SEC Recreation Summit 2025
Welcome to the SEC Recreation Summit!
The University of Florida Recreational Sports is excited to host the inaugural SEC Recreation Summit 2025. The event will take place on-campus at the Southwest Recreation Center and the Center for Outdoor Recreation and Education.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Sunshine State, Gainesville, Florida, from May 18 – 20, where you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate, innovate, and network with your SEC colleagues. The summit will cover topics such as fitness, facilities and operations management, program implementation, sports management, and critical thinking, among others. Participants will also gain insights into emerging trends, best practices, and valuable lessons learned.
Registration Information
Please submit your registration by Monday, April 21, 2025. The registration link will be sent to your Director for distribution. For questions regarding registration, please contact Cat Cramp at ccramp@ufl.edu or 352.273.2423.
Sponsors
The SEC Recreation Summit would like to thank the following organizations and companies for their sponsorship and contributions to the summit, the development of our professionals, and the advancement of the field of Collegiate Recreation. Check out our wonderful sponsors below.
Sunday, May 18
Tube the Ichetucknee
Description: Come spend a day floating down one of Florida’s most diverse and gorgeous rivers! A beautiful canopy of trees surrounds the Ichetucknee River, which is home to diverse wildlife. Enjoy the sun, cool spring waters, turtles, birds, and maybe even otters as we explore and tube down the river!
- Departure from CORE: 7:00 a.m.
- Return: 2:00 p.m.
- Lunch Provided
- Max Capacity:20
Surf St. Augustine (Intro to Surf)
Description: Ride the waves of the beautiful Atlantic Coast and soak up some sun! This beach day getaway is sure to be both relaxing and exciting as we surf and chill out in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida. No prior surfing experience is necessary.
- Departure from CORE: 9:00 a.m.
- Return: 2:00 p.m.
- Lunch Provided
- Max Capacity:20
La Chua Trail Wanderlust
Description: Enjoy some of Gainesville's natural beauty as we journey along a boardwalk to La Chua Trail in Payne's Prairie State Park! Have the chance to see wildlife including alligators, water snakes, a huge variety of birds and more.
- Departure from CORE : Noon
- Return: 3:00 p.m.
- Lunch Provided
- Max Capacity: 40
Day at Lake Wauburg
Description: Ready for an adventure? Head to Lake Wauburg and make the day your own! Cruise the waters at North Shore, challenge your SEC friends to some lawn games, and if you're up for it—take to the air on our aerial adventure course. Fun is waiting for you! Participants can take the shuttle or drive themselves to Lake Wauburg.
- Departure from CORE : 10:30 a.m.
- 11:00 a.m. - Return by 3:00 p.m.
- Day at the Lake and Aerial Adventure Course:
- 11:00 a.m.; Leave for 1:30 p.m. South Shore - Return by 4:00 p.m.
- Lunch Provided
- Max Capacity
- Day at Lake Wauburg Only - 70
- Aerial Adventure Adventure Course - 30
Recreation & Athletic Facilities Tour
Description: Explore the recreation facilities at the University of Florida with a guided tour of UF RecSports, showcasing Southwest Recreation Center, Student Recreation & Fitness Center and multiple outdoor recreation venues. Then, step inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for an exclusive Gators Game Day Locker Room Tour ending at the field level for a great photo opportunity.
- Departure from SWRC: 12:00 p.m.
- Return: 4:30 p.m.
- Lunch Provided
- Max Capacity:40
*Tentative Schedule*
Sunday, May 18
11:30 am - Outdoor adventures. Please see pre-summit activities tab for for times & registration information
11:30 am - Facility tour (Courts 5&6) presented by EGym - Make sure to register!
