2018

WCU CAMPUS
RECREATION
AND
WELLNESS
INTRAMURAL
SPORT
ASSESSMENT
REPORT
PREPARED BY

MEGHAN BLIZZARD,
SOPHIA CALHOUN, &
WILLIAM CRANDALL
 TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Message from the Team

About Intramurals

Literature Review

Theoretical Framework

High School Data Review

Methodology

Findings

Findings: National and State Data Comparisons

Findings: Informal Conversations with Women at WCU

Findings: Semi-Formal Focus Group Responses

Barriers to Participation and Recommendations

Recommendations: Lack of Knowledge

Recommendations: Lack of Experience

 TABLE OF
CONTENTS

Recommendations: Environment

Recommendations: Time Commitment

Limitations

References

Appendix
 PAGE 1
MESSAGE FROM
THE TEAM

Our team was asked to work with WCU’s Campus Recreation and Wellness (CRW) team
to assess WCU’s Intramural Sport program and identify reasons for limited female
student participation. We were asked to suggest recommendations on how to improve
the program for greater female engagement and participation. In this report, readers will
find information on intramural sport at WCU, a literature review and benchmarking data
on the subject of trends in intramural sport and sport and exercise participation prior to
college, details on our methodology and assessment design, an analysis of our findings,
our team's recommendations for moving forward, and a brief synopsis of the limitations
of our assessment process. The information given in this report is written to provide
WCU’s Campus Recreation and Wellness team as well as the WCU community with
tangible data and recommendations for finding ways to engage female students in
intramural sport at WCU.

Sincerely,
Meghan, Sophia, & William
 PAGE 2
ABOUT
INTRAMURALS In the beginnings of higher education,
university-sponsored physical education
and organized sports were virtually
nonexistent (Stewart, 1992). On campus,
students had to create their own
unofficial group sport activities to occupy
their free time outside of classes
(Stewart, 1992). However, the idea of
unorganized group sports on campus took
off and thus intramurals were born. By
the early twentieth century, college
institutions began to employ higher
administrators tasked with overseeing
intramurals and making it a permanent
part of campus life (Stewart, 1992).
Today, intramural sports are an option for
physical activity students can participate
in during their free time on campus.
Western Carolina University’s Campus
Recreation Center (CRC) boasts 40
different activities focused on providing a
variety of options for students. In
Intramural sport, students are
encouraged to gather friends to form
teams and can incorporate members from
across campus. All demographics of
students are welcome to join and even
create co-ed teams. With no cost or
eligibility for participation, Intramurals
offer an opportunity for Western
Carolina students to interact together
and stay healthy.

PARTICIPATION DEMOGRAPHICS
A wealth of research exists surrounding the demographics of intramural and A REVIEW OF
exercise participation in college. In 2015, The Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported that 25.9% of individuals aged 15-25 engage in physical activity on THE
a regular basis (BLS, 2015). The level of regular physical activity drops to
18.5% in adults aged 25-54 (BLS, 2015). Within those age groups, males LITERATURE
were reported to engage in physical activities increasingly more than their
female counterparts (BLS, 2015). Age plays a significant role in determining
preferred activities. Individuals aged 15-25 preferred to participate in team
or competition based sports, while adults aged 25-54 engaged in solo
activities, such as hiking or running (BLS, 2015). It is also important to note
that the types of activities preferred differed along gender lines. Sports such
as baseball, football, and soccer attracted male participants. Women, by
contrast, were more interested in engaging in yoga or aerobics (BLS 2015).
GENERAL BARRIERS AFFECTING PARTICIPATION PAGE 3
Beyond age, gender, and type of activity, literature presents other barriers that
affect participation in intramural sports. Phipps, Cooper, Shores, Williams, and
Mize (2015) found that a student’s community engagement is a factor when
considering intramural participation (p. 115). Younger students, typically
Freshmen, participate in intramural sports more often because it provides
them an opportunity to develop a campus community (Phipps et al., 2015). As
students reach their junior year, however, they become more invested in other
outlets, such as their academic department, and no longer require the
community intramurals provided to build community (Phipps et al., 2015).
However, research did indicate that students who habitually participated in
intramurals in their early college years, continued to engage even as an
upperclassman (Phipps et al., 2015). Artinger, Clapham, and Hunt (2006) found
that intramurals assisted in campus social integration for students who
participated. Freshmen were found to benefit socially and participate at higher
rates than upperclassmen (Artinger et al., 2015). On-campus living factored
into participation as well, with residential students partaking in intramural
activities more than commuters (Artinger et al., 2015). Cho and Price (2018)
found that cultural factors may also influence intramural participation, noting
that multicultural students cited a distaste of competitive activities as a reason
for not participating.

