Trip Report of the Pohl Recreational Center

Triston Williams, Brigado Montemayor, Jameson Reno, Yousif Nahash

TECM 1700:005
November 24, 2014

Introduction
The Pohl Recreational Center at the University of North Texas provides a variety of resources
for students to exercise, socialize, and work concurrently with school; however, many students
are unaware of this center. The purpose of this report is to inform students with information
about the Pohl Recreational Center, so that they benefit from the opportunities it provides.
Included in this trip report are the following:

Background of the Pohl Recreational Center.

An overview of the facility in general.
Why it is important for students to use the center.

The following report provides the information a student at UNT needs to know about the Pohl
Recreational Center.

Background
The Pohl Recreational Center was established in August of 2003 and is a wonderful place for
students to exercise; providing students with state-of-the-art exercising equipment, a rockclimbing wall, multi-purpose sport courts, an indoor soccer arena, a lap pool and spa, locker
rooms, and even its very own Smoothie King. The facility spans over 138,000 square feet, with
the weight-lifting area alone occupying 14,500 square feet of that.
Students can visit the Pohl Recreational Center and use any equipment they desire aside from the
rock wall, in which case students can purchase a semester pass for unlimited access. In addition
to exercising, students can also join clubs, competitions, and events. The Pohl Recreational
Center is home to 28 sport clubs and regularly hosts tournaments within these clubs. The facility
is also home to over 300 student employees, making it one of the largest student employers on
campus.
The mission statement of the Pohl Rec Center is Recreational Sports provides programs,
services and facilities to support the recreation and fitness needs of students and the campus
community. We strive to provide a positive environment allowing individuals to explore and
learn of opportunities to enhance a better quality of life (Recreational Sports, 2014, para. 1).

On-Site Visit

Figure 1: Map of the Pohl Recreational Center

The Pohl Recreational Center is located on 1900 Chestnut Dr., Denton, TX 76203
at the campus of the University of North Texas campus right by the West Hall
dorms and Chestnut Hall. If you ever want to visit or contact the place, they are
open eighteen hours a day. You can contact them by their phone number at (940)565-2275, or visit them at their website http://recsports.unt.edu/about/rec_center.
Their faculty and staff will more than help you with any question you have. More
than three- hundred of part-time employees will also help with your workout at
Rec Center, along with the full-time employees.

Managers Name

Position

Email

Laurie Klein

Director of Recreational
Sports

laura.klein@unt.edu

Britton Sherry

Director of Programs

britton.sherru@unt.edu

Chris Lawrence

Associate Director of
Facility Operations

christian.lawrence@unt.edu

Angela McGuire

Assistant director-Fitness angela.mcguire@unt.edu

Ben Hanisian

Assistant DirectorOutdoor Pursuits

hanisian@unt.edu

Ryan Comfort

Assistant DirectorFacilities

ryan.comfort@unt.edu

Lori Duvall

Administrative
Coordinator

lori.duval@unt.edu

With many facilities in the Rec Center there would have to be many employees,
which includes:

The Swimming pool is one of facilities available to anybody. It includes a

leisure pool and spa along with a lap pool with is twenty-five yards and four
laps.

Figure 2: Swimming Pool inside The Recreational Center

 A 14,500 sq. ft. Weight & Fitness room, which includes

o Bench press stations
o Incline Stations
o Squat stations
o Dumbbells
o A punching bag
o An indoor Track
o Stations that work on certain muscles.
o Ellipticals and treadmills

Figure 3: The main hall

Three Basket Ball Courts and two outdoor

Figure 4: Basketball Courts

Indoor Soccer

Figure 5: Indoor Soccer

Yoga classes

Figure 6: Yoga Classes that take place inside the Recreational Center

Over 20ft. rock climbing wall

Figure 7: People climbing the Rock wall

We interviewed Ms. Laurie Klein, the Director of recreational Sports, in order to