6:00 pm - Welcome/Dinner (Courts 5&6)
8:00 pm - Social sponsored by Mondo and Smith Group (Courts 5&6)
Monday, May 19
6:30 am - Early morning workout: Cycle (Activity Room 1)
8:00 am - Breakfast sponsored by RecRe (Courts 5&6)
9:00 am - Hot Topics
From Panic to Plan: Crisis Response in Collegiate Recreation (Courts 5 & 6)
Description: What would you do if a crisis hit your department today? Whether it’s a medical emergency, mental health incident, or a large-scale threat, the way you prepare, lead, and support your team matters. This participatory session will dive into conversations around the essential elements of crisis management in collegiate recreation—from building a solid plan, to leading through the chaos, to processing what happens after. You’ll walk away with strategies from others for building readiness, leading under pressure, and supporting your team through it all before, during, and after a crisis. Presenter: Laura Hall (University of Florida)
The Evolutionary Experience of a Student Employee Professional Development Curriculum (Arena Meeting Room)
Description: Collegiate recreation programs have the potential to support student employee professional development as well as a sense of connection and belonging. This presentation will explore the evolution of the Student Employee Professional Development Curriculum at the University of Mississippi through two dissertation projects and the evaluation of the student employee experience. Presenters: Dr. Amanda Alpert Jessee (University of Mississippi) and Dr. Peter Tulchinsky (University of Mississippi)
Revenue Generation and Fundraising: Ways to Support your Department (Activity Room 1)
Description: Budget reductions, cutbacks, and funding shifts have become common challenges on many campuses, impacting our programs, facilities, and services. Is your department looking for innovative ways to financially support its mission? Join us to explore how friendraising, fundraising, relationship building, and corporate support can help bridge those budget gaps. Presenters: Cat Cramp (University of Florida), Randall Ford (University of Texas), and Kari Terry (University of Texas)
10:00 am - Unit Area Roundtables
- Specialty Areas (Courts 5 &6)
- Facility Ops (Arena Meeting Room) - Presented by TinyMobileRobots
- Comp. Sports (Activity Room 1) - Presented by RFS/Icon
- Fitness (Activity Room 3) - Presented by Lifefitness/Hammer
- Aquatics (Skybox)
- Outdoors (River Rise)
- Specialty Areas (The Sink)
11:00 am - Position Based Roundtables
- Specialty Positions (Courts 5 &6)
- Assistant Director (Arena Meeting Room) - Presented by HDR
- Coordinator (Activity Room 1) - Presented by TinyMobileRobots
- Associate Director (Activity Room 3) - Presented by Cannon Design
- Directors (Skybox) - Presented by EwingCole
12:00 pm - Lunch sponsored by Brock
1:15 pm - Invited Session
AI: Fitness Trend or Danger Zone? How the Smartest Tool Could Break Us or Build Us (Courts 5 &6)
Description: We are living through a defining moment—not just in technology, but in how we choose to work, lead, and live. Is AI the greatest productivity breakthrough ever... or the final push into burnout for American workers? This session explores how AI is reshaping campus recreation—from predictive fitness trends to operational overload—and asks whether we’ll harness it to elevate well-being or unknowingly double down on an unsustainable grind. Presenter: Kelly Kidd (EGYM)
Wellness and Recreation, Recreation and Wellness: An Obvious Merger with an Unclear Path (Activity Room 1)
Description: The session will specifically discuss the recent merger of Health Promotion and Wellness Services with Campus Recreation at Auburn University. We will discuss the history, the reasons behind the move, finances, challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned from peer institutions that have undergone similar mergers. We'll share insights from conversations with other schools that have combined wellness and recreation, which may be valuable for those currently working through this process or exploring such a possibility on their own campuses. Join us for a peek behind the curtain to a project that is really starting to take shape since 2023! Presenter: Eric Smith (Auburn University)
2:30 pm - Unit Area Roundtables
- Specialty Areas (Courts 5 &6)
- Facility Ops (Arena Meeting Room) -Presented by RFS/Icon P
- Comp. Sports (Activity Room 1) - Presented by DSE
- Fitness (Activity Room 3) - Presented by HDR
- Aquatics (Skybox) - Presented by Kimley - Horn
- Outdoors (River Rise)
- Specialty Areas (The Sink)
3:30 pm - Snacks sponsored by Shake Smart (Courts 5 & 6)
3:45 pm -Position Based Roundtables
- Specialty Positions (Courts 5 &6)
- Assistant Director (Arena Meeting Room) - Presented by Lifefitness/Hammer
- Coordinator (Activity Room 1) - Presented by DSE
- Associate Director (Activity Room 3) - Presented by Ewing Cole
- Directors (Skybox) - Presented by Cannon Design
6:00 pm - Dinner sponsored by Matrix
After your travels, unwind with us and connect with fellow recreation professionals over a delicious dinner. Here’s to a fantastic conference filled with shared insights, inspiration, and the spirit of SEC collaboration!
Tuesday, May 20
6:30 am - Early morning workout: Hatha Yoga (Arena Meeting Room)
8:00 am - Breakfast sponsored by SourceWell (Courts 5&6)
9:00 am - 11:00 am - Showcase
The SEC Showcase will highlight promising practices implemented by rec departments across the conference. Eight institutions (four per Showcase session) will feature their unique programs in a series of 10-minute presentations, allowing attendees to learn about some of the innovative concepts in our field through a quick, concise presentation format. Attendees who go to Showcase 1 for the first session will go to Showcase 2 for the second session. Attendees who go to Showcase 2 for the first session will go to Showcase 1 for second session.
