is inclusive or adaptive for all participants, a gap that suggests accessibility is not keeping pace with program growth.
Rebecca Peoples
Collegiate Recreation East Region Director, Matrix Fitness
How does the campus recreation industry stay ahead of emerging student expectations?
Campus recreation is such an all-star group for us to partner with because rec leaders are constantly sharing ideas and learning from their peers. Uniquely, the student body is not only a captive audience as the user, but rec is also made up largely of student staff. Our leadership teams stay in tune with the student pulse through engagement and assessment, such as continuously monitoring traffic, utilizing assessment tools and various student surveys to gather data and feedback. From there, they have the roadmap.
How does Matrix evolve to meet industry needs?
We listen. Because we have incredible partners with all this meaningful data, we take their roadmap and go to work. We pay attention, gather intimate knowledge, learn how they operate and then provide our recommendations. Our goal is first to establish trust, then work collaboratively to bring their vision to fruition. We recognize our recreation facilities must adapt quickly to engage the student body while enrolled and active on campus. We approach every relationship with the goal of being responsive to shifting trends and delivering on each request promptly.
What opportunities do you see in the campus recreation industry?
We see a growing opportunity to support professional development advances for student staff and pro staff within recreation. Matrix prides itself on being extremely generous in its backing of education. We want to be a strong partner that provides resources to help individuals explore a career in fitness and wellness. The emphasis on continuing education in academia also extends to recreation, and we aim to increase awareness of certifications and other educational opportunities available to set the staff up for success.
How does access to a limitless amount of fitness content impact campus recreation?
Our young adults are inundated with social fitness content, but it often lacks clear guidance that drives long-term adherence. Without clear direction, this can cause our students to feel overwhelmed, which could result in avoidance. Recreation services, such as personal training sessions, can mitigate the unknown with a structured approach of actionable workout plans built for meaningful progress toward students’ goals. Empowering student staff to explore trainer certifications can support your program development and encourage rec engagement.
How does Matrix support campus recreation partners beyond equipment?
As student wellness expectations evolve, Matrix expands our focus on providing education related to physical and mental wellbeing, offering access to CECs for multiple courses and developing personalized wellness solutions that can drive engagement within recreation facilities. We also have an incredible service department that invites everyone — pro staff and student staff included — to go through intensive training to become Matrix-certified technicians. It makes me proud to know the lengths our service team will go to encourage professional development in ancillary fields and optimize equipment longevity for every facility.