get a broader perspective and what they have to offer that we didnt know. She is
very kind and a great leader who is in charge of running the budget, oversees the
management, and also risk-management.
Results
After the interview we found out more than we expected. We asked Ms. Klein
What kinds of services does the Rec Center offer to students and non-students?
Ms. Klein responded by informing us that The Rec Center offers opportunities for
students to exercise freely, socialize, and become involved in the many
organizations and clubs. Plus, they offer renting outdoor equipment, such as for
hiking, canoeing, or kayaking at a low price as well as the low prices to climb the
Rock wall, which is over fifty feet. There are over three hundred part time
employees and eighteen fulltime employees, in which most are specialists. When
asked about the schedules for student employment, Ms. Klein noted Students have
flexible work schedules here. We are constantly looking for people to hire,
especially for odd hours of the day. Our group also felt the need to ask Ms. Klein
what she thought made the Rec. Center stand out from other Rec. Centers. She
responded by saying that The Pohl Rec. Center is very democratic about what
happens inside the facility. The students voice their opinions and the staff here
listens. If we notice a common interest among the students, we do our best to try
and fulfill their requests. This is evident in the sense that students are constantly
forming new organizations and competitions inside the facility, controlling most of
what actually occurs inside. As the interview came to a close, we inquired about

the future of the Rec. Center as to if there would be any expansions to the facility.
Ms. Klein replied No. As far as adding onto the building itself, no expansion is
currently planned. The only change that is predicted here at the facility is the
constant formation of new organizations; however, we are looking to reach out to
the students at Discovery Park who never have the chance to visit the Pohl Rec.
Center by possibly establishing some sort of designated area with exercise
equipment so that students at Discovery can stay active and healthy as well.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Recreational Center is great place to socialize and to have a
great workout to either get in shape or blow off steam, to get rid of some stress
from school. It is full with many workout machines for any part of your body. It is
a great place to work as well. The management helps make you a schedule that is
flexible around your school hours. Its amazing on what the Rec Center has to
offer, some things you wouldnt expect.

References
Klein, L. (2014, November 20). Personal interview.

Recreational Sports. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://recsports.unt.edu/about

Additional Information
Interview Questions:

Information
o When was the Rec. Center opened?
o How big is the Rec. Center?
o How many employees work here at the Rec. Center?
o What kinds of services does the Rec. Center offer to students and non-students?
o When is the Rec. Center open?
Is it open for any holiday breaks?
o What is the latest addition to the Rec. Center?
Employment
o How many employees work here at the Rec. Center?
o How does a student go about applying to a job at the Rec. Center?
o Are the work schedules flexible for student schedules?
o How did you become affiliated with the Rec. Center?
o Could you describe your role here at the Rec. Center?
o What do you do to better the environment here at the Rec. Center?
o Is your position involved at all with UNT athletics (football, baseball, etc.)?
If so, could you describe how?
o What is it like to work at the Rec. Center?
Other
o What kinds of organizations are based here at the Rec. Center?
o Does the Rec. Center ever host any events?
If so, what kind are they advertised online?
o What makes the Pohl Rec. Center stand out among other Rec. Centers?
o Are there any future plans for the Rec. Center?

Request For Interview

Brigido Montemayor <brigmontemayor@gmail.com>

Nov 17 (7 days ago)

to laura.klein
Hi Mrs. Klein,
My name is Brig Montemayor and I am enrolled in Technical Writing 1700 at the University of
North Texas. As part of a project, my group and I would appreciate if we could schedule a brief
interview with you or another director, to learn more about the Pohl Recreational Center. Our
whole group is required to be in the interview, therefore, we are available on this Tuesday or
Thursday, after 3:30. We would appreciate your time.

Thank you,
Brig Montemayor

Klein, Laura

Nov 17 (7 days ago)

to me

I can do Thursday at 3:30pm. Let me know if that will work for your group.

Laurie

From: Brigido Montemayor [mailto:brigmontemayor@gmail.com]

Sent: Monday, November 17, 2014 12:52 PM
To: Klein, Laura
Subject:

Brigido Montemayor <brigmontemayor@gmail.com>

Nov 19 (5 days ago)

to Laura
Can you do 3:45 pm on Thursday? We have a member who gets out of class at 3:20 pm. If that
will not work then 3:30 pm will be fine.
Brig

Klein, Laura
to me

Nov 19 (5 days ago)

Yessee you then!

From: Brigido Montemayor [mailto:brigmontemayor@gmail.com]

Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2014 12:35 PM
To: Klein, Laura
Subject: Re:

November 24, 2014

Laurie Klein
1900 Chestnut Drive
Denton, Texas 76203

Dear Ms. Klein,

Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to meet with us last Thursday, November 20,
2014.The information you provided us with was very insightful and informative. We were able
to successfully complete our project by interviewing you and we also now know a great deal
about the Pohl Recreational Center. The facility was wonderful and definitely has a superb staff
supporting it. Once again, thank you for the time you took out of your day to meet with us. The
information was wonderful and we greatly appreciate it.

Best Regards,

Triston Williams
Brigido Montemayor
Jameson Reno
Yousif Alnahash