Showcase Group 1 (Courts 5&6)
- Ole Miss – Special Olympics College and Unified Sports
- South Carolina – Professional Staff Onboarding
- Texas – Peloton Program
- Texas A&M – Brick Program
Showcase Group 2 (Arena Meeting Room)
- Arkansas – Professional Development Pilot
- Georgia – Golf Tournament Fundraiser
- LSU – URec on the Geaux
- Tennessee – Campus Recreation Benchmark Survey
11:00 am - Directors Panel Presented by Kimley - Horn
12:00 pm - Lunch sponsored by ECORE/Depart
Hilton University of Florida
Room block held until April 18th, 2025
$159 per night
9 minute walk to the Southwest Recreation Center
1714 SW 34th Street, Gainesville, Florida
352.371.3600
Aloft Gainesville University Area
Room block held until Friday, April 18th, 2025
$124 per night
15 minute walk to the Southwest Recreation Center
3743 Hull Road, Gainesville Florida
352.378.1100
Nearest Airports
Gainesville Regional Airport - 8.7 miles from the Southwest Recreation Center (20 minutes). Closest, may be more expensive.
Jacksonville Airport - 84.8 miles from the Southwest Recreation Center (1 hour 35 minutes). Second closest, involves interstate and rural highways which could involve traffic.
Orlando International Airport - 119.3 miles from the Southwest Recreation Center (1 hour 48 minutes). Long security lines, will involve tolls, and potential high levels of traffic.
Tampa International Airport - 134.3 miles from the Southwest Recreation Center (2 hours). Still hit traffic, easier driving route to Gainesville on I75.
Restaurants & Local Establishments
Breakfast
- Flying Biscuit (Cat’s favorite breakfast joint!)
- 43rd Street Deli
- Metro Diner
- Afternoon
- Peach Valley Cafe
Lunch/Dinner
- Satchel’s Pizza
- Humble Wood Fire Pizza
- Blue Highway Pizza
- Piesanos
- MiApa’s Latin Cafe
- New Deal Cafe / Mildred's Big City Food
- The Swamp
- Ballyhoo’s Grill
- Spurrier's Gridiron Grille
- The Top
- Linda Vista
- SOHAO Cafe
- Sonny’s BBQ
- Nine Spices Hotpot & BBQ
- Dick Mondell’s
- 4th Ave Food Park
PLAY IN Nature
- UF RecSports Lake Wauburg -Lake Wauburg offers a place to relax and enjoy the great outdoors. Many activities are available including boating, swimming, volleyball, team development course, and more. Connect with RecSports before you visit.
- Paynes Prairie State Park -The park features scenic trails, wetlands, and vast open spaces where visitors can spot wild horses, alligators, and even bison.
- La Chua Trail - La Chua Trail leads to Alachua Sink and the center of the prairie marsh and wetlands. Abundant wildlife including alligators and migratory sandhill cranes. Platform at trail’s end provides panoramic views. 3 miles round-trip.
- Ichetucknee Springs -Fed by nine springs, the Ichetucknee River lets visitors experience the natural beauty of its blue-green waterways year-round. Let the gentle current of the bright turquoise river guide you on a relaxing retreat through shaded hammocks and forests of cypress, maple, oak and pine.
- Blue Springs -The refreshing 72-degree waters of Blue Spring greet visitors at this gem along the St. Johns River.
- Rainbow Spring -Rainbow Springs State Park is a portal to a world of captivating history and breathtaking natural beauty.
- Sweetwater Wetlands Park -Sweetwater Wetlands Park is filled with vast numbers of plants and animals, including birds, butterflies, and alligators. At the park, you can walk more than 3.5 miles of crushed gravel trails and boardwalks, experience the lush landscape from viewing platforms, and learn about the habitat through educational signs and tours.
- Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park -In the midst of North Florida's sandy terrain and pine forests, a bowl-shaped cavity 120 feet deep leads down to a miniature rain forest. Small streams trickle down the steep slopes of the limestone sinkhole, disappearing through crevices in the ground.
- San Felasco State Park -Outstanding birding opportunities, the area's best off-road biking, stunning scenery and a rich historic past are a few of the preserve's highlights.
- UF Bat Houses - UF has two bat houses that are home to hundreds of thousands of bats that emerge on warm evenings just after sunset.
PLAY AROUND GAINESVILLE & UF
- UF RecSports Facilities Tours
- Depot Park -Depot Park, in downtown Gainesville, provides a myriad of outdoor activities and is the most visited and most visible public space in Gainesville.
- Cultural Plaza -Art, History & Performing Arts in One Location. Stop by the Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History