A Century in Motion
From its earliest archives to the present, recreation, community and tradition have continued to serve as the pillars of Rec Sports
Long before “Rec Sports” became part of the daily chatter at Texas A&M, it began as a recreational initiative led by Walter L. Penberthy. During an era preserved in black-and-white photographs and shaped by a time when war loomed in the background, recreation and community took on a greater importance. The Department of Recreational Sports, previously operated under the name Intramural Department and was officially established in 1926 at Texas A&M.
With more than 1,300 students participating in intramural sports such as basketball, baseball and wrestling, the program initially operated in a far simpler form, long before group fitness classes, weight room access or Outdoor Adventures trips became staples. That simplicity led to significant expansion under the directorship of Dennis Corrington.
“In the early 1970s, we were the Department of Intramurals, and our programs were male-dominated and highly competitive,” said Dennis Corrington, former executive director of Rec Sports. “Women were becoming a significant population in the university, but not in intramurals.”
That realization led to the creation of multiple leagues within Intramural Sports, doubling student participation. But it wasn’t the only reason, intramurals drew large turnouts.
“If you go back and look at College Station, there wasn’t a lot to do,” said Tom Reber, former Associate Vice President for the Division of Student Affairs. “There weren’t phones, so [students] couldn’t text. The one way they got together was playing intramurals. Some of the larger sports, flag football and softball, could have up to 600 teams.”
While intramurals remained popular, Rec Sports also sought to offer students additional opportunities, including a chance to compete at the intercollegiate level. With steady funding from The Association of Former Students, the Sports Clubs program soon took root in the department, becoming the first of several program expansions over the next 45 years.
“Our mission was to listen to students and do our best to meet their recreational needs,” Corrington said. “Our spirit was to do that with a smile, seeing the joy that our programs created.”
Following the Sport Clubs expansion, the TAMU Outdoor Program, later known as Outdoor Adventures, was established by Patsy Kott. In 1995, the Student Recreation Center opened, introducing aquatics facilities, a strength and conditioning room, and dedicated fitness areas, making the official debut of the first independent Student Rec Center on campus.
The Student Rec Center, beyond its range of facilities and opportunities, was defined by the years prior to its opening and by the work done by the people under its roof.
“We have a lot of legacy student employees,” said Jeff Huskey, the current executive director of Rec Sports. “A lot of student employees say, ‘My parents met while they were working for Rec Sports,’ or ‘My older brother and sister both worked for Rec Sports. Now I’m next in line, I’m the legacy.’ That’s a really unique thing we see a lot in our department.”
A legacy that began as early as the 1920s continues to this day, carrying forward into the next hundred years. While the legacy of student staff has continued to change, evolve and grow, there is one thing Rec Sports has kept constant, regardless of the passing decades.
“Personal touch is something that’s really special here at Texas A&M,” Huskey said. “Keeping that personal touch so it doesn’t feel like a factory, and so students know they’re not just a number. They have people here who care about them and want to see them grow and develop.”