"RESEARCH DID INDICATE THAT

STUDENTS WHO HABITUALLY
PARTICIPATED IN
INTRAMURALS IN THEIR EARLY
COLLEGE YEARS CONTINUED
TO ENGAGE EVEN AS AN
UPPERCLASSMAN"
FEMALE PARTICIPATION
With further investigation, the literature on intramural sports expands to include insight on why female participation is
lower than men. Cooper, Schuett, and Phillips (2012) found that women had higher levels of motivation to participate in
intramural sports, but their reasons for motivation were different. Men were found to be motivated by interest in the
sport, while women were found to be interested in the social aspects and maintaining their physical appearance
(Cooper et al., 2012). Kuga and Meacci (1989) found that body image and sociability were common factors in
determining if women would participate in campus sport activities.  It was also determined that women were more
inclined to participate when activities that suited their interests were offered (Kuga & Meacci, 1989). Kuga and Meacci
(1989) found that women were more interested in activities such as swimming, aerobics, and tennis. Hanson and Kraus
(1999) provide some insight on why women might prefer different activities, suggesting that many popular sport
activities promote male values, such as aggression and competition, rather than cooperation. Hanson and Kraus (1999)
point out that throughout history recreational sport was a male dominated activity denied to women and even today
there is a lingering masculine stigma.
The presence of male perspectives, values, and stigma are a common reoccurrence when addressing female participation in
sports. Young (1991) interviewed young Canadian women participating in recreational co-ed sports and found that negative
masculine views were present. Women reported that the men on their teams were coached differently, receiving more praise
and support (Young, 1991). Female respondents who participated in what are considered more masculine sports, such as
rugby or wrestling, stated that assumptions about their sexuality were commonly placed upon them when they discussed
their sport activity with males (Young, 1991). Another theme present was the sexualizing of female participation in sport. A
female recreational wrestler indicated that when she disclosed her sport of choice, references to provocative activities, such
as mud wrestling, were mentioned (Young, 1991).

THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
"YOUNG ADULTS WANT TO BE
VIEWED BASED ON THEIR
CHOSEN GENDER IDENTITY,
AND WILL AVOID ACTIVITIES
THAT SUGGEST OTHERWISE"
STUDENTS THAT EXPERIENCE
A SENSE OF
Mattering
PAGE 4
GENDER IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT
The research surrounding female participation in sports revolves around
stigma, masculine societal perspectives, and perceived gender roles.
Theoretical frameworks aid in the understanding of female college sport
participation and explain the conundrum through a variety of lenses. When
thinking about female college students, identity formation and how that
relates to gender is an important consideration. Bussey (2011) explains
gender identity development and how it relates to college students in his
social-cognitive theory of gender identity development. Gender identity is
influenced by personal factors, like self-perception, environmental,
behavioral factors, such as gendered activities, and environmental factors,
such as their peers (Bussey, 2011). In young adulthood, individuals
experiment with their gender identity and the reactions of those around them
determine gender identity formation (Bussey, 2011). For example, a cis-
gendered female intending to be viewed as feminine engaging in intramural
basketball may quit participating after an insinuation about her sexual
preferences. Young adults want to be viewed based on their chosen gender
identity and will avoid activities that suggest otherwise (Bussey, 2011).
MARGINALITY AND MATTERING
The treatment of female sports participants during a recreational activity
also plays a role in continued engagement. Schlossberg (1989) described
the importance of mattering and marginality in the engagement of college
students. When students are involved in a new or unfamiliar environment,
they may begin to feel self-conscious or like they do not belong
(Schlossberg, 1989). Those negative feelings of self-worth are called
marginality (Schlossberg, 1989). Schlossberg (1989) found that when
students experienced a sense of mattering they were more prone to
engage and be successful in college. Mattering consists of five factors:
attention, feeling like your actions are noticed, importance, feeling that
your efforts are valued, ego-extension, feeling like someone is proud of
you, dependence, feeling like you are needed, and appreciation, feeling
that you are appreciated (Schlossberg, 1989). Female intramural
participants need to feel like they matter on their teams. If female
students are only asked to join teams to fill a prerequisite, they may not
feel that they matter and then choose to not participate. Conversely,
female students who seek to participate on their own accord and are
rejected by male teammates, may choose to discontinue participation.
ARE MORE PRONE TO ENGAGE
AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN
COLLEGE

