A large portion of Piedmont’s student body is involved in official NCAA athletics. What goes under the radar is the importance of intramural sports and physical activity outside of NCAA activities, especially for students not on athletic teams.
Student Life Director Jason Croy’s job is to bring active experiences to Piedmont students. Whether through intramurals, the impressive rock wall in the Commons or events for charity, Croy organizes it all. A recent event Croy organized was a flag football game to fight hunger.
“We wanted to give students a chance to be involved in civic engagement,” Croy said. “We collected over 150 canned goods to donate to local food banks.”
The game was a 7-on-7 match between a team of Piedmont students and a team of students from Emmanuel College, Croy’s former employer. Not only did the event impact the community outside of Piedmont, but it improved the lives of its participants.
“I assessed that event, and one of the things I was wanting to find out was how it impacted satisfaction engagement, their awareness of physical health and the importance of physical health,” said Croy. “We got phenomenal feedback. One of the qualitative statements a student gave on the assessment said that it was the most enjoyable experience that he’s had in college.”
Piedmont freshman August Gotter, who assists Croy with intramurals, finds him to be an electric personality. “He’s very positive, very outgoing, you can tell he wants to build something that’s bigger than himself,” said Gotter. “His backstory is very compelling. His testimony is very motivating, considering how he’s in a position to encourage the youth.”
Croy’s emphasis on physical activity is especially important for college students. Not only does it provide an outlet for community and wellness, but it helps with the often stressful college environment.
“[Intramurals] give more ways to appreciate life and being involved in things like physical activity, especially when it involves faculty members,” said Croy. “We can get students to connect with faculty outside the classroom. You really start to find deep levels of engagement, satisfaction, success and retention.”
Croy is always looking to add on new events and make a lasting difference in students’ career paths.
“We know that we’re making a difference,” said Croy. “Students are giving us great feedback, but we’re always looking to find ways to improve on what we do and how we do it.”
