MacEwan rec leagues face participation barriers as enrolment grows
As MacEwan’s student population grows, recreational leagues hope to attract more participants, but late game times and social barriers can make joining difficult.
A MacEwan University student holds a basketball, ready to shoot. Photo credit: Eliana Rain Johnston
MacEwan University’s recreational leagues are looking to attract more students as enrolment grows, but scheduling and social barriers can make participation difficult for some students.
Liv Holland, a recreational consultant at MacEwan who coordinates the rec leagues, said between 350 and 400 students have registered each semester in recent years. With more students on campus this year, Holland hopes participation will increase.
“We’ve been hovering the last couple semesters between 350 and 400 students signed up in our rec leagues total.”
“It seems like the engagement is a little bit higher this year. I know we supposedly have 3,000 more students on campus, so I’m hopeful that means our numbers will grow a little bit.”
MacEwan offers recreational leagues including volleyball, basketball and soccer, as well as drop-in sessions. Volleyball has attracted the most participants while soccer has had the lowest engagement.
Holland said late gym times can make participation difficult, with some games running until 10:30 p.m. Soccer games begin at 8:30 p.m. and are played in the gymnasium because MacEwan does not have a dedicated soccer facility.
Scheduling is not the only factor that can affect participation.
AJ Hickey, a fourth-year legal studies and business student, played volleyball during his first two years but stopped after the person he knew in the league transferred to the University of Alberta.
“I wanted to play with people that I knew, but I didn’t really know anybody who, you know, plays volleyball. So I kind of just stopped, I just didn’t want to play with a bunch of people I didn’t know anymore…there was one person I knew that played volleyball, but he transferred to the U of A…”
Hickey said he enjoyed the leagues and meeting people when he participated. MacEwan has also started promoting recreational programs through its student life app, while Holland said drop-in sessions have attracted strong interest.
For students who do not make a varsity team, rec leagues provide another opportunity to play sports and become involved on campus.
“I think it’s important for people to—if they want to experience it—to have a chance to experience it,” Hickey said.
