Students Share Their Stoke for the Great Outdoors

That’s the situation that Jack Wood, a junior majoring in biosystems engineering, found himself in during the Student Outdoor Leadership Experience (SOLE) program. As the most intense of several program opportunities available through the RecSports Outdoor Pursuits area, SOLE focuses on learning technical skills like climbing, kayaking, biking, backpacking, and other backcountry travel while simultaneously diving into leadership, communication, teaching, risk management, and other skills needed to be an outdoor leader.

Wood, as the trip leader of a multi-day bikepacking trip to Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, was responsible for making tough decisions like evacuating and ending the trip early when a student fell and injured their collarbone. The group was about 10 miles from where their van was parked. Wood and one other trip participant, plus Josh Elder, RecSports assistant director for Outdoor Pursuits, rushed through what Wood called “the toughest segment of mountain biking I have ever done” to go into rescue mode, return to the van quickly, and drive to pick up the other five students who had walked their bikes to the nearest road.

“Prior to SOLE, I was pretty introverted and sometimes struggled to speak up and address a crowd,” says Wood. “SOLE made me a lot more comfortable in these situations and gave me the confidence I needed to speak up. I’m really proud of myself for that. I’ve learned through SOLE to be more confident in my abilities and be comfortable speaking up when needed. Staying calm in a stressful situation, but speaking directly and clearly are now skills that I am excited to use in the workplace.”

Options for Students At Every Level

“Research shows a lot of positive health outcomes for spending time outside or spending time in physical activity,” notes Elder. “We want students to get excited about trying something, go learn, go fail, go explore. Share your stoke so to speak. So we offer adventure trip options for students to participate in at all levels.”

Since UT is situated within an hour’s drive of several state parks, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and other outdoor spaces, RecSports has an exceptional opportunity to offer short excursions to these areas. Students can participate to discover new hobbies and explore the beauty of East Tennessee and beyond. 

Recently, students initiated adding trail runs to the list of micro-adventures as a way to help others who wanted to learn something new but weren’t perhaps confident enough in their own physical abilities to try more strenuous activities like rock climbing or biking. Elder says that this new option creates an experience for runners to be outside and draw their own conclusions about their experiences. 

“Plenty of students who participate don’t believe they have a sense of adventure, but then they learn they are actually more resilient than they gave themselves credit for when they signed up,” says Elder. “All we ask is that students have a pair of shoes, clothes to put on their bodies, and a sense of adventure.”

Through Outdoor Pursuits, RecSports also offers day trips and weekend trips. Day trips are led by student trip staff who have completed the SOLE program, take place on Saturdays or Sundays, and introduce students to hiking locations across East Tennessee and other spots for paddle sports or climbing. Longer, weekend trips are also led by student trip staff and include similar itineraries. Trips over academic breaks are led by RecSports staff and increase in intensity, with participants recently traveling to canoe the Rio Grande River in Big Bend National Park and planning to surf in Puerto Rico over spring break.

In addition to micro-adventures, day trips, and trips over academic breaks, RecSports also offers free lessons, clinics, and rentals at the Vol Wall, a rock wall climbing gym on campus. Instructors are always available at the Vol Wall, so even if a student has never climbed before, they can learn and explore a different style of movement right across the street from most campus residence halls.

“Each of these programs is set up to be as accessible as possible to students who might want to learn, be outside, and move their bodies in a different way,” says Elder. “We provide the chance for students to stick their big toe into outdoor adventure and learn something new all the way to students who know they want to work in outdoor recreation the rest of their lives.”

When Something Goes Wrong

Wood never expected to need to evacuate during the bikepacking trip he led to Big South Fork, but he had been well-prepared for the scenario. All SOLE program participants are trained in risk management, from how to safely teach the techniques of outdoor sports to wilderness first aid. Once they complete SOLE, student trip staff are equipped to assess others’ abilities and quickly identify if someone isn’t ready to move to the next step of difficulty in outdoor activities. All RecSports staff who lead trips are certified in wilderness first aid, and this training is offered to students too. 

Elder notes that after students complete the SOLE program and are working as student trip staff with RecSports, they complete mandatory monthly in-service trainings that focus on both soft skills and wilderness medicine skills so that their knowledge is current and their expertise is sharp. 

“The SOLE program was truly a one-of-a-kind experience, and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity,” says Wood. “Planning involves mapping out a route, gathering gear, crafting a meal plan while being cognizant of dietary restrictions, and establishing evacuation routes. I was tasked with leading the bikepacking trip. I had never done it before, and was going to be co-leading six others on this trip! This inspired me to become as knowledgeable on bikepacking as possible. I truly believe leading this trip helped me to understand and appreciate the value of planning ahead.”