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Sport tourism is one of the fastest growing market segments in the tourism industry and is receiving increased attention for its social, environmental, and economic impacts upon destinations. Prior research in tourism impacts has tended to focus exclusively on tourism as a whole and does not differentiate among the different types of tourism that may be present in a destination. The purpose of this study was to examine how residents of Indianapolis, Indiana perceived the impacts sport tourism has upon their city. A total of 347 surveys were returned in a mailed questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a four factor structure of social benefits, environmental benefits, economic benefits, and general negative impacts. Social and economic benefits were strong predictors for support for further sport tourism development revealing a strong identification with the advantages of sport tourism in their city such as an increased cultural identity and social interaction opportunities.

Campus recreational sports programs are designed to provide an on-campus leisure opportunity for college students, hopefully enhancing their quality of collegiate life. Yet, not all students choose to participate, much to the chagrin of recreational sports professionals and school administrators. The purpose of this study was to investigate how perceived constraints on intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural levels influenced the participation of college students in recreational sports activities on an urban, commuter campus and a residential, rural campus. The sample of subjects consisted of 416 students who considered themselves nonparticipants in campus recreational sports. The results indicated that lack of time because of work, school or family, and not knowing the available activities were the two most strongly perceived constraints. Further investigation on differences in perceived constraints was conducted with respect to subjects' age, gender and place of residence.

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Collegiate recreational sports provide many avenues for student development resulting in various benefits that have been supported through theoretical and empirical research. This study examined social outcomes of participation in intramural sports. The data revealed differences in social outcomes related to gender, age, year in school, ethnicity, residence, and division of competition. Differences were found between groups in the degree of social outcomes experienced. The data contribute to a body of empirical research which shows that intramural sport participation serves as a vehicle for social development among college students, which not only improves overall well-being but can also help serve as a potential reason for why students persist at universities. Specific areas of development include social interaction, time management, ability to work within a team, overall happiness, sense of belonging, and feelings of self-worth. The results of this study will assist university recreational sport professionals and administrators in further understanding the role and importance of intramural sports as a vehicle for social development while also providing evidence of differences between groups.

The 1980s and 1990s saw tremendous growth in campus recreational sports programs. The emergence of these programs as significant contributors to the higher education mission has led practitioners to recognize the importance of increased student involvement in this area of campus life. One of the issues facing campus recreational sports is a lack of theoretical and empirical research in almost all facets of the field. This study examined participation patterns in recreational sports programs and facilities at 314 colleges and universities (n=4000) in four groups of years: 1983–1986, 1987–1990, 1991–1994, and 1995–1998 using data derived from the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ) and the Center for Postsecondary Research and Planning at Indiana University, Bloomington. The results of the study revealed the following: (a) there was no significant difference in student involvement for the recreational sports programs and facilities variables under investigation; (b) significant differences were found for all areas of recreational sports involvement under investigation regarding participants' gender, age, and place of residence, with males, students under the age of 22, and on-campus students reporting higher rates of recreational sports involvement than females, students over the age of 22, and off-campus students (p<.001); (c) there were no significant year-by-gender, year-by-age, or year-by place-of-residence interaction effects; d) where significant main effect differences were found, effect sizes (η2 partial) were fairly low.

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Every recreational sport administrator has the challenge to plan, guide and lead his or her organizations into the future. Yet, the future is mostly unknown. This article provides insight into what the future may hold for recreational sport practitioners in a campus setting, by sharing the results of an electronic Delphi study conducted to identify the key trends impacting the delivery of recreational sports programs up to the year 2015. Of the 31 trends that emerged from the study, the panel of experts believed that funding and budgets, legal aspects, and technology would have the greatest potential for impacting the delivery of campus recreational sports programs over the course of the next 15 years.