Stevenson University’s office of campus recreation has been looking to expand its campus presence in terms of student activity for the last several years, and to help organize the expansion, Craig LeDuc has joined Stevenson’s staff as the assistant director of campus recreation.

LeDuc held the same position at West Chester University from 2012-2015, where he managed the budget, student workers, and the website, while being in charge of club and intramural sports. LeDuc does not intend to fill all the same roles at Stevenson, but instead wants to focus his efforts on club sports and intramurals.

He developed a passion for sports at a young age, playing recreational ice hockey in his home state of Rhode Island, continuing to play throughout high school and eventually joining the club team at his alma mater, Florida State. There, LeDuc got his first experience with intramurals, working his way from being a game official to eventually becoming the club program assistant.

Since then, LeDuc explains, his passion for sports in general is due to the excitement that is generated by the student athletes: “Every day is different. Every game is different,”  he said. LeDuc sees himself as a mentor to intramural athletes, motivating them and allowing them to continue playing sports through college.

Stevenson currently has 12 club sports and eight intramural leagues, but LeDuc would like to continue to add sports and events as the university and department expands. A beach volleyball league is available for the first time this fall and floor hockey will begin this winter. LeDuc also said that he is hoping to run more events including wiffleball, wallyball, and kickball tournaments for students who might not be able to make a full-season commitment.

The new assistant director made it very clear that he is happy with the position and the department he is in now, but added that there is always room for more ways to respond to student needs. He would love to bring a recreation center to Stevenson because not only would that make recreational sports more accessible to students, but it would also provide courts and fields specifically for intramurals. Now, most intramurals are scheduled around NCAA sports.

LeDuc added that one day he hopes to be an associate director or director of a campus recreation department, whether it be at Stevenson or at a larger venue.