We know that students are more likely to
participate in physical activity in adulthood if they
began incorporating physical health into their
lifestyle in adolescence or earlier (Cairney, J.,
Bulten, R., King-Dowling, S., & Arbour-Nicitopoulos,
K., 2018; Everhart, B., Kernodle, M., Ballard, K.,
McKey, C., Eason, B., & Weeks, M., 2005; Lesser, L.
I., & Bisogni, C. A., 2003; Strong, W.B., Malina, R. M.,
Blimkie, C. J., Daniels, S. R., Dishman, R. K., Gutin, B.,
Hergenroeder, A. C., Must, A., Nixon, P. A., Pivarnik,
J. M., Rowland, T. Trost, S., & Trudeau, F., 2005).  We
also know that one barrier to their participation in
intramural sport could be a lack of participation in
organized physical activities while in middle school
and high school (see page 10). If students did not
engage in team athletics regularly in middle school
or high school, those students are less likely to seek
out team sports, such as club or intramurals sports,
once in college. So, with participation levels for
females in intramurals at WCU being low, it may be
considered that their participation in recreational
team activities was low before coming to WCU.
Because WCU is a regional comprehensive
institution which draws a majority of its students
from North Carolina high schools, we examined
North Carolina high school physical education
requirements. 90% of WCU’s total student body are
North Carolina residents and 84.7% of the Fall 2018
freshmen class are NC residents (WCU, 2018). We
were provided a list of WCU’s top 18 feeder high
schools to examine sport offering. These are the 18
high schools WCU recruits the majority of its
currently enrolled students, not including online
distance learners. Contacting these feeder high
school allowed us to identify what athletic
opportunities many WCU students are offered
before coming to our university. We explored what
organized sporting opportunities are offered at
these high schools by examining their individual
websites. From these webpages we were able to see
what sports were available to the students. One
limitation to this were schools that did not list their
sports on their website, or schools that only listed
that sports currently offered for the fall season,
which made it difficult to compile accurate
information of what those schools provided year-
round for their students (see Appendix A)
PAGE 5
EXERCISE AND SPORT
PARTICIPATION
BEFORE COLLEGE:
HIGH SCHOOL DATA
REVIEW
We found that many major team sports , such as,
Baseball, Football, Cheerleading, Cross Country,
Track and Field, etc. were offered at the majority of
the schools we examined. There is more information
we could acquire in the future from these high
schools, such as what clubs are offered which
incorporate physical activity, or how physical activity
and team sports are incorporated into their
curriculum. To better understand the activity levels of
WCU students it is recommended the university find
more information about their participation levels
before coming to WCU.
We next sought to find out what WCU feeder schools
are required to offer their students in the realm of
physical education based on North Carolina education
standards. We found that schools in the state of North
Carolina do not have rigorous physical education
requirements for their students to graduate (see page
7). We know that as students progress from
elementary school to high school their opportunities
and requirements of physical education are decreased
dramatically. Elementary schools are required to
provide 30 minute daily recess, and are also required
to provide at least 30 minutes per day of physical
activity to elementary and middle school/junior high
students. The state does not require a daily or weekly
minimum amount of physical activity for high school
students (SHAPE America, 2016). Therefore, we find
it is reasonable to consider that our female students
may be participating in team recreational sports at
low numbers because there are very little
opportunities for these students to be encouraged to
have a physically active life style beyond grade school.
 PAGE 6
METHODOLOGY
For the purposes of our assessment study, 3 primary methods of data
collection were utilized:

