For Dalton Courtney, arriving at UT as a first-year student opened many opportunities he didn’t know existed. One of those opportunities has been playing soccer through RecSports, which allowed him to pick up a sport he loved and re-open a chapter he thought might be closed forever.
Through employment with the department and professional mentorship, Courtney translated that passion into a successful social media campaign in the spring of 2025 to help other students make those same connections.
After hearing about RecSports in a first-year studies class at UT, Courtney approached membership and outreach coordinator Eric Harrell with an idea to continue developing his photography and videography skills while also supporting RecSports’ visual identity. For the sophomore journalism major, what was once a hobby had turned into a small photography and videography business, and he saw an opportunity to build upon those skills while also being involved in something he loved—sports.
“I grew up playing soccer, but it became too time consuming,” says Courtney. “In order to pursue photography and videography, things more aligned with my career goals, I had to give up something I deeply loved. I wasn’t expecting an opportunity to play again in college. I knew intramurals existed, but I really didn’t know what that would look like for me. RecSports changed all of that for me.”
After being sent on a photography assignment to capture images of an intramural soccer tournament, Courtney began feeling like he was missing out.
“I remember thinking, ‘I want to play, I want to be out there.’ There are so many people on campus who get to do what they love through RecSports, and I wanted to help show the opportunities students have to do what they love,” says Courtney.
As Courtney became more involved in RecSports and found ways to continue to play soccer, he imagined how he could pair videography and photography to tell a story. In conversations with Harrell, they landed on a concept to focus on all the ways students play sports on campus, including intramurals, pickup games at various fields or courts, and through sport clubs.
The Play Your Game campaign was born. While the original plan only included one video, the project turned into a three-part series tackling multiple campus outlets in different ways and covering three different sports (soccer, football, and basketball). Each installment featured a video and photo component and highlighted students who found a way to play a game that they love while at UT. Courtney provided creative and technical expertise, while Harrell facilitated logistics like facility availability.
“I wanted it to mean that no matter who you are, what you grew up doing, or where you’re from, you have a chance to play here at UT,” says Courtney. “If you were a D1 player that got injured and lost your offers or always watched from the sidelines and never got a chance, you could use one of the biggest opportunities on campus, RecSports, to play the game you love.”
“I wanted it to mean that no matter who you are, what you grew up doing, or where you’re from, you have a chance to play here at UT.”
Dalton Courtney
Sophomore Studying Journalism
For Harrell, Courtney’s skills in photography and videography gave the department an opportunity to elevate their marketing materials and focus on some new areas, like intramurals and informal recreation.
“He had the skills and the passion for RecSports, and he took ownership of the project, really with minimal direction,” says Harrell. “I wanted to let him be creative, and for all my student staff I let them know that I want to empower them to be themselves and pursue projects they’re passionate about.”
“I wanted to let him be creative, and for all my student staff I let them know that I want to empower them to be themselves and pursue projects they’re passionate about.”
Eric Harrell
Membership and Outreach Coordinator
RecSports
The pair worked together to identify a strategic posting schedule for videos and photos. Both Harrell and Courtney held their breaths as they pushed out the first iteration of the campaign, collaborating on both the RecSports channel and Courtney’s personal profile. The results, and the impact, were quite impressive.
The Play Your Game campaign produced three videos and three poster-style posts on Instagram, resulting in 48,394 views across 29,465 user accounts, with 1,311 users interacting with the content through likes, comments, saves, or shares. Harrell also noted that RecSports and campus leaders noticed the campaign and were excited about how it represented opportunities available through the department.
The Play Your Game campaign produced three videos and three poster-style posts on Instagram, resulting in 48,394 views across 29,465 user accounts, with 1,311 users interacting with the content through likes, comments, saves, or shares.
Overall, Harrell says the department wants to continue pursuing outreach opportunities like this and, as one of the largest student employers on campus, continue supporting student development and growth as they prepare for careers in whatever field they have chosen.