RSOP Rocks

by Tony Bennett

Mick McComber is the Director of the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Recreational Sports Outdoor Program, and he’s also an expert historian on the topic of that particular program. Ask him how things in his department got to where they are today, and he talks about a gradual, continuing process of expansion beginning in the early 70’s that was spurred on by a ravenous interest on the part of students in both fitness and a connection to the nature that is so abundant in the Duluth area. As more fitness-centered buildings have gone up and enrollment has increased, the RSOP has become a huge part of UMD student life, and McComber couldn’t be more pleased. The way he sees it, the services he helps to provide aren’t just a way to lose love handles – they’re integral to a good college education.
“The face of higher education is changing,” McComber says. “There’s a growing body of research and acknowledgement that everything you experience at the college level in the form of learning is valuable, whether it happens in a formal academic setting, as a part of part-time employment, as a part of a leadership opportunity with a student group, or as an extracurricular kind of opportunity. There are transferable skills that you can gain in all aspects of an education. And so I think another part of this is that people are starting to get that what we do here isn’t peripheral. It isn’t just fluff.”
Shades of psychologist Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Gardner’s popular theory proposed in 1983 that intelligence isn’t just an ability to memorize mathematical equations or to recite facts by rote, but rather that “intelligence” can mean different things for different people. And it seems that the RSOP at UMD has become a valuable example of this theory in action — that students can learn plenty in the lecture hall, but they can also learn a lot walking through the woods or paddling a canoe. “Our motto and our mission,” McComber says, “is about ‘healthy, active lifestyles and connections to the natural world.’ And so what we tell people is, make healthy choices, be active. Because it brings balance to your life.”
Not that it’s all work and no play, mind you. McComber is fully behind the idea that recreation is an important component of a well-balanced person. “There’s an educational focus to everything we do, but we want people to have fun,” he says, also mentioning the stress-relieving aspects of a good, vigorous workout. And everyone who’s ever crammed for a final can attest to the way the stresses of college can weigh on a student.
The RSOP is stuffed with all manner of recreational opportunities, from the most laid-back intramurals to the most intense, extreme kinds of climbing, kayaking, and surfing. Randy Carlson is the Coordinator of Kayak, Canoe, and Kiting with the RSOP, and he’s just one of 14 professional staff members with a particular, specialized focus. Carlson, like McComber, takes great pride in the work he does — work that sometimes takes him all over the United States in search of adventure.
“Most of my energy is directed toward outdoor instruction that takes place on whitewater rivers, Lake Superior and inland lakes,” Carlson says. “During our break trips, I try to take people to the Pacific Ocean for surfing or the Rocky Mountains for snow kiting. I’ve witnessed many positive outcomes that occur from participating in adventure sports — boosting your energy, environmental awareness, and positive social connections with people that love to explore the outdoors.”
Carlson feels that the RSOP is an invaluable resource. “We help people get excited about living a healthy active lifestyle,” he says. “Our enthusiasm for exploring the outdoors is expressed through programs that serve a wide range of ages and abilities. It’s easy and relatively inexpensive to try something new with RSOP. We offer instruction and provide equipment so people can discover where they like to go and what they like to do. We provide advice related to equipment, outdoor destinations, and even help people establish careers in outdoor education and recreation.”
And, though it’s primarily intended for UMD students (and, indeed, it gets its funding from student fees), the RSOP is also open to community members. “We’re here to serve our students first and foremost,” Mick McComber says, but he notes that “Everything we do on the outdoor program side” – things like summer camps and triathlon training – “is available and open to the community.”
An undeniably big part of the reason the program has seen such success over time is the simple fact that Duluth~Superior is such a great place for four-season activities. “Duluth’s change of seasons, storms and even our cold winters are all treasured opportunities,” Carlson suggests. “Modern equipment and clothing makes it possible to safely and comfortably seek out unique outdoor experiences with friends. These experiences are like gemstones that can be discovered by those who search.”
McComber concurs. “I can tell you this: our participation numbers on the recreational side are on par with institutions that are almost three times our size. There’s something about this place that attracts active students. I think it’s the culture of this place.” He says that, in studies done by the admissions folks at UMD, it’s been demonstrated that this culture of active connection with nature is very important to prospective students. “[Duluth~Superior is] nature’s playground. To me, it’s such a pull. And their data reflects that.”