Examination of national Informal conversations Semi-formal focus group with

and state trend data with women on campus students involved in campus sports

To understand how WCU compares in sport and recreational participation, we completed a

thorough review of national trend data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on data relating to
female participation in sport and recreation throughout their lifetime. This data is gathered via
The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) which collects information on how, where, and with
whom Americans spend their time, providing data on a full range of activities. The BLS data we
reviewed uses data from the ATUS to examine participation and time spent in sports and exercise
activities (BLS, 2015). We examined BLS data against WCU data on intramural participation to
compare sport and recreation participation outcomes against national trend data.

To obtain direct information from female students at WCU with regards to their
involvement in sport and recreation, as well as intramural sport specifically, we spoke
with roughly 30 female students to understand their reasons for either participating or
not participating in intramural sport at WCU. We asked these women about their
knowledge of intramural sport at WCU, whether or not they participated, and then why
they did or did not choose to participate. The women we spoke to included first-year
Honors students in a USI 101 College Transitional course, student workers in the UC,
students involved in the International Programs and Services office, Orientation
Counselors, and students involved in the Center for Service Learning. We compiled the
responses from these conversations to determine themes that emerged of similar
responses to our questions.

At the request of the CRW team we also conducted a semi-formal focus group with
female students that were known participants in sport and recreation through the
Department of Campus Recreation and Wellness. The purpose of this focus group was to
understand their motivation for participation and continued engagement with the CRW,
their thoughts on the intramurals program, as well as what they believed to be possible
barriers to participation for other women. We had 3 women participate in our
coversation, all of which had participated in intramurals at WCU at one point or were
currently participating. Our questions focused around their previous sport experience
prior to college, their preferences regarding sport and exercise as college students, their
thoughts on the intramurals program, and any thoughts they had on recommendations
for improving the program (see Appendix D).

FINDINGS
National and State
Trend Data
Comparisons
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS) reported less than 18% of
the national female population
was engaged in sports or
exercise between the years of
2003-2015 (BLS, 2015) (see
Appendix B, Figure 1). On the
State level, the BLS reported
that in North Carolina, the
percentage of the overall
population (both male and
female) engaged in daily sport
or exercise between 15%-17%
(BLS, 2015) (see Appendix B,
Figure 2). Over a 3-year period,
WCU reported an average of
17% of the female student
population participating in
intramural sport on campus
with the highest participation
being 22% and the lowest being
12% (see Appendix C, Figure 1).
When compared with national
and state trend data, WCU
aligns closely with expected
sport and exercise participation
levels with respect to
intramural sport given common
trends of female sport
participation.
PAGE 7
U.S. FEMALE
POPULATION: %
NC OVERALL
POPULATION: %
WCU FEMALE
POPULATION:
%
NC Public School
Requirements and
Incoming Student
Expectations
As mentioned previously, we also reviewed NC public
school requirements in order to determine what
WCU's incoming students have likely experienced in
high school with regards to sport and exercise (NC
Department of Public Instruction, 2017).
We found that NC High School Graduation
Requirements dictate only 1-Credit Hour
of Health and Physical Education is
required to graduate
BLS data also showed the average time spent
engaged in daily sport or physical exercise between
2009-2015 was less than 2 hours for both males and
females, and 1.2 hours for women (BLS, 2015) (see
Appendix B, Figure 6). This data can serve to inform
and set expectations as to the level of sport and
exercise involvement we will see at the college
level.
FINDINGS
PAGE 8

