Nestled between Fraternity Park and the freshmen dorms, University of Tennessee students will find a fully equipped powerhouse of fitness facilities called RecSports, better known as TRECS.
TRECS has many amenities and features included in and around the building. There is a gym downstairs with all types of equipment, a track upstairs, a pool outside, a turf field, a sand volleyball court, basketball courts and much more.
The downstairs fitness area is a very popular spot. There is equipment for any and all workout routines, including but not limited to stair masters, squat racks, cable machines and free weights.
Greer Dempster, a sophomore at UT majoring in nutrition science, frequents the downstairs gym the most when coming to TRECS.
“I come here to lift mostly because it’s free,” Dempster said. “I used to live in Carrick, and TRECS was like my backyard.”
Even with the gym being a big space, it still can get very packed, but that doesn’t affect students like Dempster, and sometimes even helps them add to their routines in ways they might not have tried before.
“Since it’s always so crowded, I always have to find a different workout that hits the same muscle group so I don’t wait in line,” Dempster said. “I’m just coming up with an adjacent exercise that still hits the same muscle group.”
Brendan O’Neill, a senior studying kinesiology, shared the same thoughts.
“TRECS has added stuff to my routines because there’s a lot of stuff here that I can choose to do,” O’Neill said. “Plus, if there’s lines on some things, I can go do other things and mix and match.”
One of the other perks of TRECS that some people might not be aware of is that they offer free classes that students can sign up for and participate in.
Kate Killebrew is a junior majoring in marketing and business analytics who works at TRECS at the front desk.
“We have all kinds of classes from dance classes to barre classes to pilates,” Killebrew said. “They’re very good and completely free to students, which I think is huge because a lot of other schools do charge for that.”
Emily Meyers is a sophomore nursing major who has tried out a few of the classes that TRECS offers.
“I did spin here a couple of times and I really enjoyed it,” Myers said. “I’ve also done some of the strength and core classes, and I really enjoyed those … they were hard, but not like I was dying.”
TRECS also offers outside activities such as the sand volleyball court, pickleball courts, a turf field and a pool. The pool is a very well-liked spot during the day, as students enjoy lying out in the sun and swimming.
For other outside activities, such as the courts and the field, students are typically able to rent equipment at no cost to bring outside and use, as long as they bring it back at the end of the day.
“We have an equipment desk and we have footballs, soccer balls, spike ball kits, jump ropes,” Killebrew said. “Anything you would want or need, you can come check it out there with just your VolCard.”
There are some equipment rentals that students have to pay for. Some of which include camping supplies, water sports equipment such as kayaks, bikes, rock climbing gear and disc golf items.
Additionally, TRECS offers personal trainers on-site for students. These trainers can create meal plans and workout plans for students, and while students would have to pay for that, Killebrew mentioned it is at a really good price.
TRECS also has intramural sports, where students can join teams and play almost any game. Intramurals include kickball, volleyball, spikeball, table tennis, tennis, 3-point contests and more. There is even an esports tournament that students can participate in.
Finally, inside the lobby floor, the basketball courts can be found. This part of the facility features four basketball courts, as well as an indoor track that overlooks the courts below.
These indoor courts are almost never found empty, and at most hours of the day, students are in there playing pickup games. These courts are at the heart of TRECS.
“I know a lot of people who have made a lot of great friendships through that,” Killebrew said. “You just show up to the basketball court and you meet these random people, but you become lifelong friends with them — you never know who you’ll meet here.”
