Southwest Recreation Center celebrates expansion with special event

August 23, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida students can check out the newly expanded Southwest Recreation Center during Tuesday’s opening ceremony, followed by the RecSports Extravaganza.

The ceremony begins at 4 p.m. with the Extravaganza following from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Every fall, the Extravaganza provides an opportunity for students to learn what programs and services RecSports offers. A Sport Clubs fair, fitness demonstrations, free food and giveaways will be available. The 40 Sports Clubs offer the opportunity for students to both learn a new sport and to compete against other universities. They range in diversity from underwater hockey to cuong nhu and soccer.

Tuesday’s events mark the official opening of the yearlong expansion project, which provides state of the art technology, equipment and green construction.

“We are thrilled to provide the University of Florida community with this incredible addition that provides the programs, amenities and equipment for fitness and recreation as demanded by our students,” said David Bowles, director of the Department of Recreational Sports at UF.

With the expansion, RecSports now hosts a massage therapy program, instructional classes and a new training center equipped with a personal training studio, an athletic training room and the fitness assessment center. The expansion also provided an additional 15,000-square-foot, split-level cardio space and a 1/9 mile indoor track on the second level.

New identification technology allows students and members to enter the facility without their Gator 1 Card. Students who choose to initialize into the system will simply walk up to the Hand Key upon entering the facility, punch in their UF Gator ID number and place their hand on the machine. They will be granted access without having to swipe their card. This system is also available at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center.

For more information, contact Jessica Gates at 352-273-2414 or by e-mail JessicaG@recsports.ufl.edu. For additional information, visit the website at www.recsports.ufl.edu.