National and State Trend

Data Comparisons

Trend data suggests women typically

prefer to engage in low-impact, low-
competition sport and exercise, if
they are not involved in varsity sport.
BLS data on sport and exercise
activity choice distribution among
men and women shows that women
often engage in activities such as
aerobics, walking, dancing, and
cardiovascular exercise (BLS, 2015) TREND DATA SUGGESTS THAT
(see Appendix B, Figure 3). Similarly, WOMEN TYPICALLY PREFER TO
at WCU, we see higher female ENGAGE IN LOW-IMPACT, LOW-
participation in varsity and Club COMPETITION SPORT AND
Sports than in Intramural sports,
EXERCISE"
however, these numbers are
reflective of women that have
participated in competitive sports
prior to college and are now choosing
to continue at WCU. This could also
be due to Club Sports offerings
including many traditionally female-
oriented activities such as cycling,
ballroom dance, and gymnastics
(WCU). Intramurals, however,
provide fewer options for low-impact
activities, and are designed to draw in
students that are not already
involved in competitive sport or
exercise activities on campus.
However, it is also important to note
the role that age plays in sport and Data provided by WCU CRW Team
participation. According to BLS data,
between the ages of 15-24 there is
higher participation in sports that are
traditionally more male-driven
(football, basketball, soccer, etc.) and
activities that typically attract more
female participation (aerobics, yoga,
walking, etc.) begin to garner more
participation between the ages of 25-
54 (see Appendix B, Figure 4).
 FINDINGS PAGE 9

Informal Conversations
with Women at WCU

Through our conversations with women on campus about why they did or
did not participate in intramural sport, we found that 3 themes emerged:

Lack of Available Time Registration vs.

Knowledge Commitment Actual
Participation

The majority of the women we spoke to were unaware of the Intramural sport program at WCU.
They expressed a lack of knowledge both of what the program was, and also what the term
"intramural" meant in reference to sport and exercise. Another common response was the reality
of available time commitment among students. Many women noted that they were currently very
involved on campus, indeed so involved that the possibility of taking on participation in
intramural sport would pull their time from other responsibilities and engagements, including
their academic endeavors. Finally, a smaller number of students expressed that they had indeed
registered for an intramural sport at one point, but had never participated. Some noted that male
friends had requested they register to form a team but had never intended to include the female
players, and instead only needed a female on the roster to form the team. Others said they had
signed up but then found they could not honor the time commitment.
FINDINGS
PAGE 10

Semi-Formal Focus
Group Responses

Through the course of our conversations with 3 WCU women

about intramural participation, 4 themes emerged:

The Purpose of Intramurals:

Of the 3 women we spoke to, 2 expressed that their interest in intramurals was purely for "fun" as this
was an outlet to participate in recreational activities with friends. One woman, however, noted that
her motivation was rooted in the opportunity for competition, and she was interested in playing to
win.

Previous Sport Experience:

All 3 women we spoke to had extensive experience in sports prior to college and desired to continue
sports in some capacity once at WCU. 2 women noted that they had continued in competitive sport
through club sports while 1 had participated only in intramural sport.

Time Commitment:
Of the 3 women we spoke to, 2 women had only participated in intramurals for 1 academic year. 1 of
these 2 women cited academic pressures and other involvement on campus as her main time
commitments, stating she simply could not dedicate time to intramurals anymore. However, 1 woman
had continued to participate for several years saying: "intramurals take priority."

Involvement With Friends:

All 3 women noted that one of their main motivational points for participating in intramurals was to
participate with friends. Similarly, when asked about how they learned of intramurals (with regards to
marketing strategies) all women noted they had initially learned through friends involved on campus.

"Men are definitely more involved with intramurals. I think

if women saw that it was something that they could do too,
even if they didn't have any experience with sports, and
that it's just for fun, they would participate, too."
 BARRIERS TO
PAGE 11

PARTICIPATION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS

After reviewing trend data and literature, having conversations with women at WCU,
and compiling focus group responses, we have established 4 possible barriers to entry
for women participating in intramural sport at WCU.

Lack of Knowledge
about intramural sports and their purpose on
campus.

Lack of Experience
with sport, recreation, and exercise prior to
college.

Environment
of the recreation center on campus and other
activity spaces where intramurals are held.

