| Summary: | The use of university recreation centers has been promoted as a way for college students to connect to the campus community, improve overall physical health, and moderate anxiety and stress. Research has shown recreation centers provide opportunities for students to become more socially integrated into the campus community. Although the benefits of recreational sports have been championed for college students in general, very little is known about the recreational interests and behaviors of African American female college students and their general perceptions of campus recreation. This qualitative study utilized Student Involvement Theory to understand the lived experiences of eight African American female students. Three superordinate themes and three corresponding sub-themes emerged: 1) Feelings of Isolation, with sub-theme 1.1: Minority Status, 2) Desire to Belong, with sub-theme 2.1: Lack of Ability to Integrate with University Environment, and 3) Creating Community through Recreation, with sub-theme 3.1: Companionship Supports Community. Understanding the experiences of African American female students can provide administrators with the tools to develop strategies on how to create more inclusive campus recreation environments and programing--Author's abstract
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