Students explore opportunities to continue pursuing Campus Recreation and Wellness values outside of Elon’s campus through NIRSA Club Basketball Tournament.
This February, Assistant Director for Sport Programs Zach Gentz, members of men’s and women’s club basketball and intramural sports official Cedar Zobel-Williams ‘24 had the opportunity to represent Elon at the NIRSA Championship Series at Duke University, making this the first year that Elon University had representation on the courts and among the 21 student officials.
After practicing for many weeks, the club basketball teams traveled 40 minutes to the home of the Blue Devils to compete in the tournament. The day and competition proved to be challenging with the men’s division having 15 teams from 14 universities and the women’s division having 11 teams from 10 universities. “I think it was great that they got to play against some opponents they would not have seen normally in other local tournaments,” Gentz said about the tournament. “They were definitely exhausted by the end of the tournament, but it is because they gave it all they had against some really tough competition.”
Additionally, Zobel-Williams had the opportunity to represent Elon University on the court as one of 21 officials from 18 universities tha were selected from a large pool of applicants.
Gentz remembers attending these tournaments as an undergraduate and is grateful to take part in bringing Elon students to opportunities like these. From networking, bettering RecWell as a program, or reigniting passion about their future career, opportunities provided beyond the oaks allow both professional staff and students to better their skills and themselves. “Every tournament I attend, I see people I met because of these tournaments and even people who were and still are mentors to me. If I am attending these events and still learning something, the students are getting so much more. I truly believe it is one of the best and most unique opportunities out there,” said Gentz.
The relationship between Gentz, Zobel-Williams and the club basketball teams transferred into the weekend and made lasting impacts back on Elon’s campus. “I learn something new every time I have a conversation with our students,” Gentz said. “Usually, it is a new perspective on our programming. I push myself to find new ways sport programs can serve the community because of them. I am better off personally and professionally because of our students.”