Time Commitment
that students have available to dedicate to
intramural sport.
LACK OF PAGE 12

KNOWLEDGE:
RECOMMENDATIONS

Intramurals Name Change:

Current conversations on the possibility of changing the name "intramurals" being had by the CRW
team should continue be a serious consideration. During our research process, we struggled to find
definitive definitions of intramurals and intramural sport, and the majority of women we spoke to had
little to no understanding of what intramurals were or, specifically, what that specific word meant.

Webpage Development:
The current WCU Intramurals webpage offers limited information on the purpose of
intramural sports, how to get involved, and the benefits of being involved. Providing easily
accessible information via this online resource is important to consider as many women may
choose to independently research intramurals at WCU before seeking to participate.

Intramurals Mission Statement and Purpose:

As the intramurals program continues to develop, we recommend a conversation about what
the CRW would like to see intramurals become, and who intramurals seek to serve moving
forward. In order to guide their improvements, we recommend developing both a mission
statement and a purpose for the intramurals program (both of which should be posted to the
webpage).

Intramurals Learning Outcomes:

Similarly to a mission statement and purpose, the development of learning outcomes for the
intramurals program can also serve to guide the improvement process. Learning outcomes give
students a roadmap to understanding what to expect from the programs they are choosing to
participate in, and can help to illuminate specific benefits of any given program.

Intentional Marketing Strategies:

If the intention of the CRW is to engage students in intramurals that may not typically participate
in recreational activites, we recommend an intentional effort to expand marketing strategies
across campus. Options for such advertising include: visiting classes, posting marketing materials in
academic and residential spaces, as well as utilizing digital marketing spaces around campus.
LACK OF PAGE 13

EXPERIENCE:
RECOMMENDATIONS

Open Activity Sessions:

One of the women we spoke with in our focus group mentioned the possibility of opening up
sessions that require no registration or invitation to participate. We recommend a day, similar
to "Group X Jam", dedicated to showcasing intramural offerings and allowing an open
opportunity for women on campus to learn more before they register.

Sport Descriptions:
In line with our recommendation to develop the WCU Intramural webpage further, we recommend
the addition of a brief description of each intramural sport offered to this webpage. These
descriptions can provide information to women curious to learn more about what sports are
offered and what skills are needed to participate.

Highlight Low-Skill offerings:

Intramural offerings such as Table Tennis and Ultimate Frisbee require a lower level of skill, are
traditionally less competitive, and require less commitment to team practices. Highlighting
activities and promoting them as opportunities for low-impact and low-commitment
recreational options can serve to engage students that may not otherwise participate.

Intramural Coaching Sessions:

We recommend identifying students that are currently involved in intramurals and are passionate
about sport and exercise to offer coaching sessions to students new to intramurals. Whether it be
on the team level or one-on-one skill sessions these coaching opportunities could aid in providing
new intramural participants with sport-specific knowledge they may otherwise lack.
 PAGE 14

ENVIRONMENT:
RECOMMENDATIONS

Intramural Ambassadors:
As mentioned in the recommendation for coaching, we recommend establishing a group of
students currently participating in intramurals to serve as Ambassadors for intramurals. These
Ambassadors could not only spread the word about intramurals around campus, they could also
serve as a support system and mentors for new student participants.

Utilizing Spaces Outside of the Campus Recreation Center (CRC):

We encourage the CRW team to consider offering more activities outside of the CRC. For some
women, especially those with limited experience with exercise and sport, the CRC can be an
intimidating space. Also, it is difficult to engage students that do not regularly visit the CRC if CRC
activities are not visible in other spaces on campus.
TIME PAGE 15

COMMITMENT:
RECOMMENDATIONS

Highlighting Independent Sport Offerings:

For students with limited time to commit to intramural or recreational sports, we recommend
highlighting sports that do not require regular team practices. Students may be more likely to
participate in activities that only require attendance for games or matches, rather than risk
committing to a team that they do not have time to practice with on a regular basis.

Availability Surveys:
We recommend releasing surveys to the campus community inquiring information about student
availability. We believe the CRW will be better able to offer opportunities that align with student
needs if there is a better understanding of the amount of time students can realistically dedicate to
recreational activities like intramurals.
 PAGE 16

LIMITATIONS

Our team experiences 2 primary limitations while conducting our assessment, these limitations
were: lack of participation in focus group offerings, and lack of intramural-specific reference
data.

We hosted 2 rounds of focus groups (4 times offered in total) in the hopes to conduct formal
conversations with women on campus about whether or not they were involved in intramural
sports. Unfortunately, we did not receive any participants in our initial 2 rounds of focus
groups. Therefore, the only formal focus group information we obtained was through our final
semi-formal focus group which was organized by the CRW team (see page 10). The information
we received from this focus group was valuable, but also limited. For this focus group we were
only able to speak with 3 women, and all 3 of these women had either participated or were
currently participating in intramural sports, therefore their insight was limited as to why other
women may choose not to participate. In the future, we would recommend hosting additional
opportunities for formal conversations so as to continue learning more about women on
campus with regard to participation in exercise and sport. We have provided our focus group
designs as a reference for future offerings (see Appendix D and E).

Our team also struggled to find data specific to intramural participation. Therefore, much of our
sport and exercise data is with regard to national sport and exercise trend data. A member of our
team attempted to contact our regional National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association
(NIRSA) representative, but did not receive a response. In the future we would recommend once
again contacting this representative in order to gather regionally-specific data as well as data
specific to intramural participation.
 References PAGE 17

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Bussey, K. (2011). Gender identity development. In Handbook of identity theory and research (pp.
603-628). Springer, New York, NY.

Cairney, J., Bulten, R., King-Dowling, S., & Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. (2018). A longitudinal study of

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Everhart, B., Kernodle, M., Ballard, K., McKey, C., Eason, B., & Weeks, M. (2005). Physical activity
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Appendix A: NC Feeder High PAGE 19
School Sport Offerings
 Appendix B: BLS Statistical Data PAGE 20
(BLS, 2015)
Figure B.1: Percentage of population engaged in sports and exercise on an average day, by sex
(all ages), 2003-2015

Figure B.2 Percentage of population engaged in sports and exercise on an average day, by state (all
ages), 2009-2015
Figure B.3 Percent distribution by sex of people aged 15 and older who engaged in sports and PAGE 21
exercise on an average day, by specific activity, 2009-2015

Figure B.4 Percent distribution by age group of people who engaged in sports and exercise on
an average day, by specific activity, 2009-2015
 Figure B.5 Percentage of people who engaged in sports and exercise on an
PAGE 22
average day, by sex (all ages), in the presence of others

Figure B.6 Average hours that people who engaged in sports and exercise activities on an
average day spent doing them, by age and sex
 Appendix C: WCU Female
PAGE 23
Intramural Participation Trends
(all information provided by CRW
team)

Figure C.1 Percentage of Undergraduate Resident Women Participating in

Intramural Sports (3-Year Fall and Spring Semester Trends)

Figure C.2 3-Year Spring Semester Intramural Participation (Male and

Female)
 PAGE 24
Figure C.3 3-Year Fall Semester Intramural Participation (Male and
Female)

Figure C.4 3-Year Intramural Participation (Male and Female)

 PAGE 25
Figure C.5 3-Year Fall Intramural Male Participation (By
Sport)

Figure C.6 3-Year Spring Intramural Male Participation (By

Sport)
 PAGE 26
Figure C.7 3-Year Fall Intramural Female Participation (By Sport)

Figure C.8 3-Year Spring Intramural FemaleParticipation (By

Sport)
 Appendix D: Semi-Formal Focus PAGE 27

Group. Initial Design,

Conversational Layout

Appendix D.1 Focus Group Conversational Layout (Designed for those that were
known to have participated in intramurals)
 Appendix E: Initial Focus Group
PAGE 28
Design and Materials

Appendix E. 1 Focus Group Conversational Layout (Designed for those that may or
may not have participated in intramurals)

Appendix E. 2 Recommended exisiting female groups on campus to

contact for focus group participation
 PAGE 29
Appendix E. 2 Sample Focus Group Flyer